Prue and Peta Leith’s delicious vegetarian paneer curry recipe
Full of warming flavours and aromatic spices, this paneer curry from Prue and Peta Leith’s The Vegetarian Kitchen is a delicious vegetarian recipe for anyone looking to eat more meat-free meals.
Total time
45 minutes
Prep time
0 minutes
Amount
Serves four
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onion (diced)
- 2 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
- 1 mild red chilli (finely chopped and with seeds)
- 2.5cm (1in) piece of ginger peeled and finely chopped
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp hot curry powder
- 1 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 100ml double cream
- salt and black pepper to season
- 100g baby leaf spinach
- 250g paneer cut into bite-sized cubes
- 100g frozen petits pois
- a pinch of caster sugar
- squeeze of lemon juice
- rice and/or naan bread to serve
1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat, then add the onion, garlic, chilli and ginger and sauté for 3–4 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent, then add the tomato purée, cumin, garam masala and curry powder. Cook for 30 seconds, then add the tinned tomatoes and the double cream.
2. Season well with salt and black pepper, bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Rinse the spinach leaves.
3. Meanwhile, heat the remaining vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium–high heat. Add the paneer and fry it, turning it frequently, until golden brown and crisp all over. Add the paneer to the curry.
4. Return the curry to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for a further 10–15 minutes. Add the frozen petits pois and spinach, return to the boil, and simmer for just a few minutes until the peas are cooked and the spinach has wilted.
5. Add the sugar and a small squeeze of lemon juice, check the seasoning, and serve with rice or naan bread.
The Vegetarian Kitchen
by Prue Leith
Discover one hundred delicious vegetarian and vegan recipes in The Vegetarian Kitchen by Prue Leith and her niece Peta, a vegetarian and former chef at The Ivy. These are simple, meat-free dishes that will delight family and friends, from black bean chilli with lime salsa to blackberry and lemon pavlova.