How to make Malabar Paneer

Paneer cooked in a Malabari masala

Recipe

The cuisine of Kerala is very hot and spicy and offers several gastronomic opportunities. The food is generally fresh, aromatic and flavoured. Keralites are mostly fish-and-rice eating people. The land and the food are rich with coconut, though one cannot imagine Kerala food without chillies, curry leaves, mustard seeds, tamarind and asafoetida. Just a little tamarind can substitute tomatoes, but there is no real substitute for curry leaves. 
The locals put to good use whatever the land offers and the result is a marvellous cuisine that is simple yet palate tickling. 
Kerala has an abundance of jackfruits, pineapples, mangoes, custard apples and an endless variety of bananas. The unusual cuisine of Kerala brings to the fore the culinary expertise of the people of Kerala. Producing some of the tastiest foods on earth, the people of Kerala are gourmets with a difference.

Prep Time : 6-10 minutes

Cook time : 21-25 minutes

Serve : 4

Level Of Cooking : Easy

Taste : Mild

Ingredients for Malabar Paneer – SK Khazana Recipe

• Cottage cheese (paneer) cut into 1 inch cubes 250 grams
• Oil 1 tablespo to deep fry
• Mustard seeds 1 teaspoon
• Curry leaves 810
• Green chillies slit 3
• Large onion finely chopped 1
• Ginger-garlic paste 1 tablespoon
• Turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon
• Coconut milk 1 cup
• Salt to taste

Method

Step 1

Heat sufficient oil in a kadai. Deep-fry cottage cheese cubes till golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper.

Step 2

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a non-stick pan, add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add onions, curry leaves, green chillies and onions, mix and sauté till onion turns translucent.

Step 3

Add ginger-garlic paste, mix well and sauté for 1-2 minutes or till onion turns a light golden. Add turmeric powder and mix well.

Step 4

Add fried cottage cheese cubes and mix well. Add coconut milk, mix and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add salt and mix well.

Step 5

Transfer into a serving bowl and serve hot.