Pan-Fried Cheese with Green Peas from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 3 lengthwise slices fresh ginger (each 1½ inches long, 1 inch wide, and ⅛ inch thick)
• 1 small red onion, coarsely chopped
• 3 large cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoons Bin bhuna hua garam masala
• 1 or 2 fresh green Thai, cayenne, or serrano chiles, to taste, stems removed
• 1 cup tomato sauce, canned or homemade
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
• 1 teaspoon coarse kosher or sea salt
• 8 ounces Doodh paneer, cut into 1-inch cubes and pan-fried (see box)
• 1 fresh or dried bay leaf
• 1½ cups frozen peas (no need to thaw)
• ¼ cup heavy (whipping) cream
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds