Paneer and Pea Curry

Geeky fact alert. Since lockdown began I’ve not had the same meal twice, which is pretty remarkable even though I say so myself. My motivation was mainly to try different foods and give me more excuses to update this blog. Having said that, Paneer and Pea Curry from the Hairy Dieters is (unsurprisingly) remarkably similar to cauliflower, paneer and pea curry from BBC Good Food which I featured back in May.

So, what’s the difference with this recipe from the Hairy Dieters? Well, apart from the cauliflower and the additional spices, not a lot. But don’t let this detract from what is an excellent, low-cost vege curry which is enriched by the texture and taste of the paneer cheese which is regularly used in authentic Indian curries.

Recipe: Paneer and Pea Curry    

Calories: 240 per serving

Serves: 4

Book: Hairy Dieters – Go Veggie

Prep time: Approx 20 minutes

Cooking time: Approx 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil or ghee
• 2 onions (sliced)
• 30g fresh root ginger (grated)
• 3 garlic cloves (crushed)
• 1 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp ground fenugreek
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• ½ – 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 400g can of tomatoes or passata
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 250g paneer (cubed)
• 150ml low-fat yoghurt
• 100g peas
• Freshly chopped coriander (to garnish)
• Sea salt
• Black pepper

Cost per portion: Approx £1.02

Method:

Heat a teaspoon of the oil or ghee in a deep frying pan and add the onions with a splash of water. Saute the onions over a medium heat until they’ve softened and starting to brown, then add the ginger and garlic. Cook for another couple of minutes, then add the spices and stir to coat the onion. Add the tomatoes and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, then leave to simmer for 10 minutes.

Transfer the sauce to a blender or food processor and blitz until smooth. Set the sauce aside.

Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan. Add the paneer and fry it on all sides until lightly browned. Pour over the sauce, then add the yoghurt and peas. Stir to combine and add a splash more water if the sauce seems too thick. Simmer for a few more minutes, then garnish with coriander before serving.