Slow-Cooked Red Pepper
and Paneer Curry

RECIPE

Notes from the cookbook

This is a simple way to turn a bunch of peppers into the star of the show. It’s a great dish to cook when you’re feeling lazy, as the longer you leave the peppers to cook, the better they taste.

While eating paneer with peppers is commonplace in India, traditionally they’re cooked quickly - but I like my peppers slow-cooked so that they developed a sweet, smokey flavour, which perfectly complements creamy fresh paneer.

SERVES 4

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds

• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds

• 4 tablespoons canola oil

• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced

• 4 fat cloves of garlic, crushed

• 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated

• 1 fresh green chili, very finely chopped

• 4 red peppers [1 pound], cut into 1/8-inch strips

• 6 tomatoes, roughly chopped

• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder

• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt

• 1 pound paneer, cut into 3/4-inch cubes [If you love paneer, add 2 pounds!]

• a handful of chopped cilantro, to serve

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan, dry-roast the cumin and coriander seeds over a high heat for a couple of minutes, stirring frequently until the coriander seeds are a pale gold colour. Tip them out into a mortar and pestle, crush them into a powder and set aside.

2. Put 3 tablespoons of the oil into the same pan on a high heat and, when it’s hot, add the onions. [I turned down the heat a little to avoid burning the onions.] Stir-fry for around 5 minutes, until translucent, then add the garlic, ginger, green chili, and peppers. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the peppers start to break down, then add the tomatoes, the coriander and cumin power, the turmeric, chili pepper, and salt.

3. Turn the heat down to low to medium and continue to cook for around 30 minutes, stirring every now and then. Do keep checking it from time to time to ensure it’s not burning and add water if you need to loosen the mixture.

4. Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon of oil in another frying pan on a high heat and, when it’s hot, add the cubes of paneer. [Again, I turned the heat down a little to avoid burning.] Be careful as they might spit; if they do, half cover the pan with a lid. Fry the cubes until they until they are an appetizing golden colour on each side, then remove them from the pan and put to one side.

5. When the peppers are cooked through(soft enough to cut with a wooden spoon), add the paneer, mix everything together, and taste for seasoning, adjusting it if need be.

6. Serve with the cilantro stirred through. [The author also recommend serving it with raita and naan and refers to two other recipes in the cookbook. It would also be good with rice.]