Simple Paneer Tikka Masala

One day quite a few weeks ago, I decided to do something with the paneer I bought a few weeks before that at the Indian market. I'm a fan of tikka masalas, so I thought I would try my hand at Paneer Tikka Masala. I decided to go with this one from Swasthi's Recipes that she adapted from Sanjeev Kapoor and I was super impressed with the results, if I do say so myself. Apart from ordering Indian takeout, this is sure to satisfy any Indian food fix. I know the pics look messy and not terribly appetizing, but just trust me when I say you have to give this a try.

I've toned down the spice level quite a bit for my taste, but you can of course season it to your taste. The recipe is a bit more involved, but less so than traditional tikka masalas. Although this recipe is for paneer, I could easily see it being used for chicken, beef, and other hearty vegetables. As with most curries and stews, I found it to taste best the day and days after it was made. Serve it with rice, naan or chapati, some veggies and you've got one fantastic meal.

Simple Paneer Tikka Masala
Adapted from Swasthi's Recipes

Paneer and Veggies
15 oz paneer, cubed
1 cup thick yogurt, greek or plain yogurt that's been strained
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
2 tbsp. ginger garlic paste
1 1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
2 cups cubed bell pepper/onion

Mix all the ingredients above except for the bell pepper/onion and marinate in the fridge overnight or longer.

When ready to prepare the tikka masala, preheat your oven to 400 deg F or heat a frying pan over medium heat with some oil. If cooking in the oven, place the paneer cubes on a lined baking sheet, spray with some oil, and bake for about 20 min, turning halfway. If cooking over the stove, pan fry the paneer for a few minutes on each side. While the paneer is cooking, add the bell pepper/onion to the leftover marinade. When the paneer is done, set aside and either bake the veggies for about 5-10 min or pan fry for a few minutes. Next, make the sauce/gravy.

Masala
1 cup chopped tomatoes
about 25 roasted cashews
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
6 green cardamon
a few peppercorns
1 small cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
10 cloves
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp chili powder
1 cup water
2 tsp garam masala
2 tsp dried fenugreek leaves(kasuri methi)
1/3 cup milk, cream, or a large dollop of yogurt
oil or butter
salt, to taste

Blend the tomatoes and cashews in a blender until smooth. Set aside.

In a sauté pan over medium heat, add a few tbsp. of oil and add the spices(cumin seeds, cardamon, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, cloves). Toast the spices for a few minutes until they become fragrant. Add in the chopped onion and sauté until it begins to turn golden brown.

Add the ginger garlic paste, sauté for another minute. Then add the tomato puree and chili powder, cooking for another 5 minutes until you see the oil begin to separate from the mixture. Add the water, garam masala, and fenugreek leaves. Bring the sauce to a boil and let it cook for another 5 minutes or so until it has thickened to your liking. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary.

Add the cooked paneer cubes to the sauce, simmering for a few minutes before adding the veggies. Simmer for another minute, then add your choice of milk, cream, or yogurt. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve hot with rice, naan, or chapati.

Chapati

To go with the chana masala I made recently, I decided to finally break open the economy-sized package of chapati(atta) flour I had purchased at Costco a while back and make some chapati. It turned out to be super simple and once again, I can't believe I've waited so long to do it. The process is basically the same as making tortillas, which I've also been meaning to do, except the type of flour is different. If you can't find chapati flour, I've seen other recipes use about half whole wheat and half all purpose flour which should give you a very similar flavor.

I made two different kinds, spiced cumin-coriander chapati and plain chapati. Other spices would also work. The chapati last for several days and can be reheated in the microwave or steamed for an even softer texture. I've been enjoying them for sweet and savory wraps in addition to eating them with my chana masala. There are many other variations of chapati, so I'm excited to continue experimenting. If you want to make these ahead, you can make the dough, roll them out, refrigerate them or freeze them for longer storage, and then defrost and cook them when you're ready to serve.

Chapati

2 cups chapati(atta) flour
4 tbsp. vegetable oil, plus 1/2 tsp
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup warm water
All purpose flour, for rolling
1/2 tsp each of ground cumin and chili powder, 2 tbsp. chopped cilantro (optional)

Mix the flour with the salt and spices, if using, add the 4 tbsp. of oil and rub into the flour. Add the warm water and mix with your hands until a ball of dough is formed. Knead for a few minutes. Add the remaining 1/2 tsp of oil to the ball of dough and knead until the oil is incorporated.

Let the dough rest for about an hour, covered. After the dough has rested, divide the dough into 10 - 12 equal pieces. Dip each piece in all purpose flour and roll out into a thin circle with a rolling pin. You may roll them as thick or thin as you like, though thicker ones will take longer to cook.

Preheat a dry cast iron pan over medium-high heat, cook the chapati one or a few at a time, about 30 seconds per side. Spread with butter or oil and serve hot. Chapati will last for several days at room temp. Microwave or steam them to reheat.

To store chapati, stack them with parchment paper in between after rolling. Then refrigerate for a few days or freeze if storing for longer. When ready to serve, defrost and cook them in a dry pan.

Chana Masala for the Meek

I can count, on one hand, the number of times I've been to an Indian restaurant or tasted authentic Indian food. Thus, my knowledge of Indian food is limited, to say the least. However, I have read a lot of recipes online and made dishes in the past based on Indian flavors and spices. Recently, I've been trying out some recipes and this one for chana masala was a big success in my book.

I was first introduced to chana masala during college at the dining halls and while it was definitely not the most traditional tasting chana masala or even the tastiest, I really enjoyed the deeply spiced flavor profile of it. It's also super healthy and perfect as a vegetarian entrée, though it would likely also please meat-eaters as well. There are many variations of chana masala. I myself like some tomato and a multitude of spices in it. While I also like some heat, my family and I are wimps in comparison to the Indian standard of heat, so I have drastically toned down the spiciness level here. You can of course adjust to your own taste. I also didn't have amchoor powder, so I left it out.

As with most stews and curries like this, chana masala reheats amazingly and tastes even better in the following days. I also added some baked paneer in this after pics were taken and it was great. Serve it with rice and chapati or naan.

Chana Masala
Adapted from an adaptation of a Madhur Jaffrey recipe

250 g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight or about 2 15-oz cans of chickpeas
2 medium onions, minced
3-5 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp minced ginger
3 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garam masala
2 tsp paprika
5 medium tomatoes, diced
1 1/2 cups water
2 tsp roasted cumin seeds, ground
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 tsp salt or to taste

Drain the soaked chickpeas, add to a heavy bottomed pot, and cover with about twice the amount of water. Bring it to a boil and cook over medium low heat until the chickpeas are tender, about 35-40 minutes. Drain the chickpeas and set aside.

Heat the same pot or another heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add a few tbsp. of oil and add the onions. Cook for about 5-8 minutes until the onions start to turn brown stirring occasionally, add in the garlic and ginger stirring for another minute. Add in the coriander, cumin, turmeric, chili powder, garam masala, and paprika and let the spices cook for about 30 seconds to a minute until they become fragrant and turn lightly golden.

Add in the diced tomatoes and cook until they start to break down. Add in the salt, water, the cooked chickpeas, lemon juice, and the ground roasted cumin seeds. Bring the whole thing to a simmer and let it cook for another 15-20 minutes, covered.

Serve hot with rice and chapati. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers and reheat on the stove. It will last for several days in the fridge.