Cottage Cheese and Mushroom Gravy

Paneer ( cottage cheese) is one of the major source of protein for Vegetarian community in India, with its delicate milky flavour is used all over India to make delicious dishes ranging from curries to desserts. Available at most supermarkets in block form, it readily blends on the flavour of the spices in which it is cooked and gives a rich and creamy flavour. Paneer can be bought at the supermarket but, can be made at home quite easily.

Cottage Cheese and Mushroom Gravy is a delicious pure vegetarian dish, consisting of mushrooms and Indian Cottage cheese in a spiced tomato gravy with a touch of dry fenugreek leaves.

Paneer and Mushroom butter masala

Serve: 4

Ingredients:

Ingredients for Cottage cheese and Mushroom

• 2 cups of sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup Cottage cheese cut in small cubes (paneer)
• 1 cup diced tomatoes (2 med. size ripe red tomatoes)
• 1/2” ginger shredded
• 1 slit green chilli (seeds removed)
• 2 teaspoons coriander powder
• 1tsp Cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika Powder
• 2 small cubes of butter
• 2 tsp. sugar
• Salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon dry fenugreek leaves (also known as kastoori methi)
• 1 tsp. Oil

To toss the Cottage cheese:

1/2 tsp. oil

¼ tsp. turmeric powder

¼ tsp. paprika powder

For tampering:

½ tsp. oil (Remaining)

½ tsp. teaspoon whole cumin seeds

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

Method:

1. Blend the tomatoes, green chilli and shredded ginger in mixer-grinder to make tomato puree.
2. Heat a greased non-stick deep fry pan with ½ tsp. oil on medium high heat.
3. Add ¼ tsp. Turmeric powder and add the cottage cheese cubes, after that add ¼ tsp. red paprika powder and toss the cottage cheese until golden brown in colour.
4. Take them out on paper towel and keep aside. In the same pan heat the remaining ½ tsp. oil. Add the cumin seeds. When cumin seeds begin to crackle add turmeric powder and stir for a few seconds.
5. Add tomato puree slowly, stir, add salt, coriander, cumin powder and paprika powder and sugar. Cook uncovered until the tomatoes are soft and reduce to half.
6. Add mushrooms, and cottage cheese and butter cubes. Stir lightly for about 2 min to mix everything nicely. After coming to a boil reduce the heat to medium and cook covered for about 5 minutes.
7. Add dry fenugreek leaves powder (make powder by crashing them in between your two palms) on the gravy mixture, after mushrooms have cooked half the way about 4 minutes. Fenugreek leaves add a very nice buttery flavour on the gravy.
8. Simmer at low heat for another 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let stand covered for 2 minutes.

Serve hot with anything you like, such as rice or bread.

Notes:

1. Instead of cottage cheese you can use tofu to prepare this dish. But of course the taste will be totally different. Cottage cheese compliments in the taste of the gravy.

2. Fenugreek leaves add a nice buttery flavour so try not to skip it. It’s available in any Asian grocery store.

3. I don’t add any water because mushroom release lots of water, but you can add if you want; keep the texture as you like.

4. To enhance the taste of the dish you have to be little bit patient, as it need to cook on medium to low heat to blend all the spices together.

5. All the spices I have used is very good to digest the dish so that next day you will feel absolutely light.