In a large, deep saucepan or skillet, heat a layer of olive oil or butter and saute your onions over a low heat for around 10 minutes, until they are starting to brown and caramelise.
1 small onion
Add the garlic, ginger, fennel seeds and cumin seeds to the pan and saute for another couple of minutes until all of the fragrances have come out.
3 cloves garlic, 1 Tbsp ginger, 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
Add the curry powder, garam masala, smoked paprika and chili powder (if using). Mix through for a few seconds until fragrant, and then immediately move on to the next step - we don't want the spices to burn.
1/2 tsp chili powder or cayenne, 2 Tbsp curry powder, 1 Tbsp garam masala, 1 tsp smoked paprika
Add the tomato paste and sugar, then stir to get all of the spices mixed in with the tomato paste. You may want to add another splash of oil or pat of butter at this point if the pan seems dry.
3 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tsp sugar
Add the coconut milk and vegetable broth to the pan, stirring constantly until a consistent sauce has formed. Sometimes the tomato paste may be a little lumpy here - if this happens, you can mix briefly with a whisk to ensure it all emulsifies nicely.
14 oz canned coconut milk, 1 cup vegetable broth
Add the kidney beans to the pan and allow the sauce to simmer for around 15 minutes, until it's reduced and thickened to your liking. You can use a wooden spoon to mash some of the beans into the sauce if you wish, but it's not essential. In the batch photographed I left them all whole.
14 oz canned kidney beans
Once you're happy with your sauce, remove it from the heat and let it sit while you pan fry your paneer. Heat a thin layer of oil in a frying or grill pan, then fry for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden. Pan frying is optional - you can put the paneer in straight from the packet if you wish. 8 oz paneer cheese
Add the paneer to the sauce, squeeze in the lemon juice and mix it all together.
1/2 lemon
Serve immediately, with rice and/or naan, and chopped cilantro (fresh coriander) for topping.
1 small bunch cilantro