Tamatar Chaman

Tamatar Chaman

A delicious paneer curry with rice or rotis in Kashmiri cuisine (without onion and ginger – garlic paste). Recipe from Femina Magazine June13, 2012 !!

Preparation time : 10 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Serves: 3 - 4

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil (or mustard oil)

3 cardamoms

1 black cardamom

3 small bay leaves

1 stick cinnamon

½ teaspoon asafoetida (hing)

1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder

200 ml tomato puree

½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1 teaspoon fennel powder

1 teaspoon dried ginger powder

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon jeera powder (cumin powder)

200 ml water (Indian standard measuring cup of 200 ml / 8 oz capacity)

200 g paneer / cottage cheese (room temperature), cut into cubes or any other shapes (Femina is suggesting to deep fry panner cubes in 200 ml oil. But I found that paneer is tasty without deep frying. I added it directly without deep frying.

1 teaspoon garam masala powder (optional)

2 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves

Method

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan / kadai. Add whole spices (cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaf) and fry fry on a low heat until fragrant.

When the spices crackle, add asafoetida and red chilli powder. Add tomato puree and salt and cook for a few minutes.

Add fennel powder, dried ginger powder and turmeric powder and stir on a low heat for 1 – 2 minute.

Add jeera powder and water. Mix all the ingredients well. Cover with a lid and bring to boil on a medium heat. When starts boiling, add paneer cubes and cook on a medium to low heat for 7 – 10 minutes. Open the lid and test the texture of the paneer. It is very soft in texture and also like sponge, then switch off the heat. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with rotis or rice. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon fresh cream if required (1 teaspoon fresh cream for 1 serving bowl).