Bhatti ka paneer : Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Bombay..

Bhatti ka paneer : Taj Mahal Hotel

We all headed to Masala Craft/ Taj Mahal Palace Bombay for a family dinner a couple of weeks back. Chef Hemant Oberoi’s masterpiece. Happens to be my favorite fine dinning for Indian cuisine. The the langarwali dal, lasooni palak, peepaywale chole and the bhatti ka paneer, yum !!

The paneer so soft it melts in your mouth, spiced up with the perfect masala. Curiously I asked the attendant if I could have a word with the chef and try my luck getting the recipe from him. True to Taj’s hospitality and warmth what I was presented in return was something I’ll cherish on my bookshelf, a collection of recipes from the Taj.

The hotel by all means lives up to its founder’s values. The warmth, hospitality and generosity are impeccable and it does make a happy difference to our lives.

I have tried the recipe several times at home since, shared them over my kitchen counter with friends and family and believe me its perfect!!! The paneer just melts into wonderful flavors and leaves you wanting for more ! The bhatti masala has found a permanent place in my spice box.

I have altered the quantities very slightly to suit my taste. Try it out, it will live upto expectations !

Ingredients

• ·      500 gm cottage cheese ( I use paneer from Punjab Sind at Breach Candy)
• ·      120 gm hung curd (I hang 260 gm of full fat curd for 2 hrs)
• ·      2 tsp ginger – garlic paste
• ·      3 tsp lemon juice
• ·      1 tsp coarse salt
• ·      1 tsp coriander powder
• ·      2 tsp bhatti masala
• ·      1 tsp red chilli powder (optional)

For bhatti masala – 500gms

• ·      250 gm cumin seeds (jeera)
• ·      175 gm black peppercorns (kali mirch)
• ·      50 gm mace (javitri)
• ·      12 gm cinnamon (dal chini)
• ·      12 gm peeled cardamom (elaichi)

For mango mint chutney

• ·      ½ cup coriander leaves
• ·      ½ cup mint leaves
• ·      ¼ cup peeled and chopped raw mango
• ·      2 green chillies (optional)
• ·      3 tbsp curd
• ·      ½ inch ginger
• ·      2 medium cloves of garlic
• ·      salt to taste 

For onion salad

• ·      2 large onion fine sliced
• ·      juice of 2 lime (nimbu)
• ·      ½ tbsp chaat masala 

Method

• ·      Cut the cottage cheese into rectangles atleast 1 cm thk.
• ·      Cream the hung curd using a electric mixture paddle attachment for 2 minutes.
• ·      Add the ginger garlic paste, lemon juice, salt, coriander powder, bhatti masala, chilli powder and blend again for 1 minute or until a smooth mix.
• ·      Coat each piece of paneer in the curd mix and leave it all to marinate for at least an hour.
• ·      Heat a non - stick pan/tava on medium heat, and shallow fry the paneer till golden brown on both sides.
• ·      Serve with onion salad and mango mint chutney.

For bhatti masala

• ·      Dry roast ingredients and powder fine.

For onion salad

• ·      Soak onions in lime juice for 15 minutes, add chaat masala just before serving.

For mango mint chutney

• ·      Blend all ingredients together and serve at room temperature or chilled.