A Chef’s Special – Paneer

Last Christmas we had new additions to the family, many of whom were vegetarians. So when faced with the daunting task of preparing a veg dish, I had to call on the expert – Executive Chef Conrad. Well he improvised a recipe on the go and it was delicious. 

Here's the recipe:

1 kg Paneer (block)

• Cut the Paneer into two inch squares and roughly one finger thick. See that you have even number of pieces as you will need to create a sandwich of sorts.
• Now onto the paste that will come in between the Paneer blocks.

The Paste

1 tbsp Turmeric Powder

1/2 tbsp Chilli Powder

½ tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste

Pinch of Salt

• In a bowl mix the above ingredients to a coarse paste. Add a little more ginger garlic paste if need be.
• Now smoothen this mixture between two blocks of paneer, like a sandwich.
• Keep aside while you work on the chutney.

Chutney

1 bunch Mint leaves

½ bunch Coriander leaves

2-3 tbsp Curd

2 limes (only juice)

A little salt to balance the flavour

• Blend the above in a blender to a smooth paste. In case you are having trouble blending the mixture, add a little water.
• Now add the paneer sandwich blocks to this mixture and let it marinate for an hour.

• After an hour remove the paneer sandwich blocks and roll them in semolina (rava) coating them evenly. Place onto a hot pan and cook for about 5 mins on each side or until the semolina starts to darken.
• Place on a kitchen towel to drain out excess oil. Serve hot.
• You can use the chutney used for marinating, simply transfer it into a bowl. 

And here's the Chef with his little girl supervising the prep.

Photos by Lovell Dsouza Photography