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Paneer – The Delicacy of Indian Cuisines

Source shutterstock.com i Indian cuisines

Paneer is one of the most loved ingredients in India. It is a cottage cheese prepared from cow's milk after adding some citric acid in the milk. Most of the Indian households prefer to make Paneer at home since it's hygienic and more affordable. Paneer has such a cheesy texture which can be used to make several dishes such as Punjabi Tikkas, Rasgullas, ras malai, chenna, etc.

You must keep this in mind that there are two types of Paneer available in the market- one is soft, and the other is hard. Most people prefer soft Paneer or cheese, but the downside of the soft Paneer is that it stays fresh for a lesser duration of time as compared to the hard cheese. Talking about the uses of both types of Paneer, the soft one can be used to make curries, salad, while the hard one can be used for snacks.

Why Paneer Recipes are Good for Health?

Source shutterstock.com l Paneer

Along with the taste, there are various health benefits of Paneer. It is Nutritious and benefits your immune system. Also, it keeps your stomach full for a longer period. But, here's a list of all the other benefits that one can get after including Paneer in their diet:

Rich in Protein

Source shutterstock.com l Protein dense food

Paneer is rich in protein. People who actively participate in weight training indulge in the regular practice of eating Paneer. Those who are active with their workouts should have at least a hundred grams of Paneer in their diet, and those who are not active can have less than a hundred but even equal to a hundred grams that would not do any harm.

Promotes Weight Loss

Source shutterstock.com l Promotes Weight Loss

The basic science behind weight loss and eating Paneer is that Paneer has a lot of protein and it helps keep your stomach full for a long time. This way, you will not eat more. Moreover, the fatty acids in the Paneer promote weight loss.

Improves Digestion

Source shutterstock.com l Improves digestion

Do you constantly feel bloated or you always have some kind of digestion problem? Including Paneer in your diet will help you eradicate all the Digestion related problems. Paneer contains phosphorus and Magnesium, which leads to excretion and prevents constipation.

Strengthens Bones and Teeth

Source shutterstock.com l Bone strength

We all know that calcium helps in strengthening the bones and teeth. Paneer is rich in calcium, which is directly proportional to the strength of bones and teeth. Besides, it also improves your nervous system.

Good for Diabetic Persons

Source shutterstock.com l Diabetes

Paneer is high in Magnesium, which helps in the maintenance and regulation of the blood sugar level in the body. Adding Paneer to your diet will benefit you as it can get rid of sudden up and down movements in the blood sugar levels and even contribute to maintaining the overall health of the body.

Special Indian Paneer recipes for You to Try Out

After talking about all the health benefits of Paneer, let's jump to the list of top 10 recipes of Paneer

Shahi Paneer

Source shutterstock.com l Shahi Paneer

Shahi Paneer is a popular dish made using paneer. From taste to thickness and richness of the gravy paste, there's everything people love in this dish.

To make shahi paneer, you require the following ingredients:
Main ingredients include:

  • Paneer (cottage cheese) (200g)
  • 1 to 1.5 cups Strained stock (1-1.5 cups) To get this, you can boil onions with dry fruits) + water. Or simply take water (1.5 cups)
  • Full fat yogurt (fresh curd), Whisked till smooth (1/2 cup)
  • Coriander powder (1 tsp)
  • Red chili powder (1/2 tsp)
  • Turmeric powder (1/4 tsp)
  • Garam masala powder (1/4 tsp)
  • Cardamom powder (1/4 tsp)
  • Full fat cream (1 or 2 tbsp), Or cream with 70-80% fat (optional)
  • Saffron, crushed (a pinch)
  • Kewra (screwpine) water (1 or 2 drops, optional)
  • Sugar and salt (as per taste)

Ingredients you need for the paste

  • Onion, roughly chopped (1 medium size)
  • Cashews, chopped (2 tbsp)
  • Almonds (1 tbsp)
  • Magaz or melon seeds without the skin (1 tbsp)
  • Garlic, chopped (3 to 4)
  • Ginger, chopped (1 inch)

Whole spices required:

  • Bay Leaf (Tej patta) (1)
  • Cloves (2 to 3)
  • Green cardamom (2 to 3)
  • Black cardamom (1 to 2)
  • Cinnamon (1 inch)
  • Caraway seeds (shah jeera) (1/2 tsp)
  • Oil, or Butter, or Ghee (2 to 3 tbsp)

Steps to make Shahi Paneer:

  • Cook onions, cashews, almonds, melon seeds, ginger in a pan with 1 or 1.5 cup of water for around 10 min.
  • After the ingredients soften and cool grind them to a fine paste.
  • In a different pan heat 3 tablespoons of oil and add the dry garam masala till they make it aromatic.
  • After this, add the cashew paste to it. Add masalas like turmeric, salt, red chilli powder and cook until the oil starts to leave the paste.
  • Add the whisked Yogurt, stock water. Cook well for 10-12 minutes, add cardamom, and crushed saffron to it.
  • Stir and add cream and let it simmer for 4-5 minutes and after 5 minutes, you can serve the shahi paneer.

Paneer Kofta

Source shutterstock.com l Paneer Kofta

Paneer kofta is a beautiful and tasty dish. Making the dish is easy but takes place in 2 different steps of making Gravy and kofta.

To make kofta:
Ingredients Required:

For the Kofta:,

  • Paneer, grated (100g)
  • Potatoes (mashed), boiled (1.5)
  • Khoya (50g)
  • Ginger garlic paste (2 tbsp)
  • Turmeric powder (1.5 tsp)
  • Red chili powder (1 tsp)
  • Fresh coriander (handful)
  • Cumin seeds (1/2 tsp)
  • Coriander seeds (1/2 tsp)
  • Mustard oil (2-3 tbsp)
  • Raisins, chopped (25g)
  • Flour (50g)
  • Salt (taste)

Steps to make kofta

  • In a bowl mix grated Paneer, salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, potatoes, khoya, ginger, and garlic paste, fresh coriander, grounded cumin and coriander seeds, mustard oil and raisins. Knead the mixture into a dough.
  • Make the kofta bite-size and put them in the fridge.
  • After some time- deep fry or shallow fry the koftas till you get the golden colour.

For Gravy:

Ingredients:
  • Refined oil (3 tbsp)
  • Cinnamon (2 sticks)
  • Green cardamoms (6)
  • Brown cardamoms (2)
  • Cloves (12)
  • Bay leaves (2-3)
  • Cumin (2 tsp)
  • Onions, finely chopped (2)
  • Ginger garlic paste (4 tsp)
  • Turmeric powder (1 tsp)
  • Red chili powder (1.5 tsp)
  • Coriander seeds (ground) (1 tsp)
  • Tomato puree (100g)
  • Fresh milk (100g)
  • Hung curd (5tbsp)
  • Sugar (1/2 tsp)
  • Salt (as per taste needs)

Steps to make gravy:

  • Add 3-4 tablespoon of oil in a pan and add all the dry masalas to the heated oil.
  • Add onions, salt, ginger-garlic paste, red chilli powder and masalas. Cook it until the onions are brown like caramel.
  • Add tomato puree and fresh milk and stir well.
  • Once the ingredients start simmering, add hung curd and sugar.
  • Add the koftas to curry and let it simmer for 5-7 minutes.
  • Once done, turn off the gas and garnish the material with coriander leaves.

Paneer Tikka Masala

Source shutterstock.com l Paneer Tikka Masala

Paneer Tikka is a Sizzling and tasty dish which is cooked while mixing all the ingredients and grilling the Paneer. People love to eat it with or without roti as per their taste preferences. You can follow the below guide to make a tempting dish at home.

First, gather these ingredients:

  • Tikka curry powder (3 tbsp)
  • Natural yogurt (2 tbsp)
  • Paneer, cut into small cubes (200g block)
  • Green pepper, diced (1)
  • Groundnut oil (1 tbsp)
  • Onion, finely chopped (1)
  • Ginger, grated (1 tbsp)
  • Garlic, crushed (1 clove)
  • Passata (400g)
  • Tomato purée (2 tsp)
  • Caster sugar (2 tsp)
  • Double cream (4 tbsp)
  • Butter (1 knob)
  • Coriander, chopped (a handful)
  • Basmati rice and naans (cooked) for serving alongwith

Steps to make paneer tikka masala:

  • Mix Tikka curry powder, yoghurt in a bowl and add Paneer and pepper. Mix well and leave it aside for marination.
  • Heat 3 tbsp oil in a pan and fry the onion until golden at the edges. Chop ginger and garlic, add them and cook for 2 minutes.
  • Add 2 tbsp of the curry powder and stir. Add passata, tomato purée and sugar and let it simmer. Cook this mixture for around 10-15 minutes. Or keep cooking until the sauce thickens.
  • Now, add the cream and simmer gently for 2-3 minutes.
  • Turn the grill on high flame and put Paneer on a non-stick baking tray and grill until it's sizzling and golden.
  • Add Paneer to the sauce, season with butter and coriander. Cook it for 2 min before turning off the flame.

Paneer Bhurji

Source shutterstock.com l Paneer Bhurji

Paneer bhurji is almost everyone's favourite dish which is easy to make and can be enjoyed in breakfast, lunch or dinner. Paneer is a versatile item, and you can make an end number of dishes with the same, and Paneer bhurji is one of the basic dishes. Let's understand how it's made.

Get these ingredients

  • Paneer (500g)
  • Tomatoes (1 Kg)
  • Desi ghee (2 tbsp)
  • Bay leaves (2)
  • Whole red chillies (3)
  • Mace (1 piece)
  • Green cardamoms (5)
  • Cloves (4-5)
  • Black pepper corns (2)
  • Garlic paste (3 tsp)
  • Ginger paste (1/2 tsp)
  • Cumin seeds (2 tsp)
  • Green chillies, chopped
  • Garlic & ginger, chopped (2 tsp)
  • Onion, chopped (1)
  • Kasuri methi powder (1 tsp)
  • Cashew nut paste (1 cup)
  • Cream (1/2 cup)
  • Red chilli powder (1 tsp)
  • Cumin seed powder (1 tsp)
  • Coriander leaves, chopped (2 tbsp)
  • Salt
  • Lemon juice (little bit)

For the marinade:

  • Ginger (2 tsp)
  • Garlic paste (2 tsp)
  • Red chilli powder (1 tsp)

Method

  • Cut Paneer into two parts, crush one part, and cut the other part into pieces. Marinate the same with the ginger, garlic, salt, and red chilli powder.
  • Cut the tomatoes into halves or quarters and cook it with the ginger, garlic and make it into a fine paste.
  • In another pan heat oil and add onions, cumin, ginger and garlic and cook until golden.
  • After this, add red chili powder, cumin powder, Kasuri methi powder, tomato-cashew paste, cream, and 1 tbsp of lemon juice, and cook for some time.
  • Now add the paneer pieces and crumble Paneer. Cook for a minute. Add coriander and serve.

Paneer Butter Masala

Source shutterstock.com l Paneer Butter Masala

Paneer butter masala is a creamy and mouthwatering dish. And you can make it at home to satisfy your cravings. Let's understand how it can be made:

Gather these ingredients:

    To fry the paneer
  • Oil (1 tbsp)
  • Paneer cubes (1 cup)
  • Salt (1/2 tsp)
  • Red chilli powder (2 tsp)

For gravy

  • Oil (1/2 tbsp)
  • Butter (2 cubes)
  • Black cardamom (1)
  • Cinnamon stick (1)
  • Green cardamom (5)
  • Ginger (1 tsp)
  • Garlic (1 tsp)
  • Onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
  • Tomato, chopped (1 cup)
  • Cashews (7-8)
  • Green chilli, chopped (1/4 tsp)
  • Oil (1/2 tsp)
  • Butter (2 cubes)
  • Salt (2 tsp)
  • Red chilli powder (1 tsp)
  • Coriander powder (1/2 tsp)
  • Cumin powder (1/2 tsp)
  • Garam masala (1/4 tsp)
  • Black pepper (1/4 tsp)
  • Kasoori methi (1/2 tsp)
  • Honey (1/2 tsp)
  • Milk (3/4 cup)
  • Cream (1 tbsp)
  • Cardamom powder (1/2 tsp)

    Method

  • To make paneer butter masala, you need to pan-fry the paneer slices and add salt and red chilli powder to it.
  • In the same pan, heat butter and add black cardamom, cinnamon, green cardamom, ginger and garlic. Cook until the mixture turns golden.
  • Add onion and tomato and cook well.
  • Now, add cashews and green chilli to the mix and puree the mixture.
  • Add butter and the prepared paste to in another pan. Add salt, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, and black pepper. Bring it to simmer.
  • Add the stir-fried paneer pieces and add milk. Cook for 5 min and serve hot.

Dum Paneer

Source shutterstock.com l Dum Paneer

Dum paneer is an authentic taste, which can be made with easily available ingredients. Follow the recipe below to make tasty dum paneer at home.

The list of ingredients that you need include:

  • Oil (2 tbsp)
  • Onion, sliced (1)
  • Cloves ((4)
  • Cardamom (4)
  • Cinnamon stick (1)
  • Ginger (1 tsp)
  • Garlic (1tsp)
  • Green Chillies (1/2 tsp)
  • Curd (3 tbsp)
  • Coriander powder (1 tsp)
  • Cumin ppowder (1/2 tsp)
  • Turmeric powder (1/4 tsp)
  • Red chili powder (1/2 tsp)
  • Salt (1 tsp)
  • Garam masala (1/4 tsp)
  • Black pepper powder (1/2 tsp)
  • Paneer (20 cubes)
  • Cream (2 tbsp)
  • Black peppercorn, crushed (1/4 tsp)
  • Mint (10 leaves)
  • Water (as required)
  • Coriander leaves (1 tsp)

Now, follow these steps to make Dum Paneer

  • Take some oil in a pan and add onions to it. Sauté the onions for 5 minutes and then grind them into a fine paste.
  • Take cloves, cardamom, cinnamon stick and add onion paste to it. Sauté well and add green chillies in ginger garlic paste.
  • Mix well while adding cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and all the other masalas.
  • Add Paneer to the mixture and cream over it. Mix it well, and then add water to form a gravy.
  • Cover the pan with the plate and let it cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Add coriander leaves before serving.

Paneer Lababdar

Source shutterstock.com l Paneer Lababdar

Paneer lababdar is a Punjabi dish with Mughlai's touch and style. It is creamy as well as sweet at the same time but with a balanced flavour. Let's see how you can prepare it:

To start with, here's the list of ingredients you need:

    To make tomato-cashew paste:

  • Ripe red tomatoes, chopped (250g) or Tomatoes, chopped (1.5 cups)
  • Cashews (10-12)
  • Ginger, chopped (1/2 inch)
  • Garlic, chopped (2-3)
  • Water (1/2 cup)
  • Green cardamom (1)
  • Cloves (2)

Other ingredients required for Paneer Lababdar

  • Paneer (cottage cheese) (200g)
  • Grated paneer (2 tbsp)
  • Onion, finely chopped (100g or 1/2 cup)
  • Tej patta (Indian bay leaf) (1)
  • Green chilies, slit (1 or 2)
  • Cumin powder (1/2 tsp)
  • Coriander powder (ground coriander) (1/2 tsp)
  • Red chili powder or deghi mirch (1/2 tsp)
  • Garam masala powder (1/4 tsp)
  • Low fat cream, 25-35% fat (1/4 cup)
  • Kasuri methi (dry fenugreek) leaves, crushed (1 tsp)
  • Butter (2 tbsp)
  • Butter (optional) to be added later (1 tbsp)
  • Sugar (1/4 to 1/2 tsp or as required)
  • Water (1-1.25 cup)
  • Salt (as per taste)

Garnishing ingredients

  • Coriander (cilantro) leaves, chopped (1 tbsp)
  • Ginger, julienne (1/2 inch)
  • Add tomatoes and cashews in water in a pan and let it simmer for some time. Turn the mixture into a fine paste by grinding and make sure that there are no chunks of tomato or cashews visible.
  • Add some butter to another pan and add finely chopped onions to it. Sauté till golden brown and add the cashew paste to it.
  • Mix it well and add cumin powder, coriander powder, and red chilli powder.
  • Cook it well until the time you see the masala coming together. Add a cup of water and stir well.
  • Add green chillies slit in two pieces and add some salt as per taste.
  • Finally, add chopped Paneer. Along with this, add some grated paneer and cook for a minute or so. Now, switch the flame off and serve hot with your favorite Naan or chapati.

Palak Paneer

Source shutterstock.com l Palak Paneer

Palak paneer is one of the tastiest and nutritious dishes that one can make with Paneer. You can make them from easily available ingredients at home. Here's how you can make palak paneer:

Get all the ingredients:

  • Indian cottage cheese (Paneer) (1.25 cup or 150g)
  • Spinach (palak) (3.5-4 cups or 100-120g)
  • Oil (2 tbsp)
  • Green chillies, deseeded (2)
  • Onions, fine chopped (3/4 cup)
  • Tomatoes, chopped and deseeded (1/2 cup)
  • Ginger-garlic paste (1 tsp)
  • Salt (3/4 tsp or as per taste)
  • Cashewnuts (8-10)
  • Garam masala (1/2 to 3/4 tsp or as per taste)
  • Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek) leaves (1/2 tsp)
  • Cream, optional (3 tbsp)

You can also consider adding these optional ingredients:

  • Cumin seeds (1/8 tsp)
  • Green cardamoms (2)
  • Cinnamon (1 inch)
  • Cloves (2)

Follow these steps to make your tasty palak paneer

  • First of all, wash spinach or palak properly. Rinse it with water till the water comes clean.
  • Don't boil the spinach as it will take away all the nutrients from it. Sauté spinach on medium heat for around 2-3 minutes with some cashews and then mix it into a fine paste.
  • Take oil in another pan and add two cardamoms, two cloves, cumin seeds, finely chopped onions, and ginger-garlic paste. Cook the mixture until golden brown. Add tomatoes and salt to it. Cook the Gravy and add the spinach curry to the same.
  • Cook for some time and when it thickens, add some water to get normal consistency. Add cubes of Paneer and cook for some time. If you wish to, you can add some cream in it and serve.

Light Paneer Curry

Source vegrecipesofindia.com l Light Paneer Curry

This is a gluten-free dish that you can add to your diet if you need something for weight loss. Here are the ingredients you need for the same.

Ingredients

  • Basmati rice, washed and rinsed (150g)
  • Ground turmeric (1 tsp)
  • Ground cumin (1 tsp)
  • Ground coriander (1 tsp)
  • Mild chilli powder (1 tsp)
  • Paneer (200g block)
  • Vegetable oil (2 tsp)
  • Onion, roughly chopped (1)
  • Garlic, roughly chopped (3 cloves)
  • Ginger, roughly chopped (1 thumb-sized piece)
  • Plum tomatoes, roughly chopped (2)
  • Spinach (large handful)
  • Frozen peas (100g)
  • Lemon, juiced (1/2 piece)

Now, follow these instructions to prepare the dish

  • Take turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and other spices. Mix them well, and roll the pieces of Paneer over them. Make sure that every piece is covered with the spices thoroughly.
  • Heat the oil in a pan and crisp the Paneer from both the sides for 4-5 minutes till it is golden brown.
  • Make a simple tadka of onions, ginger, garlic and tomatoes. Add the blanched spinach and peas into the same. Add Paneer to the Gravy, and cook for 5 minutes. Sprinkle lemon juice and serve it hot with rice.

Mutter Paneer

Source shutterstock.com l Mutter Paneer

This dish is comfort food in many homes. It is easy to make and delicious at the same time. To make matar paneer, bring together the following list of ingredients:

  • Oil
  • Paneer, cubed (450g)
  • Ginger, grated (5cm piece)
  • Ground cumin (1/2 tsp)
  • Turmeric (1 tsp)
  • Ground coriander (1 tsp)
  • Chilli powder (1 tsp)
  • Tomatoes, chopped (400g tin)
  • Peas, fresh or frozen (200g)
  • Garam masala (1 tsp)
  • Coriander (small bunch)
  • Rice, or naan or roti (for serving)

Now, follow these steps:

  • Shallow fry or deep fry the Paneer till it's golden and crispy from the outsides.
  • In the same pan add some ginger, cumin, turmeric, dry coriander and chilli powder and cook everything until you get a delicious aroma.
  • Add tomatoes and soften them with the spoon. Next, add peas and then cook for 5 minutes or more till the peas soften. Now, add Paneer and cook again for some time. Add garam masala and coriander leaves for seasoning.
  • If you want matar paneer in gravy form, then add half a cup of water and cook for some time until the Gravy and masala mix up.

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From our editorial team

Whey from Paneer

After making paneer, a greenish coloured whey is left which is very rich in nutrients. Don't throw that whey as you can use it too to make a tasty dish. Do note that the taste of the acid agent used will be felt in the whey. For example, if lemon juice has been used to curdle milk, some sourness will be felt in the whey and will also be felt in the recipe dish that you will be adding it to. Whey can be refrigerated for some days in case you want it to use it later.