Rich and delicious Dhaba Style Paneer Masala recipe with detailed step-wise pictures. Make this creamy, super flavorful Paneer Masala Dhaba Style recipe for your rotis and other Indian bread.
Today recipe is a delicious curry using Paneer/Cottage Cheese. I have a set of recipes using paneer, mushroom and eggs – as those are my simple special ingredients that can turn an average meal outstanding with little effort. Every weekend I make a special curry and a choice of Indian bread for dinner, distinguishing the regular weekday fare to the weekend indulgence. In a world filled with chaos and work seeping into personal lives amidst the covid lockdown, this is my one way to ensure that the weekends are slightly different from that of weekdays. I recently tried my hands at making a lip-smacking delicious Dhaba Style Paneer Masala recipe to go with Laccha Paratha and here I am with the recipe.
A few months ago I made a Dum Aloo recipe in a one-minute video format on my Instagram feed and it was wildly successful that I had made it a few times. I wont claim that the recipe is 100% authentic or traditional, but in the end all that mattered was that it was heavenly. I kind of followed the same recipe with some key differences to make this Dhaba Style Paneer Masala. While most restaurants offer a range of Paneer based curries including the most popular Paneer Butter Masala, Paneer Tikka Masala and the likes of Kadai Paneer, this recipe is specifically Dhaba Style – the ones you find in roadside eateries – full of bold flavors and rustic. It is precisely that charm which sets this Paneer Masala unique from every other curry even though the basic ingredients are the same.
As I mentioned Dhaba style recipes are usually rustic and bold with flavors. There are a lot of spice powders used but there is no cream or cashews or almonds or even milk. In spite of it, the Dhaba Style Paneer Masala turns out rich and creamy and super delicious. One distinctive aspect is the use of Thick Whisked Curd/Plain Yogurt and Besan/Gram Flour to thicken the curry, giving a nice body to the gravy. For the first time ever, I pan roasted panner pieces marinated in spices – the results were extraordinary. I use sliced paneer as it is in my curry recipes, but for this one to make sure that the paneer is soft and is soaking of the curry, I roasted on pan until golden brown. I also used ghee and oil to make the gravy, which added a great flavor – it is an indulgence, and it is totally worth every minute spent. Serve it with any Indian bread, along with sliced onions and lemon wedge – you can bring the restaurant to your dining table without a doubt. Check out Dhaba Style Paneer Matar too!
How to make Dhaba Style Paneer Masala –
📖 Recipe
Dhaba Style Paneer Masala
Equipment
- Thick Bottomed Pan
- Non-stick Pan
MEASUREMENT
1 cup = 250ml, 1 tablespoon = 15ml, 1 teaspoon = 5ml
Ingredients
To Marinate and Pan Fry Paneer –
- 200 grams Paneer Cubed
- ¼ teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
- ⅛ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- Salt as needed
- 2 teaspoon Ghee or Oil
To make Dhaba Style Paneer Masala –
- 2 tablespoon Oil
- 1 teaspoon Ghee
- ½ teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 3 Dried Red Chilles
- ¼ teaspoon Asafoetida
- 2 Cloves
- 2 Green Cardamoms
- 2 Dried Bay Leaves
- 3 inch Cinnamon Piece
- 2 Large Onions Finely Chopped
- 2 Medium Tomatoes Pureed
- 1 teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste
- 1 tablespoon Besan/Gram Flour
- 2 Green Chillies Slit
- 3 tablespoon Thick Curd Whisked
- ½ tablespoon Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
- ½ teaspoon Cumin Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 2 teaspoon Kasoor Methi Crushed
- ½ teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
- Salt as needed
- Water as needed
- Fresh Coriander Leaves for Garnish optional
Instructions
- In a bowl add the paneer cubes along with red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt.
- Mix well and let it marinate for 20 minutes until rest of the preparation is done.
- In a thick bottomed pan, heat 2 tablespoon oil + 1 teaspoon ghee. Add cumin seeds, dried red chillies, cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon, bay leaves and asafoetida. Fry for a minute.
- Add finely chopped onions.
- Fry until the onions are golden brown. And then add ginger garlic paste.
- Fry for 2 minutes until there is no raw smell. Add all spice powders – Kashmiri red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and cumin powder.
- Fry for a minute and then add besan/gram flour. Roast it on low flame until it is golden and fragrant for 2-3 mins.
- Next add tomato puree – just pulse tomatoes until pureed.
- Add salt as needed and cook the gravy until the tomatoes are cooked.
- Now add whisked curd on low flame and quickly mix it to ensure there is no curdling.
- Add slit green chillies, continue cooking the gravy for 3-4 mins until it is thick.
- Meanwhile, heat a nonstick pan and heat 2 teaspoon ghee. Place the marinated paneer cubes, cook on low flame.
- As the bottom turns golden, gently flip them and cook on all sides until golden. Set it aside.
- To the gravy, add a cup of water (approx.) and bring it to a boil.
- Now add the shallow fried paneer along with any leftover ghee.
- Add crushed kasoor methi and mix it well.
- Now add garam masala powder and mix it, cooking on low flame.
- As it comes to a slow boil, cook it covered for 7-10 mins on low flame.
- The curry should be thick, creamy with oil/ghee oozing out from edges. Remove from heat, garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.
- Serve hot with any Indian flat bread and pickled onions.
Nutrition
Detailed step-wise picture recipe of making Dhaba Style Paneer Masala –
In a bowl add the paneer cubes along with red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt.
Mix well and let it marinate for 20 minutes until rest of the preparation is done.
In a thick bottomed pan, heat 2 tablespoon oil + 1 teaspoon ghee. Add cumin seeds, dried red chillies, cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon, bay leaves and asafoetida. Fry for a minute.
Add finely chopped onions.
Fry until the onions are golden brown. And then add ginger garlic paste.
Fry for 2 minutes until there is no raw smell. Add all spice powders – Kashmiri red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and cumin powder.
Fry for a minute and then add besan/gram flour. Roast it on low flame until it is golden and fragrant for 2-3 mins.
Next add tomato puree – just pulse tomatoes until pureed.
Add salt as needed and cook the gravy until the tomatoes are cooked.
Now add whisked curd on low flame and quickly mix it to ensure there is no curdling.
Add slit green chillies, continue cooking the gravy for 3-4 mins until it is thick.
Meanwhile, heat a nonstick pan and heat 2 teaspoon ghee. Place the marinated paneer cubes, cook on low flame.
As the bottom turns golden, gently flip them and cook on all sides until golden. Set it aside.
To the gravy, add a cup of water (approx.) and bring it to a boil.
Now add the shallow fried paneer along with any leftover ghee.
Add crushed kasoor methi and mix it well.
Now add garam masala powder and mix it, cooking on low flame.
As it comes to a slow boil, cook it covered for 7-10 mins on low flame.
The curry should be thick, creamy with oil/ghee oozing out from edges. Remove from heat, garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.
Serve hot with any Indian flat bread and pickled onions.
Note –
- Adjust spices as per preference.
- The gravy thickens up on cooling down, so add some water as needed and reheat it before serving.
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RAJESH N RATHOD
RUSTIC -YUMMY ,-MOUTH WATERING
Priyanka Haldar
Nice recipe. My family liked it 👍
Ramya
Thank you so much 🙂