Butter Masala Soup with Paneer Croutons

Cut your paneer into 3cm chunks then add to a bowl. Toss with the salt, a glug of vegetable oil and ¼ of the chilli powder. Set aside to marinate.

Peel and finely slice your onions.

Heat a large saucepan over a medium heat, and add a generous glug of vegetable oil. Tip your onions into the pan, along with a big pinch of salt, then cook them for 20 mins, until they have softened and taken on a bit of colour.

Finely chop your garlic and ginger, then add to your onions. Cook them out for 2 mins.

Strain your tinned plum tomatoes from their juices, then add them to the pan. Add your garam masala and ⅔ of the remaining chilli powder, then pour in the water. Bring it up to a boil, then simmer it for 10 mins.

Transfer the contents of your pan to a blender along with your fenugreek leaves, ½ the butter and ¾ of the double cream, and whizz it up to a smooth sauce. Pour it back into the pan then season to taste with salt. Keep the soup warm.

Add your remaining butter to a small saucepan, along with your cumin seeds, nigella seeds and your remaining chilli powder. Cook it over a low heat, until the butter has melted and the spices are sizzling. Switch off the heat, and keep the butter warm.

Heat a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Pan fry the paneer for a couple of mins on each side, until they are golden.

To serve, spoon your soup into bowls, and finish each one with a drizzle of the remaining cream, a few cubes of paneer, a spoonful of spiced butter and a few coriander leaves.