Ingredients:

  • 400g Paneer (Cottage Cheese), cubed
  • 1 cup Milk (for simmering paneer, optional)
  • 1 large Yellow Onion, roughly chopped
  • 4 medium Roma Tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 1/3 cup Raw Cashews, soaked and drained
  • 1/2 cup Water or Milk (for blending)
  • 3 Tbsp Unsalted Butter or Ghee, divided
  • 1 large Bay Leaf
  • 4 Green Cardamom Pods, lightly crushed
  • 4 whole Cloves
  • 1 inch piece Cinnamon Stick
  • 1 tsp Ginger Paste
  • 1 tsp Garlic Paste
  • 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
  • 1 tsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder or Paprika
  • 1 tsp Coriander Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Cumin Powder
  • 1/2 cup Heavy Cream (Double Cream)
  • 1 tsp Granulated Sugar
  • 1 tsp Salt (or to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp Garam Masala
  • 1 tsp Kasuri Methi (Dried Fenugreek Leaves)
  • 1/2 tsp Rose Water (Optional)
  • Fresh Coriander, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions:

  1. Soak cashews in hot water for 20 minutes, then drain. Gently simmer paneer cubes in lightly salted milk or water for 5 minutes; drain and set aside.
  2. Heat 1 Tbsp butter/ghee in a saucepan. Add bay leaf, cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon. Sauté until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
  3. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add tomatoes and cook until softened (about 5-7 minutes). Let this mixture cool slightly.
  4. Transfer the cooled onion/tomato mixture, drained cashews, and 1/2 cup of fresh water/milk to a high-speed blender. Blend until perfectly smooth.
  5. Pass the entire blended mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl, pushing down with a spatula to extract all the liquid. Discard any remaining pulp.
  6. Wipe out the saucepan. Add the remaining 2 Tbsp butter/ghee. Once melted, add ginger and garlic paste, frying for 30 seconds.
  7. Lower the heat. Add turmeric, Kashmiri chilli powder, coriander powder, and cumin powder. Cook gently for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
  8. Pour the strained puree into the spiced butter. Bring to a gentle simmer. Add salt and sugar. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the oil begins to separate slightly.
  9. Reduce the heat to very low. Stir in the heavy cream until fully incorporated and the gravy is uniformly rich. Do not boil hard.
  10. Gently fold in the paneer cubes. Simmer for just 2-3 minutes to warm through.
  11. Turn off the heat. Crush the Kasuri Methi between your palms and sprinkle it in. Stir in the garam masala and the optional rose water.
  12. Let the curry rest, covered, for 5 minutes for the flavours to meld. Garnish generously with fresh coriander before serving hot with naan or rice.