Vegan Paneer And Butternut Squash Curry

It's so good to have a big bowl of spicy and warm comfort food on a cold winter day. Vegetarian and vegan curries can satisfy the pickiest meat eaters too. The spices do the trick. If you can't get vegan paneer, you can substitute it for other vegan cheese, as long as it's soft enough. Add extra chickpeas, spinach, or green peas to make it a bit different every time you prepare it. We love it, it's one of our standard midweek meals. It's also quite easy and quick to prepare. Takes no more than 40 minutes from scratch.

Ingredients:

225 or 250g package vegan paneer

500g butternut squash, chopped into small cubes

1 yellow onion, chopped finely

2 garlic cloves, minced

handful of fresh coriander, chopped roughly

2x 200g chopped tomato tins

1 tsp of fresh ginger, minced

1.5 tsp of medium curry powder

1 tsp of Garam Masala

1 tsp of turmeric

1 tsp of paprika

1/2 tsp of lazy chilli

2 tbsp olive oil

pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper

Method:

First, cube the cheese and in a small frying pan, on a little olive oil, fry them for 10 minutes. I like them when they only start going golden brown and become crunchy on the outside but they still remain soft inside. Set them aside.

Then, add the onions to a large skillet (I sometimes just use my wok) and fry them for 5 minutes on the remaining oil. Add all the spices, and simmer for another 2-3 minutes until they become fragrant. Add the butternut squash cubes (and any other vegetables you'd like to use). Another 10 minutes simmering. Finally, add the tinned tomatoes,  salt and pepper and the coriander. Cook it for 10-15 minutes, softening the butternut squash. When it's ready, add the paneer, gently mixing, so you won't crush them.  Serve it with plain or jasmine rice.