Cauli Stems with Paneer and Peas

Sometimes a dry curry calls, using the same old ingredients but just a different texture, mix and a lovely side dish to accompany a meal.

This was made to eat with Dal. They go so well together but it’s incredibly good on it’s own.

I diced up the paneer to 1cm size just the same as the cauliflower stems. It’s a simple and quick dish, as are many of our West Bengal dishes that are started from a temper of Panch Puran making it a pure vegetarian dish.

Give it a go, I think you will enjoy the little nuggets of Paneer and the sweet gem peas!

INGREDIENTS:

Tender cauliflower stems from 1 cauliflower
Diced into 1cm pieces.
150g paneer diced into cm squares
Cup of peas

2 tbsp Ghee
2 tbsp oil
2 bay leaves
2 dried red chillies torn up
1 tsp paanch puran
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp chilli powder
4 fresh green chillies slit
2 tbsp butter or desi ghee to drizzle

METHOD:

Heat ghee and oil.
Add dried chillies, 1 tsp paanch puran, bay leaves and pinch of hing. Sizzle for about 30 secs till aromatic and chillies coloured darker and you can smell the panch puran.

Add your cauliflower stems. Cover with lid immediately for couple of mins while the aroma fixes to cauli stems.

Open lid.
Add tumeric, cumin, salt, sugar and chilli powder and couple slit fresh green chillies.
Stir well then cook covered on low stirring often till the stems are half cooked. Add paneer and peas. Cook covered but keep checking and add splashes of water if needed to create steam. When cooked through…cook for a few minutes uncovered to dry.

Add dollop of butter, stir and serve.

This is lovely with lucci and puri.
I served it with Dal and rice with few bhoras!