I had made this rich, creamy, buttery Daal Makhani. Hence I wanted to offset that richness with simple fresh flavors in my North Indian Thaali. Enter the ultra simple, flavor forward mixed veggie and paneer combo: Gobi Mirch Paneer! The simple sautéed and lightly spiced cabbage, bell peppers and paneer gave the meal the requisite balance! Served with oil/ghee-free phulkas (soft, whole wheat flatbread) this was a perfect meal. For those of you that are hesitant about cooking, this maybe a great first dish to attempt 🙂 Cook and see I say!
GOBI MIRCH PANEER
Ingredients
- 2 cups chopped Green Cabbage
- 2 Green Bell Peppers
- 1 cup sliced Paneer
- 1.5 tbsp Cumin Seeds
- 2 tbsp Coriander Seeds (Dhania)
- 3-4 Black Peppercorns
- 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1/2 tsp Asafoetida (Hing)
- 1/2 tsp Red Chili Powder
- Olive oil for cooking
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Wash and chop the green cabbage lengthwise (2 cups).
Deseed and devein 2 green bell peppers and slice them into strips.
Cut up the paneer 1/4" thick and about 1.5" long pieces.
Roast 2 tbsp of dhania + 3-4 Black Peppercorns + 1/2 tbsp of Jeera. Grind them into a fine powder. Keep aside.
Heat 1.5 tbsp of olive oil in a large flat bottomed pan. Add 1 tbsp of jeera and allow to splutter.
Add the bell peppers and sauté for 30 seconds on low heat.
Add the cabbage and sauté for another 30 seconds on low heat.
Add 1 tsp of turmeric powder + 1/2 tsp of red chili powder + 1/2 tsp of hing + salt to taste. Mix well. Cover the pan and cook for a couple of minutes.
Add the paneer.
Add the ground spice mix. With a flat spatula gently toss the vegetables and paneer together.
Drizzle 1 tbsp of olive oil all around the subzi.
Cover the pan and allow to cook for 1 minute.
Uncover and garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.
Notes
Notes to the Chef:
If you have everything prepped, this takes only about 8 minutes to make! I like my veggies crunchy, but if you want them well cooked, sprinkle handfuls of water on it and cover and cook for longer. DO NOT add water to it...it will get mushy and unappetizing! Gently sprinkling handfuls of water on it will do the trick!
