Delicious paneer curry loaded with onions; this paneer do pyaza recipe is easy to prepare and pairs well with roti and rice. Check out my crowd-pleaser recipe for paneer do pyaza with step-wise pictures.
Earlier I had shared avocado roti, and how can I miss sharing a perfect side dish for the roti? While there are so many sides for roti, kurma and paneer-based curries are our all-time favorites. Today I will share one of my favorite paneer curries – paneer do pyaza.
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Being a food blogger, as much as you share new recipes, you will also learn new recipes, and this paneer do pyaza is one such recipe that I started making after entering the world of food blogging. Here is my version of paneer do pyaza loaded with onions.
Easy paneer curry
Paneer is the Indian cottage cheese. “Do” here means “two”, and “pyaz” means “onion”. It’s a paneer curry with double the amount of onions. Some also say that we add onions at two different stages. My version is a combination of both. I have used finely chopped onions and shallots for the curry base and onions chopped as petals which I added along with paneer.
This paneer do pyaza is an easy recipe like my Schezwan paneer pockets, Kolhapuri paneer masala and paneer curry with pasta sauce. The ingredient list might sound lengthy, but the procedure is straightforward and effortless. We don’t need to grind anything. Once you have onions chopped, you can make this curry in no time.
Ingredients required
Onions and shallots: I have used both shallots and onions for this paneer recipe. You can skip the shallots. You need approx 175 to 200 grams of onion. As mentioned above, I chopped 100 grams of onion finely and 75 grams of onion into petals/wedges.
Paneer: I went with an equal measure of paneer and onion. You can use homemade paneer or store-bought paneer.
Tomato paste: While you can use fresh tomatoes, I went with tomato paste just for convenience’s sake. It also adds that nice color to the gravy. You can use tomato puree or fresh tomatoes too. Refer notes for the tomato puree/tomato measure.
Spices: We need the usual Indian spices for that flavor. I have used red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, and turmeric powder.
Cream: I used heavy whipping cream, and two to three tbsp is more than sufficient for that rich and creamy flavor. You can also use whole milk or reduced-fat milk to cut down on calories.
Apart from these ingredients, we also need salt, ginger garlic paste, sugar, water, and dried fenugreek leaves, aka kasoori methi.
Please check the recipe card for detailed measurements.
How to make paneer do pyaza
- Heat a pan or kadai and add 1 tsp of oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion petals and saute until it turns slightly soft. Transfer it to a plate and set them aside. Ensure to retain the crunch and not overcook the onion petals.
- In the same kadai, add the paneer cubes and saute them till it turns light golden brown. This step is optional, though. Transfer it and set it aside.
- Add the remaining 2 tsps of oil to the kadai and when it is hot, add the finely chopped shallots, onions, and ginger garlic paste. Saute until the onions turn soft and translucent.
- Mix the 2 tbsp of tomato paste with ½ cup of water and add it. Also, add all the spices – red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, salt, turmeric powder, and garam masala.
- Add ¼ more cup of water, and over medium-low heat, cook this onion-tomato-spice paste for about 8 to 10 minutes or until the raw smell of the spices goes off. Please do not leave this mixture unattended and keep mixing it every two to three minutes.
- Now add the sauteed onion petals and paneer. Mix well.
- Add the cream and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Next, add the sugar and crushed fenugreek leaves. Mix and cook again for a couple of minutes.
- Finally, add some cilantro and turn off the heat.
- Serve hot with rice or roti of your choice. You can add one more tbsp of cream on top before serving.
Recipe notes
- As always, adjust the salt and spices to taste.
- My paneer do pyaza is not a runny gravy curry. You can thin down the consistency by adding a little extra water or cream.
- Instead of tomato paste, you can add ½ to ¾ cup of store-bought or homemade tomato puree. Alternatively, you can use two medium-sized fresh tomatoes as well. Make sure you cook the tomatoes to a nice mushy consistency.
- Sugar is optional.
- If you find the store-bought paneer hard, you can soak it in hot water for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Dietary specifications and serving suggestions
Paneer do pyaza is a vegetarian, gluten-free, and nut-free curry. I have provided some options in the variation section. Please check them out.
You can serve this paneer curry with jeera rice, roti, or paratha. So far, I have refrigerated this curry for two days.
Vegan variations
We are using paneer and cream in this recipe. Instead, you can use tofu or mushroom in place of paneer, and instead of cream, you can use cashew cream, cashew paste, or hemp heart paste. The cream is not mandatory, and you can skip it. You can make a similar curry with okra, popularly known as bhindi do pyaza.
Explore more paneer recipes
PS: If you try this paneer do pyaza, please don’t forget to comment and rate this recipe. If you have any questions, please leave a comment, and I will get to it ASAP. Follow me on my Pinterest for more healthy and delicious ideas! Follow me on Instagram or join my Facebook Group for more recipe updates! You can also sign-up for my newsletter for weekly updates.
📖 Recipe
Paneer Do Pyaza Recipe
Ingredients
Measurement Details: 1 cup= 240ml; 1 tbsp = 15ml; 1 tsp= 5ml;
- 3 tsp oil divided
- 75 grams onion cut into petals
- 175 grams paneer half of 12 oz pack
- 5 shallots peeled
- 100 grams onion finely chopped
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- ¾ cup water divided
- 2 tsp red chili powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- ½ tsp garam masala
- 1.5 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tbsp heavy whipping cream +1 tbsp optional
- 2 tbsp cilantro
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp dried fenugreek leaves/kasoori methi
Instructions
- Heat a pan or kadai and add 1 tsp of oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion petals and saute until it turns slightly soft. Transfer it to a plate and set them aside. Ensure to retain the crunch and not overcook the onion petals.
- In the same kadai, add the paneer cubes and saute them till it turns light golden brown. This step is optional, though. Transfer it and set it aside.
- Add the remaining 2 tsps of oil to the kadai and when it is hot, add the finely chopped shallots, onions, and ginger garlic paste. Saute until the onions turn soft and translucent.
- Mix the 2 tbsp of tomato paste with ½ cup of water and add it. Also, add all the spices – red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, salt, turmeric powder, and garam masala.
- Add ¼ more cup of water, and over medium-low heat, cook this onion-tomato-spice paste for about 8 to 10 minutes or until the raw smell of the spices goes off. Please do not leave this mixture unattended and keep mixing it every two to three minutes.
- Now add the sauteed onion petals and paneer. Mix well.
- Add the cream and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Next, add the sugar and crushed fenugreek leaves. Mix and cook again for a couple of minutes.
- Finally, add some cilantro and turn off the heat. Serve hot with rice or roti of your choice. You can add one more tbsp of cream on top before serving.
Notes
- As always, adjust the salt and spices to taste.
- My paneer do pyaza is not runny gravy curry. You can thin down the consistency by adding little extra water or cream.
- Instead of tomato paste, you can add ½ to ¾ cup of store-bought or homemade tomato puree. Alternatively, you can use two medium-sized fresh tomatoes as well. Make sure you cook the tomatoes to a nice mushy consistency.
- Sugar is optional.
- If you find the store-bought paneer hard, you can soak it in hot water for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.
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