Paneer Reshmi Handi

Ingredients

• 750 g boneless chicken (Cut into small strips (about 2 small chicken breasts))
• 0.5 cup onion (Finely diced)
• 0.75 cup green pepper (Use 1 small pepper or 1/2 a large one; thinly sliced into strips (about 3/4 cup))
• 1.5 tsp garlic paste
• 1.5 tsp ginger paste
• 0.75 tsp salt
• 2 tsp coriander powder (Roasted “bhunna” dhania preferred)
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 0.5 tsp garam masala
• 0.75 tsp black pepper
• 0.25 tsp white pepper
• 0.75 tsp red chili powder (Cayenne)
• 0.333 cup yoghurt (Whipped and at room temperature)
• 0.333 cup cream (Table, heavy, or whipping cream)
• 0.333 cup grated cheese (See notes for cheese options)
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 piece charcoal (For coal smoke)
• freshly cracked black pepper (To finish)
• green chilies (Sliced; as much as you can handle)
• oil (A few tablespoons for cooking; a little for drizzling over the charcoal)
• water (A splash)
• onion peel or foil (Use to hold the hot charcoal inside the pan)

Steps

1. 1

   Whisk the yoghurt well and keep it near the cooking area.

2. 2

   Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a wok with a lid or in a sauté pan.

3. 3

   Add the finely diced onion and cook over medium heat until it starts to change color.

4. 4

   Stir in the ginger paste and garlic paste. Cook for 1 minute.

5. 5

   Add the chicken strips and sauté, moving them frequently, until all the pieces have changed color.

6. 6

   Add the coriander, cumin, garam masala, salt, black pepper, white pepper, and red chili powder. Stir and cook briefly, about 1 minute.

7. 7

   Add the whipped yoghurt and a splash of water. Stir to combine.

8. 8

   Cover the pan and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 10 minutes at most.

9. 9

   Heat the charcoal until hot while preparing to finish the chicken.

10. 10

    Add the sliced green pepper, butter, and cream to the chicken mixture. Cook until the peppers are just tender-crisp.

11. 11

    Turn off the stove.

12. 12

    Place a piece of onion peel or foil in the pan. Set the hot charcoal on top, drizzle it with a little oil, and immediately close the lid.

13. 13

    Let the smoke subside, about 10 minutes according to the body excerpt, then remove the charcoal and the foil or onion peel.

14. 14

    If the handi is still warm, stir in the grated cheese. If it has cooled, turn the heat on just enough to warm the dish and melt the cheese; do not let the cheese burn.

15. 15

    Turn off the heat immediately. Finish with freshly cracked black pepper and sliced green chilies, then serve.

Notes

Cheese options mentioned in the post include aged cheddar, Monterey Jack, medium cheddar, cream cheese, mozzarella-and-cheddar mix, or Laughing Cow triangle cheese; the author's preference is Monterey Jack or a non-orange cheddar. The post also says the dish can be made with cream alone instead of yoghurt and cream. For charcoal smoke, the body excerpt recommends plugging the pan lid's vent hole while smoking. The structured ingredient list calls this paneer handi but specifies chicken, which is retained here. Oil and water amounts are not quantified in the recipe data.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• Pakistani
• chicken
• creamy
• smoky
• stovetop
• charcoal-smoked