Excerpted from Indian Food Is Easy by Vijaya Selvaraju. Copyright © 2025 Vijaya Selvaraju. Photographs by Tanya Pilgrim. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
Ingredients
- 2 cups cubed paneer
- 3 Tbsp canola oil, divided
- 3 cloves
- 3 green cardamom pods
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups strained tomato sauce (passata)
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter
- 1 Tbsp kasoori methi, plus more for garnish
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- Kosher salt
- 1½ cups whipping (35%) cream, plus more for garnish
Directions
- Toss the paneer in 1 Tbsp of the oil until well coated. Place in an air fryer and cook at 400°F for 7 to 8 minutes, shaking once or twice until the paneer is golden brown. Or place the paneer in a large nonstick pan on medium-high heat and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often, until all sides are golden brown. Transfer to a plate.
- Add the remaining 2 Tbsp of oil to a large nonstick pan (the same one if you’ve used a pan in the first step) over medium heat. Add the cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, and bay leaf. Sauté for 10 to 15 seconds, or until the cloves puff up. Add the strained tomato sauce followed by the butter, kasoori methi, sugar, chili powder, garam masala, and salt to taste. Cook the sauce for 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes reduce down and become jammy, and the fats in the pan begin to sizzle along their edges.
- Pour in the cream, stir, and bring to a simmer. Fold in the browned paneer, stir it into the curry, and warm for 1 minute.
- Plate in a large bowl and garnish with an additional drizzle of cream and a sprinkle of kasoori methi. Serve with naan and/or rice.