Paneer Curry Recipe (Dhaba Style)

Ingredients

To Marinate

• 200 to 250 grams Paneer (cubed, 12 to 16 pieces)
• ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
• ½ teaspoon garam masala
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon crushed kasuri methi (1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves)

Other Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons oil (+ 1 tablespoon ghee – optional)
• 1 teaspoon ghee (to fry paneer)
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds (Jeera)
• 1 black cardamom
• 2 green cardamoms
• 1 inch cinnamon piece
• 3 cloves
• 2 dried red chilies
• 1 cup onions (fine chopped or ¾ cup minced or grated onions, read notes)
• 1 teaspoon ginger grated or crushed or minced
• 1 teaspoon garlic grated or crushed or minced
• 1¼ cup tomatoes deseeded & chopped or grated
• 1 to 1½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
• ¾ to 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• ¼ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
• 1½ tablespoon roasted besan (roasted gram flour, or use nut butter, read notes)
• 3 tablespoons curd (yogurt or malai or cultured cream, read notes)
• 1½ cups water
• ¾ teaspoon salt (¼ tsp more to adjust)
• 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (to garnish)

Steps

Preparation

1. Combine the salt and spices listed for the marinade in a bowl. Gently coat the paneer pieces in them, adding a splash of water if too dry. Set aside until needed.
2. Finely chop the onions or mince them in a food processor. Start cooking while preparing the remaining ingredients.
3. Warm oil in a pan and add bay leaf, black cardamom, green cardamoms, dried red chillies, cumin, cinnamon, and cloves.
4. When the spices sizzle, stir-fry the onions over medium high heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
5. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook until the onions start caramelizing and turn light brown without burning.
6. Turn the heat down to low and stir in ginger garlic. Sauté for a minute to remove the raw flavor.
7. Mix in dry spices, roasted besan, and salt and fry, stirring thoroughly, for a minute or 2 until aromatic. Add ghee at this point if desired.
8. Mix in chopped or grated tomatoes and cook until the onion-tomato masala is well blended and thick.
9. Mix 1 tablespoon of the onion masala thoroughly into whisked yogurt or cultured cream. Pour into the pan and cook until traces of oil separate from the masala.

How to make Dhaba Paneer Curry

1. Add 1½ cups water to the same pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and cook covered until oil traces appear on top. Taste and adjust salt and garam masala if desired.
2. Meanwhile, heat a teaspoon ghee in another non-stick pan. Put the paneer pieces in the hot pan and coat with ghee. Fry over medium heat to bring out the spice flavors, stirring with a spoon. Avoid overfrying; a few minutes is enough.
3. Put the paneer and its ghee in the cooked curry. Keep the curry slightly flowy rather than too thick so the extra liquid can enter the paneer and keep it soft.
4. Stir gently and cook covered over low heat for 2 mins. Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with coriander leaves, and serve with plain rice, roti, paratha, naan, or jeera rice.