Aloo Paneer er Dalna or Bengali style Paneer Curry with Potato is an extremely easy, hassle-free Indian vegetarian curry. Chunky paneer and Potato fried in oil and then simmered in moderately spiced curry sauce, so they suck up the flavour (no at all loaded with cream and fat) and create a big pot of delicious curry for your weeknight dinners or lunch. You won't need to hunt any unusual spices that you don't have in your pantry, or you won't find in your supermarket.
In a mixing bowl, rub the potato cubes with ½ tsp of turmeric powder and salt to taste.
Next, in a shallow bowl, except Garam masala, take ginger paste along with all ground spices, salt and sugar, add a little bit of water to make a paste.
Add oil in a preheated Dutch oven and heat the oil over medium-high heat till smoky hot.
Reduce the heat to low, add in potatoes to the hot oil, sprinkle salt and over medium heat cook for a few minutes, until potatoes are done and developed a golden colour, remove from oil.
Next, add paneer to the remaining oil, sprinkle salt and over medium heat cook for a few minutes to develop a golden colour, by that time get ready some hot water in a bowl, remove the paneer from the oil and transfer to the bowl.
Add whole spices to the hot oil and stir for a few seconds over medium heat to infuse the flavour to the oil, then reduce the heat to low, add chopped tomato, the mixed spice paste, give a stir and add a little bit of water.
Increase the heat to high and let the spice mixture comes up to a boiling or simmering point, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover with a lid and let it cook for a few minutes ( about 5-6 minutes)
When you smell the raw aroma of the spices has gone and oil releasing from the mixture, then add your fried potatoes to the spice mixture, give a stir to mix and absorbed all the flavour.
Add peas, then take the fried paneer from the water and add to the mixture, give a gentle stir again.
Add the water, I prefer to add the same water where I soaked my paneer because according to me this water is way more flavorful than plain warm water.
Give a good stir and let the liquid comes up to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and let it simmer for few minutes to thicken up the gravy, the gravy should be semi-liquid.
When you get the desired consistency, increase the heat to high, sprinkle garam masala and ghee for extra flavour, give a final stir, cover with a lid and remove from heat.
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Notes
Place the potatoes on a plate in a single layer, then put the plate in the microwave for 3 minutes on high heat, this will help to soften and cook potatoes fast, and when we add potatoes to the hot oil, it will absorb less oil.