This rich paneer do pyaza is a restaurant style delicious dish made with Indian cottage cheese in onion gravy. It is served with rice, flavored rice or roti, paratha.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 25 minutes
  • Total time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 3
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 200 grams Paneer (or Indian cottage cheese or tofu)
  • ¾ cup onions (finely chopped)
  • 1/3 cup tomatoes (chopped (1 large,or replace with curd))
  • 1/3 cup capsicum (cubed (any color))
  • 7 to 8 cashews
  • 2 to 3 tbsps oil
  • ½ tsp cumin (or jeera)
  • 2 green cardamoms (or elaichi)
  • 1 ¼ tsp ginger garlic paste
  • 1 tsp red chilli powder
  • ¾ tsp garam masala
  • ¾ tsp coriander powder (or daniya powder)
  • ½ tsp Salt ((use as needed))
  • ¾ cup water ((use as needed))
  • ½ tsp kasuri methi (or dried fenugreek leaves)
  • 1 ½ tbsp oil (or ghee)
  • 12 shallots (– small onions or ¼ heaped cup cubed, layers separated)
  • 2 green chilies (deseeded and sliced)

Method

Preparation

  1. Make a fine puree of capsicum, tomatoes and cashews. Set this aside.
  2. Add oil to a pan and heat it.
  3. Add jeera and cardamoms.
  4. When they splutter, add chopped onions.
  5. Fry until they turn golden.
  6. Add ginger garlic paste and fry until the raw smell of ginger garlic goes away.
  7. Pour the tomato puree and saute on a low to medium flame.
  8. Within minutes the mixture begins to leave the pan.
  9. Add salt, red chili powder, garam masala and coriander powder.
  10. Saute till oil separates. After frying the mixture for few minutes, oil begins to ooze out.

How to Make Paneer Do Pyaza

  1. Pour water and mix well.
  2. Cook covered until the gravy thickens. Traces of oil would be seen on the gravy.
  3. Lower the flame completely. Add paneer and sprinkle crushed kasuri methi.
  4. Cook covered just for 2 to 3 mins. Turn off the stove. Do not overcook the paneer.
  5. Meanwhile add 1 to 1.5 tbsp oil or ghee to a hot pan. Fry onions and green chiles on a high flame just for 2 to 3 mins. The onions must be partially cooked but must retain the crunch.
  6. Pour this over the paneer gravy and sprinkle some corainder leaves. You can set aside few onions for garnish.
  7. Paneer do pyaza is ready to serve.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.