Paneer Tikka Masala Rice
Paneer Tikka Masala rice brings together the famous curry with rice all in one pot dish that works great as a main vegetarian dish.
Equipment
- 1 12 or 15" Kadai or Braiser
- 1 High Speed Blender
Ingredients
For the rice
- ½ lb Paneer around 250 g, cut in to 1" cubes
- 6 cup Cooked Basmati Rice
- 1 medium Red Onion peeled and sliced
- 1 medium Red Bell Pepper seeded and sliced
- 1 tablespoon Ginger Garlic Paste
- 2 teaspoon Coriander Powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Powder
- Handful of fresh cilantro roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon Ghee
- Salt to taste
For the paste
- 1 medium Red Onion peeled and finely chopped
- 2 large Tomatoes finely chopped
- 1 ½ cup Pureed Tomatoes around 350 ml
- ½ cup Cashews soaked in boiled water for 15-20 minutes
- 2 tablespoon Ginger - Garlic Paste
- 1 ½ tablespoon Coriander Powder
- 2 teaspoon Cumin Powder
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 2 teaspoon Kashmiri Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
- 2 tablespoon Kasuri Methi
- 1 tablespoon Ghee
- 1 cup Hot Water optional
- salt to taste
Instructions
For the sauce
- Heat the kadai or braiser and add some ghee. Once hot, add the onions and let this cook for a few minutes. Add the ginger-garlic paste, mix and again cook for 5-7 minutes.
- Now add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste and saute for a minute or so. Add all the powdered spices and the kasuri methi. Season with salt and add a cup of boiling water.
- The hot water helps cooks the spices quicker. This is optional and you can entirely skip this step. Let this mixture simmer for around 12 - 15 minutes. For the cashews, you can either soak in boiled water for around 15-20 minutes or add in the when the onion-tomato mixture is simmering.
- Turn off the heat and place the contents in another bowl. Let the mixture cool down for 20 minutes or so before you can transfer to a high speed blender along with the cashews to blend until completely smooth.
For the rice
- While the mixture for the sauce is cooling down, place the same pan on the stove and add a couple of tablespoons of ghee/ oil. Add the sliced onions and let it cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the ginger-garlic paste and cook for another 5 minutes. Now add sliced red bell peppers, paneer, salt and mix well. Cook until the peppers have softened.
- Add the ground paste, mix and let this simmer at a medium low temperature for 5-7 minutes. Add the cooked basmati rice and mix well until the rice is completed coated with the sauce. Check if it needs more seasoning. Once done, top with chopped cilantro and serve hot with raita.
Notes
- The cost/serving and calories/serving are approximate values and will vary based on quantity, substitutions, brands used etc.
- If you are allergic to cashews, substitute with ground blanched almonds. If fine using coconuts, you can also add thick coconut milk or even unsweetened soy/oat milk.
- To keep the dish completely vegan, substitute paneer with drained firm tofu and ghee with avocado or any neutral oil.