Paneer Achari Masala

As a general rule, I think most people in the UK only eat paneer when they go out for food and very seldom cook it at home. However, you can find it in the cheese section of most supermarkets and it is absolutely delicious as well as being really easy to cook.

Achari Masala is an Indian spice mix usually used for making pickles but it is just as good in a curry - trust me! A handful of different seeds form the basis of the dish, each of which brings their own unique flavour. The keys to this dish are twofold: don't be afraid to really cook down your onions until practically melted and always use full fat yoghurt or the dish will split.

Paneer Achari Masala
Serves 2

oil

½ tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp brown mustard seeds

½ tsp nigella seeds

½ tsp fennel seeds

1 onion, thinly sliced

2 tsp curry powder

250g paneer, diced

2 tomatoes, roughly chopped

100g natural yoghurt

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fry the cumin, mustard, nigella and fennel seeds in 2 tbsp oil over a medium heat for 30 seconds or until the mustard seeds just start to pop and jump around. Add the onion with a big pinch of salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes until melted and soft.

Stir in the curry powder followed by the tomatoes, 50 ml water and another pinch of salt. Bring to the boil then reduce to a low heat, cover and leave to cook for 15 minutes.

Next, add the paneer and continue to cook for 10 minutes more. Take the curry off the heat and stir through the yoghurt. Serve with rice and naan, if you like.