Written, Cooked & Photographed by: Taylor Holmes

Before Katelyn and I went to India, before even planning the trip, there was curry in our lives.

A huge part of our inspiration for this trip is the food; having developed a passion for Indian Cuisine from a young age, I have been itching to learn how the curries from Canada (Indian Restaurant’s and my home-cooking alike) could compare to the real deal.

Having returned, there’s so much I’ve discovered about the creation of Indian food, and the time and place it’s served. From clever techniques, to matching flavour profiles, there’s a never ending wonder of mouth watering secrets to learn!

Without further delay, I’m proud to present:

Malai Marke Paneer!
(Paneer Makhani)

Why give this cheesy delight a second name? It deserves one, that’s why! Malai marke roughly means to add an extra little “Zing”!

In this case, the “Zing” is cream, so to speak. “Makhani” basically means cooked in a rich sauce, or cooked “with butter”. A similar and widely loved dish “Butter Chicken” is, in essence, a chicken makhani. Here, we’re going to make it meatless with one of India’s most fabulous contributions to the world: paneer.

This soft, fresh, unaged cheese cooks wonderfully, and doesn’t melt in the way that typical western cheeses do. Provided you treat it with the love and respect it deserves, this mighty bite will cook similarly to tofu, with an equally alike property of taking on the flavour of what you cook it with!

paneer can be grilled, seared, deep fried, or even stewed. When I plan to work with paneer I always have an executive decision to make. Will I pre-sear, this lovely little mastered milk chunk, or will I marinade it?

Marinating the paneer can help impart a much richer, and fuller flavour in to your paneer in advance of cooking it. On the other hand, if you pre-sear it, you get an amazing crust that helps hold it’s shape and texture, and adds that classic crusted cheese flavour that many often covet from the pan after a well laboured grilled cheese sandwich.

This paneer shall bathe in flavour. The marinade I chose to make followed suit of the Curry’s flavour profile. I used my garam masala (I will list the included spices, so you can make your own, and control the stronger aspects of it), a rich and tangy yogurt, salt, ground red chili, sugar, and lemon juice.

While I lured the paneer in to a false sense of security, by bathing it in a cool and refreshing dairy bath (the marinade), I began the base for my future success. The paneer can sit in the marinade for as long as you like. I prefer to allow it to sit for at least 2 hours.

An important concept in Indian cooking (curry in particular) is the concept of “Tadka”. We in the West know this process as “Tempering”. You roast, toast, and/or sear your spices in oil, butter or ghee in order to develop the flavours by releasing the natural oils, and taking full advantage of the caramelization(*) and maillard reaction(**) processes.

Begin your tadka with PLENTY of butter or ghee. While tempering your spices at a low to medium heat, (garam masala, red chili/cayenne for heat, coriander/cilantro, Indian bay leaf, and/or cardamom) it is the perfect time to gently sear and break down your onions, as they will become a large part of your curry’s base. As the onions break down, they soften, and caramelize, lending their true sweetness and intoxicating aroma to your dish. If you do not own a hand blender (immersion blender), or you would prefer NOT to blend it, another method you can use to help break down your onions more quickly to help form the base without big onion chunks is to add a small bit of baking soda once you see the onions start to caramelize. Be careful not to use too much, or you may end up with a strangely tasting, carbonated feeling curry.

Once you’ve worked your powerful culinary magic on your onions and spices, you can proceed to add a big fat helping of tomatoes (canned tomatoes of any sort, or fresh tomatoes preferably peeled with guts intact), tomato paste, and some water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for a few minutes. The best way to impart the delicate and bold flavours of any curry is to simmer it for a long time, slowly reducing out the liquid. Ensure that you start with a generous amount of liquid, as it’s not considered right to add more liquid to prolong the simmering.

After you have simmered your curry’s base for a minimum of 30 minutes, you can slowly start to blend in your room temperature cream* (pureeing if you so choose, otherwise stirring in the cream). Ensure you don’t bring the temperature back up to a boil too fast, or for too long, as this can cause your turry to split. The risk isn’t high, as the tomatoes hold it together quite strongly, but there is still a chance of separation, and burning from the bottom.

Finally it is time to add your marinated or seared paneer. There’s no need to rinse off the marinade, as it will provide additional flavour to the curry, and help tie in your paneer’s new found personality. Simmer for a few more minutes (15-30), and enjoy with any combination of your favourite Indian accoutrements. I personally recommend Date Chutney, and garlic naan.

*I recommend not adding cold ingredients to a hot, cooking dish, as it can interrupt the cooking process, and may also lead to early spoilage

Ingredients:

This recipe may be done with any protein you choose. If you intend to make a butter chicken, follow all the steps with chicken instead of paneer. If using chicken breast, ensure you marinade for at least 6 hours to ensure the chicken is moist, and hard sear or grill the chicken until it has a fine crust before cubing and stewing in the curry. I would recommend a 1/2 kilogram of paneer (just over 1 lb), or 3/4 kilogram of chicken (about 1.5 lbs).

Marinade:

1 cup yogurt

3 TBSP garam masala*

1 TBSP ground cayenne or ground red chili (Optional)

1 TSP lemon juice

1 TBSP sugar (or honey)

1 TSP salt

1 TBSP ground black pepper

Mix all ingredients together until well solved. Add your protein and marinade for 2-6 hours.

Curry gravy:

1/2 Cup butter or ghee

1 Large spanish onion

1 TSP salt

1 TBSP garam masala*

1 TBSP ground black pepper

1 TBSP ground red chili powder, or ground cayenne (Optional)

2 TBSP tandoori masala**

3-4 cardamom pods (Optional)

2 medium or 1 large Indian bay leaf (Optional)

Red or green chilis to your preference (Optional)

Cilantro/coriander (Optional)

1 TSP baking soda (If chunky onions are not desired, and pureeing is not an option

1 Large (800 ML) can of tomatoes, preferably crushed or diced, for ease (Alternatively a dozen fresh tomatoes, or whole canned tomatoes may be used, but I’d advised it only if you intend to puree your gravy)

75ML tomato paste

1 Cup water (2 Cups if you intend to simmer for longer than a half hour, to really work the flavour in)

2 Cups heavy cream/whipping cream

Over Low-Medium heat, saute your julienne onions, all of your herbs, and chilis if using for roughly 10-15 minutes ensuring to agitate the bottom to prevent the spices from sticking and burning. Once onions are translucent, soft, and browning add the baking soda (if using) and cook for another 5 minutes. Add your tomato products and water slowly, using the moisture to loosen and scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom or lower sides with your utensil for that delicious toasty, nutty flavour. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 15-30 minutes, stirring every so often.

If pureeing your gravy, do so after the 15-30 min mark. Add your protein (if using chicken, it does not need to be fully cooked, but ensure you have it partially cooked through a hard grill, or hard sear). Simmer for another 15-20 minutes.

• If you desire a thicker consistency, consider simmering for longer before adding your protein.

• Serve garnished with a sprig of cilantro/coriander, a splash of clarified butter (Ghee), a dollop of yogurt, or finely chopped chilis.

• Accompany with green chutney, dark chutney, your favourite Indian bread, rice, or pickled veg.

*Garam masala can be created with a blend of 1 TBSP ground cumin, ground coriander, ground black pepper, ground cardamom, and 1 TSP ground cinnamon, ground clove, ground Nutmeg.

**Tandoori masala can be created with a blend of 2 TBSP ground coriander, 1 TBSP ground cumin, 1 TSP garlic powder, ground ginger, ground cloves, ground mace, ground fenugreek, ground cinnamon, ground black pepper, ground nutmeg, and ground cardamom.

(*) Caramelization is the browning of sugars, resulting in a nutty flavour, and brown colour (Crust on crème brûlée, or browning in caramelized onions).

(**) The maillard reaction is similar to caramelization but pertains to the browning that occurs in a non-enzymatic reaction between both sugars and proteins together in exposure to heat, as opposed to sugars alone, (The sear on steaks or toasting on marshmallows).