Sahi Paneer, a no onion and no garlic dish

Sahi Paneer, No onion & No garlic

Any special occasion like birthday or anniversary on a fasting day is a tension for everyone. What to cook special without onion and garlic is the question. This year hubby's birthday fell on a vrat of ekadashi. Special dinner without onion and garlic is difficult to prepare. After much research I zeroed down with a dish named as Sahi panner.

Sahi means royal and paneer means cottage cheese. This is a gravy dish. Place of origin of tis dish is Punjab, India and Pakistan . It is to be believed that during mughal empire this dish was created . Sahi paneer is a preparation of paneer in a thick gravy made up of cream, tomatoes and spices . In my version I replaced dahi to cream. But the creaminess of the dish is intact 

Here is my version of Sahi paneer.

Paneer - 400gms

Almond- 30gms

Kaju- 20gms

Tomato - 2big

Ginger- 11/2 inch

Dahi- 3/4 cup

Salt to taste

Sugar- 1/2tsp

Haldi- 1/2tsp

Red chilli - 1/2 tsp

Kitchen king masala - 1/2tsp

Green cardamom -3

Clove- 3 to 4

Mace- 2pinch

Cinnamon - 1 inch

Butter- 1tbsp + 1tbsp

Oil- 1tbsp

Saha zeera- 1/2 tsp

Oil to frying paneer

Bay leaves- 1

Coriander leaves for garnishing 

Cut the paneer in triangle shape and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan and add the paneer pieces and fry upto golden brown and keep in hot water. 

Clean and chop tomatoes and keep aside. Clean , peel and chop ginger.

In a pan heat 1tbsp butter add almond, kaju- and fry up to golden. Then add tomatoes, ginger and green cardamom. Saute up to tomatoes cooked properly and mushy. Allow it to cool down and add bit water and make a smooth paste.

Heat oil and butter ( in this process butter won't burn ) in a kadai, add all the whole spices and fry them. Add the above paste saute upto the oil separates. Then add Salt , haldi, redchilli, sugar and kitchen king masala and saute again. Beat the curd without lumps. Add the beaten curd to the masala and stir in high flame or the curd will spilt. After 3 mins lower the flame, cover and cook till the oil separates.  

Add 1/2 cup of water and let it boil. Add fried paneer to the gravy, cover and cook. Switch off the gas when oil float up and come over the gravy. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with nan or paratha.