Chhaya RecipesFeatured
Restaurant-Style Achari Paneer
A delicious North Indian curry featuring soft paneer cubes cooked in a rich, tangy, pickle-inspired gravy. Made with freshly ground achari spices, mustard oil, yogurt, and aromatic herbs, this restaurant-style dish is bursting with bold flavors and pairs perfectly with naan, roti, paratha, or jeera rice.
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 3
Ingredients
Achari Masala:
- 2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- A pinch of fenugreek seeds
- 2–3 dried Kashmiri red chilies
- 2 tsp dry mango powder
- ½ tsp black salt
- A pinch of salt.
Paneer & Vegetables:
- 1 tbsp mustard oil
- A pinch of cumin seeds
- ¼ tsp nigella seeds
- 1 tbsp chopped garlic
- 2–3 sliced green chilies
- 300–350 g paneer (cubed)
- 1 tomato (diced)
- 1 capsicum (diced)
- 1 onion (petals)
- A pinch of salt
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
- A pinch of achari masala.
Gravy:
- 2 tbsp mustard oil
- A pinch each of cumin
- Nigella and mustard seeds
- 2 chopped onions
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic-green chili paste
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- 1 tbsp Kashmiri red chili powder
- ½ tsp red chili powder
- 1 tbsp coriander powder
- 2 tbsp achari masala
- 2 tomatoes puree
- ¾ cup whisked yogurt
- 2–3 tbsp fresh cream
- 1-inch ginger (julienned)
- A pinch each of crushed kasuri methi, garam masala and chopped coriander.
Method
- Dry roast all the whole spices for the achari masala until aromatic.
- Cool and grind with dry mango powder, black salt, and salt into a coarse powder.
- Heat mustard oil until smoking, then add cumin, nigella, garlic, and green chilies.
- Add paneer, tomato, capsicum, onion, salt, turmeric, chili powder, and a pinch of achari masala.
- Toss on high heat for 2–3 minutes and keep aside.
- In the same pan, heat mustard oil and temper cumin, nigella, and mustard seeds.
- Sauté onions until golden, then add the ginger-garlic-green chili paste.
- Add turmeric, chili powders, coriander powder, and achari masala.
- Sprinkle a little hot water and cook until the oil separates.
- Add tomato puree and whisked yogurt, stirring continuously. Cook until the oil separates again.
- Add hot water to make a semi-thick gravy.
- Finally, add the tossed paneer and vegetables, fresh cream, ginger, kasuri methi, garam masala, and coriander.
- Simmer for 2 minutes and serve hot with naan, roti, paratha, or jeera rice.
Indian Chef Chhaya Thakker, who has a huge following online on WhatsApp and YouTube will be sharing her favorite recipes and cooking tips with readers of The Times Kuwait. For feedback, you can write to editortimeskuwait@gmail.com
