Cheat’s Paneer Makhani

Method

1. Take the Greek Yoghurt out of the fridge, and mix it well with the milk in a jug. Peel and finely grate the ginger and garlic. You can also puree it with a tablespoon of water in a small food processor.
2. In a wide and shallow sauté pan, or frying pan, warm the butter on medium. When it’s hot, mix in the ginger and garlic for two minutes, and as it starts to take on colour, stir through the tomato puree and the tandoori powder. Add a tablespoon or two of hot water and cook this for a couple of minutes until the pungent aroma of the spice powder goes.
3. Lower the heat to a high simmer and stir in the milky Greek yoghurt. Don’t worry if this splits, it will all be okay in the end. When the mixture is stirred through well, add in the paneer cubes. I use a pack of ready cubed paneer for this, but they are often stuck together. So instead of separating the cubes individually, I let the warmth of the pan and a gentle flattening motion with a slotted spoon do the trick, mixing all the ingredients together without breaking the crumbly paneer.
4. Cover and simmer for five minutes. To finish, stir in the garam masala and salt to your taste. You could pour a tablespoon of single cream over the top if you fancy it.

This recipe is part of Mallika Basu's vegetarian three course Curry for Change menu. Get the entire menu.