Serves: 6
Total Calories: 2,421

8 ounces (1 recipe) Paneer Cheese or store-bought
4 cups (1 recipe) Butter-Cream Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes
1 medium russet potato (or any kind)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cashew nuts
5 to 6 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger
8 scallion, white parts only, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon melted ghee or unsalted butter
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped raw pistachio nuts
2 tablespoons , coarsely chopped raw almonds
2 tablespoons chopped raisins
1 1/2 to 2 cups peanut oil for deep-frying
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1. Prepare the paneer cheese and crumble it coarsely. Prepare the cream sauce and keep it ready. While your making either the cheese or the sauce, also boil the potato in water to cover until tender, then peel and grate it.

2. In a food processor, process together the cashews, ginger, and scallions until minced. Add the paneer cheese, black pepper, and salt, and process until it starts to gather like a dough, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a bowl, add the potato, then mix with clean hands to make a soft dough. Cover and reserve.

3. For the filling. Heat the ghee in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the onion, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the pistachios, almonds, and raisins and stir another 2 minutes. Let cool

4. Divide the paneer dough and the raisin-nut filling each into 15 to 20 portions. Working with each paneer portion separately, flatten into a disk, place the nuts in the center, then close the disk around the fillin and shape into 1 1/2-inch smooth balls.

5. Heat the oil in a large wok over medium-high heat until it reaches 325°F to 350°F on a frying thermometer, or a small bit of the dough dropped into the hot oil bubbles and rises to the top immediately. Fry the paneer balls, as many as the wok can hold at one time without crowding, turning them a few time until golden and crispy on all side, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain.

6. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Transfer the paneer balls an oven-proof baking dish and pour in the prepared cream sauce. Cover and bake about 20 minutes. Do not stir at any time. Remove from the oven, spoon the sauce over the paneer balls if they seem dry, garnish with the cilantro, and serve.

VARIATION: In place of the Butter-Cream Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes, use any of the other curry sauces you find in the Vegetarian Curries chapter.

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: 2,421
Calories from Fat: 1,271

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