Paneer Makhmali

I had this dish at an Indian restaurant in California many years ago, and fell in love with it. I remember being puzzled by the name, and was instantly intrigued and delighted with the flavor combinations described - buttered onions sauteed with paneer in a mint and coriander sauce. Wow! The dish didn't disappoint; it was one of the tastiest paneer dishes I have had. My friend later told me that this is a dish that has been popularized by Tarla Dalal. Since then, I have never seen this feature in any other restaurant (in the U.S). What a pity. Every time I make this dish, it's an instant crowd pleaser!

It's been a while since I made this, primarily because fresh mint leaves are such a rarity to find during the months of September to June. And I personally don't like this dish with just coriander leaves. However, thanks to the dried mint leaves that have been gracing the shelves of our Indian store recently, I have been indulging in quite a few "minty" dishes. And this was one of them. I still miss the taste of fresh mint leaves, and that's another reason why I am hoping every day to find daffodils sprout from the white, frigid earth and put an end to this miserable winter. Spring is almost here - I can hear the daffodil bulbs stretch and yawn and awaken from their slumber!

So, here is my take on the recipe. We personally love the combination of tomatoes and cilantro, and tomatoes and mint. (and of course, tomatoes and basil). We are so used to mixing mint chutney with marinara sauce on our homemade pizzas (and marinara sauce with mango pickle, courtesy of my uncle!) that I decided to add tomatoes/tomato paste to this gravy as well. The original recipe doesn't call for tomatoes, so skip them if you want just the unadulterated flavors of mint-coriander-onions and paneer! The addition of tomato paste also explains why my dish doesn't have it's characteristic bright green color.

Ingredients (serves 4-5):

1. 400 grams or 14 ounces of paneer, cubed (thawed, if required)
2. 2.5 cups packed coriander leaves / cilantro
3. 1.5 cups packed mint leaves OR 3 tablespoons dried mint leaves (the latter option works for those of us that don't get fresh mint in the winters)
4. 1 - 1.5 cups yogurt (1 cup if you use dried mint leaves, 1.5 cups if you use fresh mint leaves)
5. 2 green chillies
6. 4 pods of garlic
7. 2 inch-block of ginger
8. 1 medium red onion, chopped or sliced
9. 2 tablespoons tomato paste (optional, not usually added)
10. 2 teaspoons garam masala (of your choice)
11. 1 teaspoon salt
12. 1 teaspoon sugar
13. 2.5 tablespoons olive oil / vegetable oil

Preparation:

1. Saute the coriander and mint leaves in 1/2 tablespoon oil for just a few minutes - maybe 5 minutes.
2. Grind together: mint leaves, coriander leaves, green chillies, ginger, and garlic using 1 or 1.5 cups yogurt (depending on whether you add dried or fresh mint leaves) to a smooth chutney. It's okay if it seems a little runny. The yogurt will thicken while marinating the paneer.
3. Marinate the cubed paneer in the marinade for 1 hour. Do not marinate for longer, because the paneer  might get too soft and disintegrate.
4. When the paneer has been marinated, heat oil in a sauce pan. When hot, add onion and saute on medium heat until it turns slightly brown at the edges.
5. Add tomato paste (optional) and salt and fry for 7 minutes or so until the tomato paste has cooked well.
6. Add the marinated mixture with the sauce and paneer and gently stir. Add garam masala, and some water if you want to thin down the consistency (I add a tablespoon of water). Cook for 5 minutes until the gravy doesn't smell raw. Then reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 2 minutes or until the gravy bubbles a little. Since there is yogurt, do not over cook.  Adjust for seasonings, add sugar, give a mix and remove from heat. 

Serve with freshly prepared rotis or as a side with basmati rice. 

Variation: Add salt, garam masala to the marinade. Marinate the paneer in it along with some quartered onions and bell peppers for 30 minutes. Then skewer them through bamboo skewers and either grill or broil for a really delicious paneer kabab/tikka! Serve with a drizzle of the remaining chutney. This is called Paneer Hariyali Tikka.