Serves: 6
Total Calories: 1,432

1 cup fresh Coconut Milk or canned store-bought
8 ounces (1 recipe) Paneer Cheese or store-bought
1 cup plain yogurt, whisked until smooth
1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup coarsely chopped raw cashew nuts
1/4 cup , coarsely chopped raw almonds
1/4 cup raisins
3 cups finely chopped mixed fresh or (thawed) frozen vegetables, such as carrots, potatoes, cauliflower, beans and peas
2 bay leaves
5 black cardamom pods, pounded lightly to break the skin
2 sticks cinnamon (1-inch each)
4 whole cloves
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon peeled minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons fresh garlic, minced
1 to 3 fresh green chili pepper, such as serrano, minced with seeds
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon Garam Masala + more for garnish
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1. Prepare the coconut milk. Prepare the paneer cheese then cut into 3/4-inch thick pieces. In a blender, blend together the yogurt, coconut milk, water, and salt until smooth.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the cashews, almonds, and raisins, stirring, until the raisins expand, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl. Add 1 more tablespoon oil to the same pan and cook the vegetables, stirring, until golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a different bowl.

3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the same pan and cook the bay leaves, cardamom pods, cinnamon, and cloves, stirring, about 1 minute. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until well browned, 10 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, and green chili peppers and stir about 1 minute. Then add the coriander, cumin, and 1 teaspoon garam masala and stir another minute.

4. Add the yogurt-coconut milk mixture and cook, stirring about 5 minutes. Mix in the paneer cheese pieces and the cooked vegetables, cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the vegetables are tender and the sauce is very thick, about 15 minutes. Mix in the cilantro during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with the nut-raisin mixture, sprinkle on some garam masala, and serve.

VARIATION: If you want the vegetables to retain their color, don't sauté them as described in Step 4, but cover and cook them in the microwave on High power 4 minutes. Then add them to the dish along with the paneer cheese in Step 8.

From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 6
Total Calories: 1,432
Calories from Fat: 445

More Recipes from the 1000 Indian Recipes Cookbook:
* Paneer Cheese
Basic Paneer Cheese Scramble
Crunchy Paneer Cheese Pâté
Curried Paneer Cheese and Potatoes
Curried Paneer Cheese with Peas and Potatoes
Grated Paneer Cheese with Minced Cauliflower
Griddle-Fried Paneer Cheese
Marinated Paneer Cheese with Ginger-Lime Pickle
Marinated Paneer Cheese with Saffron Yogurt Sauce
Nine-Jewel Paneer Cheese Curry
Oven-Bakes Paneer Cheese with Puréed Cilantro
Paneer Cheese Balls
Paneer Cheese Bites with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Paneer Cheese Chile-Fry with Crispy Ginger
Paneer Cheese Curry with Coconut Milk
Paneer Cheese Curry with Two Onions
Paneer Cheese Glazed with Puréed Tomatoes
Paneer Cheese Scramble with Apple-Ginger Chutney
Paneer Cheese Scramble with Morel Mushrooms
Paneer Cheese Scramble with Soybeans
Paneer Cheese Wedges with Chickpea Flour
Paneer Cheese Wraps
Paneer Cheese with Baby Spinach and Fresh Fenugreek Leaves
Paneer Cheese with Cauliflower and Broccoli
Paneer Cheese with Coconut and Corn
Quick Spinach with Crumbled Paneer Cheese
Royal Paneer Cheese Curry
Sautéed Paneer Cheese with Green Chutney
Seared Paneer Cheese in Lemon Cream
Seared Panner Cheese with Caper Sauce
Silky Paneer Cheese Curry with Red Chili Peppers
Spicy Diced Paneer Cheese with Ajwain Seeds
Spicy Peppered Paneer Cheese
Spinach with Paneer Cheese
Stir-Fried Paneer Cheese with Onions and Bell Peppers
Stuffed Paneer Cheese Balls in Creamy Tomato Sauce