Ingredients:

• 250 g – Cottage cheese (paneer)
• 8-10 – Tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1/2 lemon-sized ball – Medium Tamarind
• 2 inch piece – Ginger, roughly chopped
• 10-12 Cloves – Garlic, crushed
• 6-8 – Whole dry Red Chillies
• 1 tbsp – Sesame oil (til oil)
• 1 tsp – Mustard Seeds
• 1 tsp – Cumin seeds
• 20 – Curry leaves
• 3 inch stick – Cinnamon
• 1 tsp – Turmeric powder
• 2 tsp – Coriander powder
• 1 tsp – Cumin powder
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 cup – roasted Chana dal (dalia)
• 1/4 cup – Coconut Milk

Method:

1. Cut paneer into finger-sized batons.
2. Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup of warm water for half an hour, remove the pulp, strain and set aside.
3. Heat a pan and add chopped tomatoes along with chopped ginger, crushed garlic and dried red chillies.
4. Add 1/2 cup of water and bring it to a boil.
5. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or till it is reduced to half.
6. Remove from heat. Cool and pass through a fine mesh or a soup strainer.
7. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard and cumin seeds, stir-fry briefly until mustard seeds begin to crackle.
8. Add curry leaves, cinnamon, turmeric powder, coriander powder and cumin powder. Stir-fry briefly.
9. Immediately add strained tomato mixture.
10. Bring it to a boil and stir in tamarind pulp and salt.
11. Add roasted Bengal gram powder and mix thoroughly.
12. Reduce heat and stir in coconut milk and add paneer pieces.
13. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes and serve hot.

Recipe courtesy of Jyoti Singla