Kolkata Aloo Paneer Curry & Buttered Naan

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ 425°F/ Gas 7 

Tip: this is to warm your naans later (or you can just pop them in the toaster!)

Boil a kettle then cut the paneer into small bite-sized cubes

Chop the potatoes into quarters, then add them to a pot of boiled water with a pinch of salt, bring to the boil over a high heat and cook for 15-20 min or until fork-tender

Meanwhile, heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a generous drizzle of vegetable oil over a medium heat

Once hot, add the cubed paneer and ground turmeric and cook for 3-5 min or until golden all over

Season generously with salt, then once golden, transfer the paneer to a bowl and cover with boiled water (this helps to soften the paneer!)

Meanwhile, cut the green chilli[es] in half lengthways, deseed (scrape the seeds out with a teaspoon) and chop finely 

Tip: taste a little bit of the chilli first to see how fiery it is!

Peel and finely chop the ginger

Grind the chopped chilli (Can't handle the heat? Go easy!), ginger and ground cumin with a pinch of salt in a pestle & mortar to form a smooth paste

Return the pan to a medium heat with a generous drizzle of vegetable oil

Add the cumin seeds and fennel seeds and cook for 1-2 min or until fragrant

Meanwhile, re-boil a kettle

Once fragrant, add the spice paste and tomato paste and cook for 2-3 min further

Add the drained potatoes, 200ml [300ml] boiled water and the vegetable stock cube[s] and cook for 3-4 min

Meanwhile, chop the coriander finely, including the stalks

Drain the softened paneer

Add the drained paneer to the pan, reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, for 8-10 min or until the sauce has thickened to a curry-like consistency and the potatoes are cooked through

Use this time to clear up, set the table, have a cup of tea or simply chill!

Once the liquid has reduced, add the baby leaf spinach, 100ml [180ml] milk and the garam masala to the pan and cook for 3-4 min further or until the spinach has wilted – this is your Kolkata aloo paneer curry

Meanwhile, add the mini coriander naans to a baking tray

Put the tray in the oven for 3 min or until the bread is hot, then butter once out of the oven