Chana Paneer With Balti Masala

For all the 'Chole' lovers out there, here is yet another delectable protein source to boast!! The flavor of the spices together with Paneer (Indian Cottage cheese) is just going to blow your mind away. When I saw this recipe in Raghavan Iyer's 660 Curries I was drawn to it. When I posted Balti Masala a few days back, I am sure many of you were expecting some flavorful curry using that masala. So here it is..

Ingredients - 


Chana / Chickpeas / Garbanzo Beans soaked, pre-treated (optional), cooked 1 cup
Paneer cubed and pan fried 8 ounces [I used about 15 cubes as I had only so much :)]
Onion, finely chopped 1 cup (I used red onion)
Tomato, finely chopped 1 cup
Green Chillies 1-2 (Optional)
Turmeric 1/4 tsp
Balti Masala 1 tsp
Whipped cream 3 Tbsp (I would gladly replace it with some low fat milk next time)
Salt as needed
Cilantro leaves finely chopped 2 Tbsp
Seasoning (Oil 2 Tbsp, Jeera 1 tsp)

Method Of Preparation - 


Heat oil in a sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add cumin seeds and after they brown, add the onions and chillies (if using).


Stir fry the onions until they get a light brown hue. Stir in the tomatoes, salt, Balti Masala and turmeric. Cook for a couple minutes until the tomato softens.


Add the chickpeas and 1 cup of water. After the curry boils, reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer, stirring continuously until the sauce thickens slightly for about 10 min.


Fold in the Paneer and the Cream and let it simmer for a couple min more.


Remove from heat, sprinkle chopped cilantro and serve with Roti/Naan/Rice/Pulao.


Sending this to 'MLLA 39' happening at 'Whatwouldcathyeat' initiated by Susan.


Preparation Time 40 min (including chickpeas cooking time)
Serves 3 -4