Paneer con Tomate Recipe (2024)

I find paneer is best browned by tossing the cubes in a tablespoon of oil, baking at 350F on a greased piece of foil for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for few minutes, this will help release the cubes from the foil.

Maybe could work with Haloumi cheese too.

We make paneer all the time at home--a lot easier than it sounds! You make "farmer's cheese" by bringing 1/2 gallon of milk to a simmer, then adding 1/4 c. vinegar to the pot and removing from heat. Let sit 10 minutes--DO NOT STIR! After 10 minutes, stir to separate the curds from the whey, then strain through a cheesecloth or dishtowel over a colander (you may collect the whey if you like; we put it in smoothies). Wrap the cloth around the cheese and put a heavy jar on top and refrigerate.

Step 5: add some tinned fish!

A few heads? Not a few cloves?

No. ‘Curry’ spice and curry leaves have as much to do with each other as motor-cross racing and sushi. (i.e.- absolutely nothing)Just substitute the curry leaves with an herb that would work with tomatoes. Basil would be great, cilantro used independently (not with basil) would be nice, but each substitution would give you a very different flavor and therefore variations on the dish.

Garlic is essential to pan con tomate. Add a few heads grated with the tomato pulp.

I have ordered fresh curry leaves on Etsy with great success. They come in an envelope in the post and I freeze them spread out on a small baking tray, then keep in the freezer in a freezer bag and use direct to recipe (no need to defrost - they defrost by themselves in seconds).

I like to roast the cubes of paneer, tossed with olive oil, in a hot oven until browned and crisp. Much easier than frying.

You can get fresh curry leaves online or in a nearby Indian store (google for locations). They freeze very well.You can try thyme, or Indian bay leaves. Different flavour profile but still tasty. There is no substitute for the taste of curry leaves, but you can try substitute their function. Or just omit.

@ned There's no good substitute for fresh curry leaves, I'm afraid. But you can order fresh ones online and story them in the freezer.

I didn't have paneer on hand, so instead made this recipe with extra firm tofu, which I very lightly salted before browning. I served it as a main course with lemon rice, and it turned out to be a lovely summer meal.

Can someone please list either very common/generic cheeses, or types of cheeses, one might substitute if one lives far from NYC (I am in a part of Europe where neither paneer nor halloumi is on the shelves, but many other cheeses are.)Many thanks. I am sure many readers will appreciate it.

Will make tonight or tomorrow as an addition to lunch but one comment about the paneer: The notes about the recipe say that if you have fresh Panera you don’t need to fry it, which implies to me that the reason for frying it is to soften it up. You either want crispy texture or don’t. So fry it if you like, but if you don’t want the crispy texture for some reason, you can soak storebought cubes in boiled water for about 15 minutes for any Indian dish to soften - drain and pat dry before using.

I agree that the garlic would be a great addition. And a few flakes of crushed red pepper. Add these after you add the curry leaves into the hot oil. Turn the heat down or off, so that the garlic cooks gently in the residual heat and doesn't burn. When the garlic is soft and golden then proceed with the rest of the recipe.

If you really want to make this dish decadent, use ghee instead of oil. You'll lick the plate.

Pan con Tomate -Pa amb tomàquet- i about to scratch a ripe tomato to a loaf of bread.Preferably on a dry bread from previous days and, thus, prolong its life. Add salt and olive oil and whatever comes to mind on top: ham, chorizo, cheess, homelette. Avoid pineapple.Preferably you do NOT have to toast the bread because it adds an extra flavor not necessary.You DON’T HAVE to rub a garlic on the bread either. Sometimes I do, sorry.This recipe is a kind of gazpacho: a blended salad.

I tried this with good quality tinned tomatoes as i didn’t have fresh ( and heated them at the end ) and it was very bland. Needed a lot more spice. If using tinned would suggested doubling the spice .

Was tasty as I found the recipe to have too simple of a flavour profile so I added turmeric and garlic to the oil with the curry leaves, mustard seeds and cumin seed. Also added coriander & cumin powder to the tomatoes, which were canned, and it came out delicious.I don’t have a non-stick pan and used my cast iron to shallow fry the paneer in some avocado oil. My daughter said it was the best paneer she ever had. Curry leaves are essential. Thyme or bay leaves would make it a different dish

This recipe is addictive and impressive. I wouldn’t change a thing. Perfect for letting those fresh summer tomatoes shine! I ate with pan fried paratha! Really special.

I served this an entree. I didn’t have curry leaves on hand so I substituted lime zest (as recommended online) and it came out beautifully. A great cold meal on a hot summer evening. We served with French rolls because that’s what we had on hand, but this would pair well with some roti or naan. Just enough for two adults and a toddler.

You can get paneer at many Costco stores

Probably the simplest and quickest way I've ever had paneer but just as delicious as the fussier recipes! As recommended by others I roasted the paneer in the oven, and amped up my tadka with some red chili and cumin. The recipe is usually dependent on the quality of your paneer and tomatoes though, either being even a bit supbar will tank it

Can this be made with canned tomatoes?

A says “Paneer Con Tomate”A says: I barely followed it. I think it’s Mexican in origin. But I’ve ended up with some kind of Indian-Mexican-Greek fusion. Added onion, used canned crushed tomatoes, Halloumi cheese, and garam masala spice. No curry leaves (b/c Eastern KY). Served with rice, naan, and green beans

Wow! What a fabulous way to showcase those homegrown tomatoes! I grated one clove of garlic into the tomatoes as others have suggested and made Meera Sodhra's naan to go with. Yum!

Very good recipient! Tried and loved it. Very easy to make in 15-20 mins. Super tasty!

Grating the tomato seemed weird and counterintuitive, I almost couldn't do it. But, wow! Why did I ever eat tomatoes any other way? Don't be put off by the unfamiliarity, or by concerns about whether it's a soup or an appetizer or an entree. It doesn't matter. It's delicious! I didn't do any of the curry, mustard seeds, etc. Just mixed the grated tomato with olive oil, S&P, and a splash of white wine vinegar. Then I topped with fried paneer, crispy fried eggplant, and basil. Best summer dinner.

Those of you who rated this, how did you eat it? We spooned it onto torn, warm flour tortillas. Ultimately, this dish was a mystery to me.I used ricotta so I did not have to fry it. I also used fresh Mexican Oregano(how big is a sprig, BTW?)

Improvised with what I had and it came out great! Sauteed can of diced tomatoes with a dash of curryleaf powder, a generous dash of cumin, salt to taste. Added pan-fried paneer to warm thru.