Recipe- Try This Mouthwatering Paneer Lemongrass Coconut Curry

Pan fried paneer cooked in a curry flavored with lemongrass and coconut milk! This Paneer Lemongrass Coconut Curry is easy to make, has so much flavor and pairs well with jasmine rice or brown rice.

Few weeks back, I had this block of paneer that I wanted to use in a recipe and so I combined the lemongrass with paneer and came up with this Paneer Lemongrass Coconut Curry.It turned our really well, in fact it won’t be wrong to say that it was one of my personal favorite recipes that I have made in my kitchen recently. Other than the paste, the curry also has curry leaves, cumin powder, coriander powder, dried red chilies, cilantro and coconut milk.

The coconut milk forms the base of this curry along with lemongrass. It gives texture to the curry and also gives it a subtle sweet taste. I would highly recommend not replacing the coconut milk here.

Ingredients

2 stalks lemongrass chopped, 25 grams, measured after removing the hard outer parts
1/2 cup cilantro
1.5 inch ginger roughly chopped
4-5 large garlic cloves roughly chopped
1 green chili
2 tablespoons oil 30 ml, I used avocado oil
2 tablespoons yogurt plain whole milk yogurt
1/4 teaspoon salt
200 grams paneer
3 tablespoons oil divided, I used avocado oil
2 whole dried red chilies
7-8 curry leaves
1 teaspoon chopped ginger
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 medium onion quartered and petals separated
1 green chili sliced
1 cup water divided, 8 oz
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
1.5 cups coconut milk 12 oz
1-2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/2 lime juice

Method

* To a blender, add the ingredients for the marinade- lemongrass, cilantro, ginger, garlic, green chili, 2 tablespoons oil, 2 tablespoons yogurt and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

* Blend to a smooth paste.

* Add paneer cubes to a bowl, now take 1 tablespoon from the prepared marinade and add it to the bowl with paneer. Mix well until all paneer cubes are coated with the marinade. Set the paneer aside for 20 minutes.

* After 20 minutes are up, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet on medium heat. Pan fry paneer pieces (in a single layer) until golden brown from both sides, around 3 to 4 mins on each side.

* Remove fried paneer on a plate and set aside.

* Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil on medium heat in another skillet (or you can use the same skillet in which you had fried the paneer).

* Once the oil is hot, add dried red chilies and curry leaves. Saute for few seconds and then add the chopped ginger and garlic. Cook for 1 minute.

* Add the onion petals, sliced green chili, stir and cook for 3 minutes until the onions soften.

* Add the remaining prepared marinade to the pan and mix well. Cook 2 minutes.

* Then add 1/2 cup water to the pan and mix. I added the 1/2 cup water to the blender in which I had blended the paste, and gave it a pulse and added that water to the pan. This way all the remaining marinade sticking to the blender would also come out.

* Add cumin powder, coriander powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook for 1 more minute.

* Add in the coconut milk and remaining 1/2 cup water. Mix and let the curry come to a low simmer and let it be like that for around 5 minutes.

* Then add the pan fried paneer and stir. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes.

* Add cilantro, lime juice and remove pan from heat.

* Serve paneer lemongrass coconut curry with a side of rice.