Make World’s Most Searched Paneer Dish; Recipe Inside

New Delhi: Paneer pasanda is one of the most searched dishes on google list. It is a rich and delicious recipe of shallow-fried stuffed paneer sandwiches in a smooth, creamy onion-tomato-based gravy. This is a restaurant-style paneer pasanda recipe.

Paneer Preparation

• 8 squares Paneer pieces each square is 2.25-inch thick square
• ½ cup Crumbled Paneer
• ½ teaspoon Kashmiri Red chilli powder
• ½ teaspoon Garam masala powder
• ½ teaspoon Coriander powder (sukha dhaniya)
• ½ teaspoon Cumin powder
• 3 tablespoons Crumbled Khoya/Mawa
• 1 tablespoon Cashews
• 1 tablespoon Almonds
• 1 tablespoon Chopped Cilantro leaves
•  Salt to taste

Cornflour Slurry

• 3 tablespoons Cornflour
• 1½ tablespoon Water

Paneer Pasanda Gravy

• 2 tablespoons Ghee
• 2 – Bay leaves
• 2 – Whole Black Cardamom
• 3-4 – Cloves
• 2 – Green Cardamom
• 1 medium Onion cubed
• 2 small Tomatoes chopped
• ½ inch Ginger peeled and sliced
• 6-7 cloves Garlic pods
• 2 small Green chili
• 1.5 tablespoons Cashews soaked for 30 minutes, drain
• 1 tablespoon Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
• 1½ teaspoons Kashmiri Red chili powder
• ¾ teaspoon Haldi (Turmeric powder)
• 1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
• 1 tablespoon Kasoori methi/ dried fenugreek leaves
• Salt to taste

Paneer Preparation

• Cut paneer into 2.5-inch squares.
• Make a deep lengthwise slit in the paneer and ensure that you don’t accidentally cut through the paneer.
• Repeat the process with the rest of the paneer pieces.
• Combine paneer with cilantro, spices, mawa, almonds, and cashews in a food processor.
• Pulse and grind the ingredients into a fine powder.
• Add milk and mix until the mixture becomes wet.
• The paneer stuffing should be moist, not runny; therefore, add milk slowly.
• Take a paneer cube. Gently apply the paneer-nut stuffing inside the slit.
• After that, press the paneer cubes firmly. Repeat the process with the rest of the paneer squares.
• Prepare cornflour slurry – Combine cornflour and water in a bowl. Mix until lump-free.
• Heat oil in a pan. Dip each stuffed paneer cube in the cornflour slurry until it is coated well.
• Once the oil is moderately hot, slowly add the dipped paneer into the pan. Shallow fry the paneer cubes until lightly golden.
• Remove from oil and drain them on a kitchen paper towel.
• Repeat the process with the rest of the paneer squares. Perfectly sealed paneer squares are ready. Set them aside.

Gravy Preparation – Cooktop Version

1. Melt ghee over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed pan. Once the ghee starts to melt, add chopped onions to the pan. Sauté until the onions turn translucent. Add ginger and garlic to the onions. Sauté the ginger and garlic for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
2. Add cashews to this mix. Cook cashews for 2-3 minutes over medium heat, stirring intermittently.
3. Now add chopped tomatoes to the pan. Sauté the tomatoes with onions + cashews. Set the flame to the lowest setting and cover the pan. Allow the mixture to simmer over low heat until the tomatoes are soft and tender.
4. Once the tomatoes are soft, uncover the pan. Take it off the heat and allow the masala to cool.
5. Once cooled, transfer this mix to a blender. Puree the cooled masala in the blender until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
6. Heat a heavy-bottomed pan or Kadai over medium heat. Add butter and oil to it. As the butter starts to melt, add bay leaf, cinnamon, green cardamom, black cardamom, and cloves to the pan.
7. Sauté for a few seconds until the whole spices are fragrant. Now add Kashmiri red chili powder to the whole spices.
8. Mix until fully combined. Do not cook for long or the chilies will burn. Next, add the butter gravy back to the pan.
9. Mix until the sauce is fully blended.
10. It’s time to season our masala. Add the coriander powder, turmeric, sugar, garam masala powder, and salt to the masala.
11. Stir around a while until the spices are well blended in the gravy. Cook for another 1-2 minutes on medium heat. Keep stirring.
12. Now add water to the butter masala gravy. Depending on the consistency you like, add water slowly. If you prefer a thick gravy, add less water than recommended in the recipe.
13. Add the paneer triangles to the simmering gravy. Cover and cook for another 3-4 minutes or until the paneer is soft. Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves and serve hot with jeera rice.