Kaju Makhana Masala/Cashew, Lotus Seeds Masala

Most of our dinner goes for salads,soups and chapathis or rotis, obviously whenever i make our Indian flat breads, the most challenging part is to find out a prefect side dish to have along with. My family can have rotis every day with one condition, yes they need variety of side dishes to have with their rotis. Obviously whenever i prepare rotis, the first thing i'll plan to make is the side dish to serve with, apart from our South Indian chutneys,everyone at home love paneer based side dishes to enjoy with rotis. However making a side dish often with paneer is not that much simple. If you live in abroad making paneer at home or getting a packet of paneer from store is not that much easy if you have other household stuffs to manage. So I'll try to play with different ingredients available in pantry when its comes to North Indian style of side dishes, one among my recent trial is this Kaju makhana masala. I googled a couple of makhana side dishes however i opted for this kaju makhana combination after going through many sites.

A makhani style  gravy is very much needed to make this highly,irresistible fingerlicking masala. Usually makhani/butter masala gravy is simply prepared by cooking onion,tomatoes, with other spices in water, the same method is also followed in this masala but as stir fried version. Initially i wanted to name this dish as Makhana butter masala, but kaju aka cashew nuts plays an importnat role in this masala,hence i named it simply as Kaju makhana masala. Am running my third week of blogging marathon with North Indian side dishes, after two fingerlicking side dishes, this alluring rich looking masala goes to this week's theme.Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#45. 

1no Bay leaves
1inch Cinnamon
1no Black Cardamom
2no Green cardamoms
A pinch Mace
2nos Cloves
2nos Onions(medium sized)
2cups Tomato puree
1/2inch Ginger (grated)
5nos Garlic cloves
1tsp Red chilly powder
1/4tsp Garam masala
1cup Milk
2tbsp Cashew paste
1tsp Kasuri Methi
1cup Lotus seeds/Makhana/Phool Makhana
20nos Cashew nuts
Salt
Oil

Heat few drops of oil, fry the cashew nuts until they turns brown, remove and add the lotus seeds, fry in simmer for few minutes.

In a pan, heat few drops of oil, fry the bay leaves,cinnamon,cloves,cardamoms and mace until they turns brown.

Add the onions,ginger and garlic and cook until they onions turns golden brown, put off the stove.

Now take this in a blender, blend as bit coarse paste.

Heat few drops of oil, pour the blended mixture into it, add in the tomato puree, cook in simmer for few minutes.

Now add the turmeric powder, red chilly powder, garam masala, cook in medium flame until the oil starts leaving from the sides of the masala paste.

Add in the cashew paste,fried cashews, water and bring it to boil and put the flame in simmer.

Finally add the cream by stirring the gravy,cook for few more minutes.

Add the crushed kasuri methi, fried makhana and salt, give a stir and cook in simmer for a minute.

Put off the stove.

Serve immediately with pulaos, naan or phulkas.