Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1.Marinate Paneer

   Take 400 gms of paneer cut into big pieces in a bowl. Add 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1 tsp fresh ginger garlic paste, 1 tsp oil, and some freshly chopped coriander leaves. Mix everything together, ensuring all paneer pieces are nicely coated. Let it sit for about 15 minutes.

2. 2.Prepare Masala Paste Base

   To a pan, add 2 tsp of oil. Once the oil is heated, add 3 medium-sized roughly sliced onions, 6 cloves of garlic, a piece of chopped ginger, and 3 cut green chilies. Sauté the onions on medium flame. Once the onions become translucent, add a pinch of salt and a few coriander leaves. Cook for about 5 minutes until they turn golden. Turn off the stove and transfer the ingredients to a plate to cool completely.

3. 3.Grind Masala Paste

   Transfer the cooled ingredients to a mixer jar. Add 2 tablespoons of curd. Grind everything to a nice, fine paste.

4. 4.Season Masala Paste

   Transfer the ground paste to a bowl. Add 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder, 1 tsp cumin powder, and 1 tsp coriander powder. Mix everything well. Dilute the paste with a little bit of water to achieve a smooth consistency for the gravy base.

5. 5.Roast Paneer

   To a pan, add about 2 tablespoons of oil. Gently place the marinated paneer pieces in the hot oil. Gently start flipping the pieces, making sure they are roasted on all sides until golden brown. Once all the paneer pieces are beautifully roasted, turn off the stove and remove them from the pan, keeping them aside in a bowl.

6. 6.Cook the Gravy

   To a wide kadai, add 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoon of ghee. To this, add a few whole spices (bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and about 1/2 tsp of cumin seeds). Roast the spices lightly. Keeping the flame on low, add the diluted masala puree. Cook this masala, gradually increasing the heat to medium, until all the raw smell goes and the oil separates. Close the kadai and cook for about 10 minutes on medium-low flame.

7. 7.Combine and Simmer

   After 10 minutes, check on the gravy; the oil should have separated, and the raw smell should be gone. Gently drop in the roasted paneer pieces and mix them along with the gravy. Add about 1/2 tsp of garam masala, some crushed kasuri methi leaves, and a few chopped coriander leaves. Gently mix everything. Let the dish simmer for about 5 minutes on low flame.

8. 8.Serve Afghani Paneer

   After simmering for 5 minutes, the delicious Afghani Paneer is ready to be served. It looks absolutely gorgeous. Serve hot with roti, chapati, or mild pulao.