Cook this authentic Handi Paneer in your new earthern handi with unique condiments and have a heavenly culinary experience...
Tip in a clove, an anise and an inch of cinnamon in a small mortar and pestle and pound nicely to make a coarse powder out of it and keep aside.
Heat a small handi and tip in a little oil and when it is heated add a diced onion and roast it till golden brown. Turn off the flame and when it cools down, add it to a blender along with some cashews and blitz for two or three pulses to make a smooth paste out of it. In the same handi, sprinkle a little more oil and fry the paneer too until golden brown. Keep both the things aside.
Heat the handi again and set the flame in medium high mode. Add two or three tablespoons of butter and when it starts to melt down, tip in two teaspoons of mustard oil and drop in the aromatic spices one by one. First throw in the bay leaf followed by mace, clove, peppercorns and cumin seeds. At last, add the black and green cardamom and when it turns aromatic, just lower the flame and start the main procedure.
Squirt in a teaspoon of ginger garlic paste and after a few seconds, add the dry masala powder and wait for it to become fragrant, and now plop in the tomato puree and stir in for a while. Just wait for a minute or two till the distinct raw smell of tomato goes off and now gently add the masala paste and keep stirring for a while. Let the flame continue to be in low mode so that each and every step is done meticulously under slow cooking.
Wait for a while for the mixture to get blended, and when the oil starts to separate at the sides, start adding the spice powders. First tip in a teaspoon of red chili powder and then add the coriander powder. Similarly, add the turmeric and cumin powders with a nice stir. Let it blend for a while and wait for the whole mixture to savor. At this stage, spurt in a cup of hung curd and keep stirring for a few seconds continuously. Add a little water to half a cup of wheat flour and make a thick dough. Roll the wheat dough into a thick mould and seal the handi gently with the dough as a lid and let it boil in low flame for some time.
Just after a few minutes, take the dough seal off and tip in half a teaspoon of garam masala and finally spill some crushed kasuri methi. Combine altogether and wait for the oil to separate at the sides. When the whole mixture turns aromatic, just plop in two to three tablespoons of fresh cream and garnish with some lush green coriander leaves. Now the delicious Handi Paneer is ready. Serve it hot for aloo paratha along with a cup of chilled chaas.