Rambutan paneer is made with Indian cottage cheese, rambutans, and cashews. I created this dish as I like paneer a lot but wanted to have a variety in making and eating it. While living in Colorado, up on the Rocky Mountains, getting readymade paneer was like a dream come true. I had to drive several miles to an Indian store that mostly sold frozen paneer that was imported from India. Disappointed at the taste of frozen paneer, I embarked on almost always making my own paneer that tasted creamy and fresh. I also liked the rustic look on the paneer that I made which was whiter with crumbly edges. Ever since, I make fresh paneer and the recipes that I created around it have been novel.
The idea of using rambutans flashed upon me while I craved to eat tropical fruits like rambutans and mangosteens. Although my local grocery stores sold rambutans seasonally, they were sold by the piece and not by the pound. Each individual rambutan costed as much as a pound of some other fruit that I decided to use those individual rambutans as part of a main meal. The tart and sweet rambutans seemed to complement with the paneer so I made a dish out of it. Raw cashews that are powdered and mixed with milk and spices made for a rich, yet healthy sauce. I do not like using cream to thicken sauces, so this concoction works well with my approach to cooking.
Rambutan Paneer
Equipment
- Stovetop
Ingredients
For the paneer:
- ½ gallon whole milk
- 4 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 cheesecloth
For the Rambutan Paneer:
- 1 onion finely chopped
- ½ pound cherry tomatoes pulverized
- ½ tbsp ginger paste
- ½ tbsp garlic paste
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ¾ tsp coriander powder
- ½ tsp garam masala powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tbsp cashew powder
- 1 lime
- 1 pepper cubed
- 8 fresh rambutans
- 5 sprigs cilantro
- 4 tbsp whole milk
Instructions
How to make paneer:
- Boil the milk in a pot on medium heat and stir occasionally.
- When the milk boils, turn off the heat and add the lemon juice, and stir the milk.
- Milk will curdle and the light green whey will separate.
- Strain the milk with the whey in a cheesecloth and rinse in cold water.
- Tie the cloth and shape it like a rectangle and place a tray below it and a heavy (marble rolling board) flat board on it for 30 minutes.
How to make Rambutan Paneer:
- Remove the cheesecloth and cut the paneer into cubes.
- Fry the paneer cubes in some butter and salt until golden.
- In a pan, melt a dollop of butter and add the onions and sauté until brown.
- Add the tomatoes and sauté for 3 minutes.
- Mix inthe ginger-garlic paste, spices, cashews, and the rambutan.
- Toss in the paneer and milk. Stir well and turn off the heat.
- Sprinkle lime juice and garnish with cilantro.
Notes
- Fresh paneer can be stored in a box for a few days.
- Rambutan Paneer will keep for a couple of days in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
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