Paneer pasanda is made with light golden-fried paneer slices stuffed with mashed paneer, crushed dry fruits, mint and coriander leaves, coated in a maida and corn flour batter. It is served with a rich and creamy gravy poured on top which consists of an onion-tomato paste comprising cashew nuts, green chilies, and a variety of whole spices as well. A special powdered spice mixture in ginger-garlic paste is also added along with butter, fresh cream, curd, sugar and several other aromatic spices. Follow my recipe to learn the steps to make paneer pasanda at home.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Paneer pasanda is a very popular dish in North India.
- Serve it with tandoori roti, plain roti, paratha, naan, kulcha or puri.
- Paneer pasanda tastes slightly spicy, sweet, creamy, earthy and savory.
- Other similar recipes are malai kofta, shahi paneer, paneer lababdar, paneer makhani, paneer kofta masala, and Mughlai paneer korma.
The Ingredients:
To prepare the paneer pieces and paneer stuffing:
- 200 grams paneer (cut into large, relatively thick pieces)
- 100 grams paneer (mashed or grated)
- ½ tsp salt
- 5 pieces almonds (crushed)
- 4 pieces cashew nuts (crushed)
- 6 pieces raisins (kismis, cut into small pieces)
- Fresh mint (a handful, finely chopped)
- Fresh coriander (a handful, finely chopped)
- 3 pieces green chilies (chopped)
- ¼ tsp garam masala powder
- ½ tsp sugar powder
To make the batter:
- 2 tsp corn flour
- 1 tsp refined wheat flour (maida)
- Turmeric powder (a pinch)
- Water as much as required
To coat the stuffed paneer pieces:
- Corn flour (as much as required)
To make the spice mixture:
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp red chili powder
- ½ tsp coriander powder
- ¼ tsp cumin powder
- Water as much as required
To make the onion and tomato paste:
- 4 pieces onions (diced roughly)
- 1 piece tomato (large, roughly diced)
- 2 pieces green chilies (slit from the middle)
- 12 pieces cashew nuts (soaked in warm water for half an hour, broken)
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 piece bay leaf (small)
- 1 piece black cardamom (whole pod)
- 2 pieces green cardamom (whole pods)
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
- 2 bowls water
To make the gravy:
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 10 grams butter
- 2 pieces bay leaves
- 1 piece black cardamom (whole pod)
- 1 piece green cardamom (whole pod)
- Salt to taste
- 2 tsp curd (whisked)
- 2 cups water
- ¼ tsp garam masala powder
- ¼ tsp dry fenugreek leaves (Kasuri methi, roasted, crushed)
- 1 tbsp butter (or ghee)
- 1 tbsp fresh cream
- ¼ tsp sugar
To deep fry the stuffed paneer slices:
- Cooking oil (as much as required)
I learned to make this dish from a friend of mine who is a chef in a local restaurant. We usually buy this dish from there to have at home but one day my husband suggested, why don’t I learn it from my friend so we can have that restaurant like food at home, but at a lower cost. So, I called him up one day and I sort of insisted he teach me the recipe. He sent me the whole recipe via a WhatsApp message.
When I cooked it for the first time at home following the instructions exactly, the dish really tasted just like the ones from the restaurant. My two sons were so happy to get that restaurant flavor at home, and they hugged me and kissed me to show their gratitude and love. It was a wonderful moment of happiness for me. I called my friend again, not only to thank him, but also to tell him about my kids’ reaction!
How to Make Paneer Pasanda? (Step by Step Guide with Images)
Step 1: Cut 200 grams of paneer into large, relatively thick pieces and mash or grate 100 grams of paneer separately. Mix ½ tsp of salt with the mashed paneer.
Step 2: Crush 5 pieces of almonds and 4 pieces of cashew nuts, cut 6 pieces of raisins (kismis) into small pieces, and chop a handful of fresh mint, fresh coriander, and 3 pieces of green chilies.
Step 3: Add the dry fruits followed by chopped mint leaves, coriander leaves, green chilies and ¼ tsp of garam masala powder to the mashed paneer. Mix them nicely.
Step 4: Add ½ tsp of sugar powder. Mix again. Stuff the paneer slices.
Step 5: Make a batter with 2 tsp of corn flour, 1 tsp of refined wheat flour (maida), a pinch of turmeric powder and water.
Step 6: Coat the four corners of the stuffed paneer pieces with the batter and whole of them with corn flour.
Step 7: Roughly dice 4 pieces of onions and slit 2 pieces of green chilies from the middle. Also take 12 pieces of cashew nuts, break them and soak them in warm water for half an hour.
Step 8: Fry a small piece of bay leaf, one whole black cardamom and 2 pieces of whole green cardamom in 1 tbsp of cooking oil for 5 seconds on a medium flame. Add the diced onions, slit green chilies, and soaked broken cashew nuts. Fry for a minute on a high flame until soft. Add ¼ tsp of turmeric powder.
Step 9: Add a large piece of roughly diced tomato with salt to taste. Add 2 bowls of water and bring to a boil and then let it cook for 15 minutes on a medium flame.
Step 10: Make the masala mixture with 1 tsp of ginger-garlic paste, ¼ tsp of turmeric powder, ½ tsp of red chili powder, ½ tsp of coriander powder, ¼ tsp of cumin powder and as much water as required to make it runny.
Step 11: Remove the bay leaf and black cardamom from the onion and tomato mix. Blend it in a mixer when cool.
Step 12: Fry 2 pieces of bay leaves, 1 piece of whole black cardamom and a whole green cardamom in a mixture of 1 tbsp of cooking oil and 10 grams of butter on a medium flame for 10 seconds. Add the masala mixture and cook until dry and grainy.
Step 13: Add the onion and tomato paste. Stir and cook on a medium flame until bubbles are seen. Add salt to taste and cook for 5 minutes until the oil separates.
Step 14: Add 2 tsp of whisked curd and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 cups of warm water. Cook and check the consistency.
Step 15: Add ¼ tsp of garam masala powder, ¼ tsp of roasted and crushed dry fenugreek leaves (Kasuri methi), 1 tbsp of butter, and 1 tbsp of fresh cream. Mix and add ¼ tsp sugar.
Step 16: Heat an adequate amount of cooking oil and fry the stuffed paneer pieces on a medium flame. Keep a spatula underneath so that the paneer pieces do not stick to the bottom.
Step 17: Flip and remove after a minute or two.
Step 18: Put them on a plate laid with tissue paper to absorb excess oil. Cut them into small triangular pieces when cool. Pour the gravy on top.
Step 19: Your tasty and creamy homemade paneer pasanda is ready.
Recipe Card
Paneer Pasanda
Ingredients
To prepare the paneer pieces and paneer stuffing:
- 200 grams paneer cut into large relatively thick pieces
- 100 grams paneer mashed or grated
- ½ tsp salt
- 5 pieces almonds crushed
- 4 pieces cashew nuts crushed
- 6 pieces raisins kismis, cut into small pieces
- Fresh mint a handful, finely chopped
- Fresh coriander a handful, finely chopped
- 3 pieces green chilies chopped
- ¼ tsp garam masala powder
- ½ tsp sugar powder
To make the batter:
- 2 tsp corn flour
- 1 tsp refined wheat flour maida
- Turmeric powder a pinch
- Water as much as required
To coat the stuffed paneer pieces:
- Corn flour as much as required
To make the spice mixture:
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp red chili powder
- ½ tsp coriander powder
- ¼ tsp cumin powder
- Water as much as required
To make the onion and tomato paste:
- 4 pieces onions diced roughly
- 1 piece tomato large, roughly diced
- 2 pieces green chilies slit from the middle
- 12 pieces cashew nuts soaked in warm water for half an hour, broken
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 piece bay leaf small
- 1 piece black cardamom whole pod
- 2 pieces green cardamoms whole pods
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
- 2 bowls water
To make the gravy:
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 10 grams butter
- 2 pieces bay leaves
- 1 piece black cardamom whole pod
- 1 piece green cardamom whole pod
- Salt to taste
- 2 tsp curd whisked
- 2 cups water
- ¼ tsp garam masala powder
- ¼ tsp dry fenugreek leaves Kasuri methi, roasted, crushed
- 1 tbsp butter or ghee
- 1 tbsp fresh cream
- ¼ tsp sugar
To deep fry the stuffed paneer slices:
- Cooking oil as much as required
Instructions
- Cut 200 grams of paneer into large relatively thick pieces and mash or grate 100 grams of paneer separately. Mix ½ tsp of salt with the mashed paneer.
- Crush 5 pieces of almonds and 4 pieces of cashew nuts, cut 6 pieces of resins (kismis) into small pieces, and chop a handful of fresh mint, fresh coriander, and 3 pieces of green chilies.
- Add the dry fruits followed by chopped mint leaves, coriander leaves, green chilies and ¼ tsp of garam masala powder to the mashed paneer. Mix them nicely.
- Add ½ tsp of sugar powder. Mix again. Stuff the paneer slices.
- Make a batter with 2 tsp of corn flour, 1 tsp of refined wheat flour (maida), a pinch of turmeric powder and water.
- Coat the four corners of the stuffed paneer pieces with the batter and whole of them with corn flour.
- Roughly dice 4 pieces of onions and slit 2 pieces of green chilies from the middle. Also take 12 pieces of cashew nuts, break them and soak in warm water for half an hour.
- Fry a small piece of bay leaf, one whole black cardamom and 2 pieces of whole green cardamoms in 1 tbsp of cooking oil for 5 seconds on a medium flame. Add the diced onions, slit green chilies, and soaked broken cashew nuts. Fry for a minute on a high flame until soft. Add ¼ tsp of turmeric powder.
- Add a large piece of roughly diced tomato with salt to taste. Add 2 bowls of water and bring to a boil and then let it cook for 15 minutes on a medium flame.
- Make masala mixture with 1 tsp of ginger garlic paste, ¼ tsp of turmeric powder, ½ tsp of red chili powder, ½ tsp of coriander powder, ¼ tsp of cumin powder and as much as water required to make it runny.
- Remove the bay leaf and black cardamom from the onion and tomato mix. Blend it in a mixie when cool.
- Fry 2 pieces of bay leaves, 1 piece of whole black cardamom and a whole green cardamom in a mixture of 1 tbsp of cooking oil and 10 grams of butter on a medium flame for 10 seconds. Add the masala mixture and cook until dry and grainy.
- Add the onion tomato paste. Stir and cook on a medium flame until bubbles are seen. Add salt to taste and cook for 5 minutes until the oil separates.
- Add 2 tsp of whisked curd and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 cups of warm water. Cook and check the consistency.
- Add ¼ tsp of garam masala powder, ¼ tsp of roasted and crushed dry fenugreek leaves (Kasuri methi), 1 tbsp of butter, and 1 tbsp of fresh cream. Mix and add ¼ tsp sugar.
- Heat an adequate amount of cooking oil and fry the stuffed paneer pieces on a medium flame. Keep a spatula underneath so that the paneer pieces do not stick to the bottom.
- Flip and remove after a minute or two.
- Put them on a plate laid with tissue paper to absorb excess oil. Cut them into small triangular pieces when cool. Pour the gravy on top.
- Your tasty and creamy homemade paneer pasanda is ready.
