Paneer With Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce
A vibrant Indian-inspired dish featuring crispy pan-fried paneer in a fragrant sauce made with burst cherry tomatoes, sugar snap peas, and aromatic spices. Finished with fresh mint and served over rice, this colorful vegetarian meal combines traditional Indian spices with fresh vegetables.
Ingredients
- •6 whole scallions
- •1 piece ginger
- •2 cloves garlic
- •1 tsp coriander seeds
- •1 tsp cumin seeds
- •½ tsp black mustard seeds
- •½ tsp Kashmiri chile powder
- •¼ tsp ground turmeric
- •3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- •8 oz paneer
- •to taste Kosher salt
- •12 oz cherry tomatoes
- •4 oz sugar snap peas
- •1 pinch sugar
- •½ cup mint leaves
- •4 servings cooked rice
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Toss scallions, ginger, and garlic in a medium bowl to combine. Using a mortar and pestle or the side of a chef's knife, coarsely crush coriander seeds and add to vegetables along with cumin seeds, black mustard seeds, chile powder and turmeric; set aside.
5 min
- 2.
Heat 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Arrange paneer in a single layer in pan and cook until golden brown underneath, about 1 minute. (If paneer is sticking, just give cheese a little more time to brown. It will release from pan once it is sufficiently crisped.) Using a slotted spatula or spoon, transfer paneer to a plate, leaving as much oil behind in pan as possible. Turn browned side up and season generously with salt.
5 min
- 3.
Reduce heat to medium and add remaining 1 Tbsp. oil to same skillet. Cook reserved scallion mixture, stirring often, until scallions are wilted and mustard seeds begin to pop, about 2 minutes.
2 min
- 4.
Add tomatoes, sugar snap peas, and 1 cup water to skillet and season with salt. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Gently smash each tomato open with a spatula (you just want to break them open a little) and simmer until tomato juices thicken slightly, about 3 minutes (it should still be pretty brothy and light). Taste sauce and add more salt if needed. If your tomatoes aren't super sweet, you may need to add a pinch of sugar at this point to balance their acidity. Add paneer back to pan and simmer until warmed through.
8 min
- 5.
Remove pan from heat and toss in mint. Serve with cooked rice.
2 min