Paneer Tomato Curry
with basmati rice
I've been attending a new exercise class and one of the women I met sent me this recipe, and I now make it all the time with all different sorts of proteins. It's as easy as Indian food can get. This week we're giving it a try with paneer, an Indian cheese. If you can't find it - try tofu or garbanzo beans to keep it vegetarian. Our paleo version will use shrimp. Regardless of what protein you use, you'll love this easy, homemade tomato curry sauce.
Ingredients
- Rice - 1 cup
- Ghee / butter - 1 Tbsp
- Cumin seeds (optional) - 1 1/2 tsp
- Turmeric - 1/2 Tbsp
- Garlic - 4 cloves, minced
- Ginger - 1 1/2 inch., peeled and chopped
- Jalapeno - 1, seeded and chopped
- Red onion - 1, diced
- Roma tomatoes - 6, chopped
- Paneer - 1 lb, cubed ((Paneer is a type of Indian cheese and it's sold in a block. If your store carries it, great. If not, use 1 lb. of rinsed chickpeas or tofu instead).)
- Cooking oil - 2 Tbsp
- Curry powder - 1 Tbsp
- Cilantro - small handful, chopped
- Peas - 1 cup
Nutrition Facts
Prep
- Rice - Rinse until clear. Heat a saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add ghee / butter and then cumin seeds to melted fat (if not using cumin seeds, just add rice). Toast for about 1 minute and then add rice. Toast rice in the fat and then add in turmeric, some salt, and 2 cups (472 ml) of water for every cup of rice. Stir and then cover with lid and bring to a boil. Once water boils, stir, lower heat to a low-medium, and cover. Rice is done when it's absorbed all the water, ~15 to 20 minutes. If it's not done, leave the cover on until all water has been absorbed. Take cover off to release steam and fluff with a wooden spoon after 5 minutes. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Garlic / Ginger / Jalapeno / Onions / Tomatoes - Prep as directed. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
- Paneer - Cube.
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Make
- Heat a skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat. Add oil and then garlic, ginger, jalapeno, and onions to heated oil with a pinch of salt. Saute until softened, ~3 minutes.
- Add in tomatoes and saute until they're broken down into a sauce, 5 to 7 minutes. Add in salt and curry powder. Stir to mix.
- Meanwhile chop cilantro.
- Add in peas and tofu or paneer and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes until they're warmed through. Season to taste with salt and pepper or more curry powder; garnish with cilantro. Enjoy over rice.
Nutrition Facts
Reviews
Ratings
20 reviews
We really enjoyed this -- haven't made any Indian dishes at home before. I suggest going light on the cilantro, and maybe using 1/2-3/4 as much paneer.
0 HelpfulThis is an amazing dish! I loved it! I wasn't sure if I'd be able to find paneer so I opted to use chickpeas, and it was amazing. Turns out, I found some paneer, so I'm definitely going to try this recipe again! We ended up having leftovers, so I'm counting down the minutes until I can have it for lunch! I seriously think this is the best dish I've tried from Cook Smarts. I'm in love.
0 HelpfulI used the queso fresco like a previous review stated. I didn't add the peas ( a lot of these recipes add peas I noticed) or the ginger and jalapeño. It was delicious!!!! I served with chicken thighs- I would've been hungry without it. It was so good we had no leftovers. I can't wait to make it again.
0 Helpful