Veth Chaman

Chaman means paneer in Kashmiri language. Spices like sonth or dry ginger powder and saunf or fennel powder which is unique to the Kashmiri cuisine are used in this recipe. No onion or garlic are used in it and hence is good Sattvik food.

Ingredients:

250 gms Cottage cheese
1 cup water
A generous pinch of Asafoetida
2 tbsp oil

For gravy:

1/2 tbsp Cumin seeds
1/2 inch Cinnamon
3 Cloves
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Red chilli powder
1.5 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder
2 tsp Dry ginger powder
3 tbsp Curd
3/4 cup Milk
1 Brown Cardamom
3 Green Cardamom
2 tsp fennel powder
1.5 tsp freshly prepared Garam Masala
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Oil

For garam masala:
4 to 5 Cloves
1/2 tbsp Cumin seeds
1/2 tbsp Black peppercorns
1/2 tbsp Coriander seeds
3 Green Cardamom
1 Brown Cardamom
1 inch Cinnamon
1/4 tbsp Dry Ginger powder

Method:

1. Boil the water and add the asafoetida to it and keep the heat on low. 
   
2. Separately heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan.
3. Cut the paneer in cubes and when oil is hot, add it. 
4. Toss it for few times. Once paneer starts browning, remove it from heat and keep it on paper towel so that extra oil will be absorbed. (You can have paneer minimally fried if you want to retain its softness.)
5. Put all the fried paneer pieces into the asafoetida water. Keep aside.
6. Dry roast the spices listed under garam masala (except dry ginger powder) on low heat. 
7. Once roasted, add the dry ginger powder and immediately take off the gas. 
8. Grind into a fine powder mix.
9. Take the same pan where paneer is fried and use the oil left after frying the paneer pieces. Add 1 more tbsp if you feel it's not sufficient.
10. When hot, add the cumin seeds and saute.
11. Once it starts spluttering, add cinnamon, cloves and stir.
12. Add the dry ginger powder, turmeric powder and red chilli powder.
13. Immediately add 3 tbsp of the asafoetida water so the spices do not burn. 
14. Beat the curd and add the milk, cardamoms and saunf powder. (Use the milk and curd at room temperature and it minimizes the chance of curdling.) Mix well.
15. Add into the pan and sauté.
16. Increase the heat gradually. This will avoid the milk from curdling. 
17. Stir and mix well. 
18. Add the paneer pieces and 1.5 tsp of the prepared garam masala powder.
19. Add the asafoetida water only to balance the gravy. Give it one boil.
20. Cover it and simmer for a couple of minutes.
21. Remove it from the heat.

Serve hot. 

Note:

If you want to serve it later, then add a little milk just before serving to get a little gravy as the gravy dries up quickly.