Hindus consider cows and all their milky produce—cream, butter, and cheese—sacred. I can’t argue with that. Traditionally, this dish would be made with a few large slabs of golden butter; here I've swapped out that butter for cubes of paneer.
Ingredients
4 servings
Step 1
Put a tablespoon of oil into a large lidded frying pan over medium heat and, when hot, add the cubes of paneer. Fry for a couple of minutes until golden on all sides, turning regularly, then remove to a plate.
Step 2
Put the butter into the same pan over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and fry for around 10 minutes, until translucent and turning golden. Add the ginger and garlic, stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the crushed tomatoes. Cover with the lid and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until reduced to a lovely thick sauce.
Step 3
Add the fenugreek leaves, cinnamon, cloves, ground red chile, honey, and salt to the pan. Stir, then add the fried paneer, cover with a lid, and cook for 5 minutes, or until cooked through. Add the peas and cream and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Step 4
To serve, scatter with the almonds and drizzle with a little extra cream. This curry is perfect with steamed basmati rice.
Leave a Review
Reviews (13)
Back to TopI’ve made this too many times to count. My husband and I travel so I often make it, freeze it and reheat on the stove upon returning from a trip. It freezes beautifully and is our go to for a warm, home cooked meal.
Anonymous
MD
12/11/2021
Made as is, a little bland and too sweet for me unfortunately. Wouldn’t make again.
ritajoyholmberg6443
Vancouver, BC, Canada
4/5/2021
这是一个伟大的简单食谱,下次我想我'll half the cinnamon and use some garam masala. It tasted less spiced than I like my Indian food but it was still wonderful.
ellemnop
Los Angeles
12/5/2020
Meera is the BOMB. She is one of the best Indian chefs to come out of the UK. Meera if you read this, I love you and my husband loves me more because of your recipes!! This dish is exceptional. Is it low calorie? No. If you are calorie counting, stay clear of paneer. Is it so delicious you want to lick the pot? YES. One tip I learned from an old Madhur Jaffrey cookbook. With store bought paneer, it comes packaged so tight and is super hard when you cut it ope. First cut into cubes. Then, let soak in hot boiled water for 15 to 20 mins. DO NOT BOIL the paneer. Simply put the cubes in boiled water and let soak. This step is a game changer when using store bought paneer. Be sure to do this BEFORE you brown it in oil. If you don't have time to brown it - no problem, or you can even skip that browning step after soaking and dump the softened paneer into the dish. It doesn't melt. It holds shape and is more like 'fresh' paneer.
bns727
Chicago
11/25/2020
I made it in my Instant Pot! First time my husband tried Paneer and he loved this dish. Easy and delicious!
sglesne
Mount Vernon, WA
10/24/2020
This was delicious! I used half the recommended amount of honey because my husband doesn't like overly sweet/savory dishes, but other than that stuck to the recipe. I did have to periodically add a little water to the sauce while cooking because my crushed tomatoes were very thick. I put a dollop of greek yogurt on top and would have garnished with cilantro if I'd had it on hand. All in all a wonderful dish that satisfies both my carnivore husband and vegetarian daughter. I will probably make this monthly, at least.
Anonymous
Seattle, WA
9/15/2020
This is actually 3.5 stars. Tasty and easy! Also reduced the butter as well as added a little more honey.
n_crutcher6157
Canada
6/25/2020
Easy and delicious! I made my own paneer (very easy - just milk and lemon juice). I reduced the honey to about 1 tsp and will just skip it next time. I also added a bit of garam masala. I agree that it makes closer to 6 servings. (I cut the recipe in half and it easily served my family of 3, with a little left over for lunch the next day.)
emilyg65
PA
5/4/2020
This is a very tasty dish and one that would lend itself to all sorts of combinations of vegetables and even the addition of meat. I made the recipe as posted, although couldn't find paneer at my local grocery, so substituted a mexican frying cheese instead. The cubed cheese did brown, but also melted into a giant gooey mass, which fortunately I could break up with a spoon after adding it back into the sauce. This was a delicious dish I will definitely make again!
Anonymous
Key West
2/9/2020
This is heavenly. Made without onions, just 2 TB butter, and couldn't get my hands on fenugreek leaves, but it was still amazing (I did add 1 tsp ground fenugreek seed even though it's not the same). Next time I'll slightly reduce the honey (I found it a little sweet, maybe due to my changes) and I'll probably make it with tofu more often than I make with paneer. This will become a regular in my house.
Anonymous
Colorado
2/6/2020
Yum! The toasted almonds and cilantro (recommended by previous reviewer) are a must.
Anonymous
Baltimore, MD
2/6/2020
Delicious! I did make a few changes just for health reasons and it was so, so good. I added a sweet potato, replaced the cream with oat milk and used riced cauliflower instead of basmati rice.
Teachmesomething
California
1/20/2020
Delicious! Will definitely be adding this to our regular rotation. Added cilantro as a garnish (which I highly recommend) but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. Makes closer to 6 servings than 4.
Anonymous
Boston, MA
1/13/2020
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