Paneer Rogan Josh Recipe
4
60 minutes
Ingredients
Paneer
- 2l whole milk
- 2 tbsp of lemon juice, or white wine vinegar
Rogan jus
- 4 black cardamom pods
- 5 black peppercorns
- 2 cloves
- 4 green cardamom pods
- 2 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- 1kg onion, peeled and diced to 1cm
- 2 tbsp of ginger and garlic paste
- 2 tbsp of ground coriander
- 2 tbsp of turmeric powder
- 2 tbsp of ground cumin
- 2 tbsp of garam masala
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 160g of tomatoes, chopped (or you can use passata)
- 60g of vegetable oil
- salt, to taste
Paneer marinade
- 300g of plain yoghurt
- 3 tbsp of vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp of ginger and garlic paste
- 1 tbsp of lemon juice
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp fenugreek leaves, crumbled
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- sea salt
Spice powder
- 1 cinnamon stick, 4cm in length
- 3 black cardamom pods
- 3 cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 dried red chillies
- 1 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
Spiced chickpeas
- 150g of dried chickpeas, soaked in cold water overnight
- 1 large green chilli, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 tsp ginger, finely chopped
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 large tomato, chopped
- 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 1/2 tsp dried mango powder
- 3/4 tsp ground cumin
- 3/4 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 2 tbsp of sunflower oil
- sea salt
To serve
- hippo top cress
Method
1
To begin, make the paneer (you can do this up to 2 days before serving). Bring the milk to the boil in a heavy-based saucepan, stir in the lemon juice or white wine vinegar and continue to stir gently to help the mixture curdle. Reduce the heat to low and allow the milk solids to coagulate and the whey (the liquid) to separate
- 2l whole milk
- 2 tbsp of lemon juice, or white wine vinegar
2
Remove the pan from the heat and pour the mixture through a sieve lined with a large piece of muslin cloth. Squeeze the cloth to extract all of the liquid from the curds
3
Tie the curds tightly in the cloth then place the bundle in a clean sink. Sit a heavy weight on top – you can use a saucepan filled with cans – and leave for at least 30 minutes until all the liquid has drained out and the paneer is completely cool. Remove the weight and transfer to the fridge for at least 2 hours
4
To make the rogan jus, heat the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan. Add the whole spices and as they crackle, add the onions. Slowly cook the onions until caramelised and golden brown – this should take at least 20 minutes
- 60g of vegetable oil
- 4 black cardamom pods
- 5 black peppercorns
- 2 cloves
- 4 green cardamom pods
- 1/2 cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- 1kg onion, peeled and diced to 1cm
- 2 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
5
Add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté well for 3–4 minutes. Add the powdered spices, mix well and allow to cook out for a further 3–4 minutes
- 2 tbsp of ginger and garlic paste
- 2 tbsp of ground coriander
- 2 tbsp of turmeric powder
- 2 tbsp of ground cumin
- 2 tbsp of garam masala
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
6
Add the tomatoes and cook for 5–10 minutes until the oils in the sauce separate and rise to the surface. Skim away and discard the excess oil, then taste and adjust the seasoning of the sauce. Blend to a smooth purée and adjust the consistency with a little water if needed. This can be stored in the fridge for up to a week and freezes well
- 160g of tomatoes, chopped (or you can use passata)
- salt, to taste
7
Make the paneer marinade by whisking all the ingredients together. Cut the paneer into 8 even pieces, rub the marinade all over and set aside until ready to cook
- 300g of plain yoghurt
- 3 tbsp of vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp of ginger and garlic paste
- 1 tbsp of lemon juice
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp fenugreek leaves, crushed
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- sea salt
8
To make the spice powder, toast all the ingredients in a dry frying pan over a medium heat until aromatic, then immediately tip out of the pan to prevent burning. Grind to a fine powder in a spice grinder and set aside
- 3 black cardamom pods
- 3 cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 dried red chillies
- 1 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick, 4cm in length
9
For the spiced chickpeas, drain the soaked chickpeas and transfer to a saucepan with fresh water to cover. Bring to the boil and boil hard for 10 minutes, skimming the surface as necessary. Lower the heat, add salt to taste and simmer for 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain well
- 150g of dried chickpeas, soaked in cold water overnight
10
Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the chilli, garlic, ginger and cumin seeds and sauté over a medium heat until the seeds crackle. Add the onion and continue to sauté for 8–10 minutes until soft and light brown in colour
- 2 tbsp of sunflower oil
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 large green chilli, chopped
- 1 1/2 tsp ginger, finely chopped
11
Add 150ml water, the chopped tomato, drained chickpeas, ground coriander, mango powder, cumin, turmeric and garam masala with salt to taste. Continue stirring over a low heat, uncovered, for 12–15 minutes until the chickpeas are very soft
- 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 1/2 tsp dried mango powder
- 3/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- sea salt
- 3/4 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 large tomato, chopped
12
Stir in a little extra water, if necessary, to loosen the mixture. Sprinkle over the spice powder to taste
13
Preheat the oven to 220°C/gas mark 7 and line an oven tray with a non-stick baking mat or baking tray lined with parchment paper
14
Lay the paneer on the tray and brush each piece with the melted butter. Roast for 10–12 minutes until the edges are lightly browned
15
Plate a quenelle of spiced chickpeas in each bowl and arrange the paneer on top. Pour the rogan jus into the bowls and garnish with hippo tops
- hippo top cress