Sana thongba

A paneer curry whose gravy is milk rather than tomato or onion.

Vegetarian, but not vegan — contains dairy (paneer), dairy (whole milk).

Ingredients

• 400 g paneer, in cubes
• 600 ml whole milk
• 200 ml water
• 150 g green peas
• 2 potatoes, in 2 cm dice
• a 4 cm piece of ginger, grated
• 1 teaspoon nigella seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 green chillies, slit
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3 tablespoons mustard oil

Method

1. A PANEER CURRY WHOSE GRAVY IS MILK RATHER THAN TOMATO OR ONION, and its article makes the comparison itself rather than leaving it to be noticed: UNLIKE MANY NORTH INDIAN PANEER CURRIES, IT USES MILK AS THE PRIMARY BASE FOR THE GRAVY RATHER THAN TOMATO, ONION, OR GARLIC. So there is no browned onion base and no tomato in this recipe at all, which is why it comes out white.
2. AND THE SPICING IS SHORT ON PURPOSE. The article says preparations MAY EXCLUDE ONIONS AND GARLIC, USING ONLY GINGER, BAY LEAVES, AND NIGELLA SEEDS, and lists the primary ingredients as PANEER (OR FIRM TOFU), GREEN PEAS, MILK, WATER, TURMERIC, CUMIN SEEDS OR NIGELLA SEEDS, GINGER, AND SALT. Three aromatics for a whole pot.
3. THE NAME IS THE DISH. The article gives SANA as cottage cheese or paneer and THONGBA as curry in Meitei, and notes it is included in the vegetarian feast called USHOP.
4. TEMPER THE NIGELLA, CUMIN AND BAY IN MUSTARD OIL FIRST. Thirty seconds. Mustard oil heated until it just stops smoking, then cooled a moment -- this is a Manipuri dish and the oil is part of the taste.
5. FRY THE PANEER LIGHTLY AND TAKE IT OUT. Gold on two sides, no more. Left in for the whole cooking it goes rubbery in the milk.
6. POTATOES AND PEAS IN THE WATER FIRST, NOT IN THE MILK. Ten minutes with the ginger, turmeric and chillies until the potato is nearly done. Milk boiled for ten minutes with raw potato in it will catch and split.
7. THE MILK GOES IN AND MUST NOT BOIL AFTER THAT. Lowest heat, eight or nine minutes, stirred often. It thickens very slightly and stays white.
8. THE PANEER GOES BACK IN FOR THE LAST THREE MINUTES. Served with rice, or with tan ngang, which its article names as the bread for it, as on its own page.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under India · All recipes