AMMAMMA'S EZ PANEER MASALA

My daughter did not like paneer in any form or curry. My mom made this dish for dinner, and she instantly liked this paneer masala. That's Ammamma's magic, I guess. Of all the paneer recipes, this is the easiest one I have ever made.

INGREDIENTS

1. 400 gms paneer, cubed
2.  onion , thinly sliced(300 gms)
3.  tomatoes(300 gms)
4. 2 Tbsp ginger garlic paste
5. 1/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped into cubes(optional)
6. 1/4 cup onion chopped into cubes(optional)
7. 4 Tbsp. oil 
8. 2  tsp cumin powder and garam masala
9. 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
10. chili powder as per taste
11. 3 dates, pitted
12. 10 cashews/almonds
13. 2 Tbsp kasuri methi
14. salt as required(1 tsp for the masala and 1 tsp for the paneer)

METHOD

• Heat a pan on medium-high heat; when the pan is warm, add 4 Tbsp oil; when the oil is hot, add in the sliced onions. Saute the onions till light brown. Then add the ginger-garlic paste and saute until the raw smell disappears. This will take about 20 minutes.
• After the ginger-garlic paste is cooked well, add the spice powders and saute. Then add the tomatoes and saute well. Add water to aid in cooking and to prevent the masala from getting burnt. 
•  Add sufficient salt to the masala and stir well. Turn off the stove and let it cool.
  
  
  
• Heat 2 cups of water in a non-stick pan on medium-high heat. Once the water starts boiling, add the paneer pieces and let them boil for about 2 minutes. Then, add sufficient salt to the paneer. 
  
  
  
• Puree the onion-tomato masala and add this to the paneer. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Bring the curry to a boil. Then add kasuri methi. Cover and simmer boil for a few minutes. Check for salt. Add lemon juice for more sourness if required. In the interim, make a paste of the nuts and dates and add them to the curry. 
• Turn off the stove and sprinkle with the onion and bell pepper chunks. This is optional.

NOTES

• The bell pepper gives out a nice flavor. 
• You can use peas with the paneer to make a total of 400 gms. 
• Instead if pureeing it, when I use the hand held blender, the consistency is perfect as in its not pureed to a fine paste instead it comes out as a semi-fine paste, which is better. 
• The paneer is soft when the curry is warm, but as soon as the curry is cold, it hardens. I have tried pressure cooking the paneer, sauteeing it in butter, and then adding it to hot water, but to no avail. Homemade paneer stays soft even when cold, but not store-bought. 
• Crumbly paneer is hard to come by. Store-bought paneer is like chicken breast; no matter what we do, it stays hard.