Paneer Lababdar
Paneer lababdar is a rich and creamy Punjabi sabzi recipe, which can be found on many North Indian restaurant menus. Paneer lababdar is a popular recipe where paneer pieces are simmered in a rich onion, tomato, and cashew nut-based gravy with the addition of fresh cream, spices, and herbs. Paneer lababdar is a rich and creamy paneer sabzi, which goes well with roti, paratha, naan, or seasoned rice. Paneer lababdar is the most popular vegetarian recipe in many North Indian restaurants.
Ingredients
- 200 grams of paneer cut into cubes or any shape.
- 50-100 grams of paneer grated.
- 2 medium-sized onions roughly chopped.
- 2 medium-sized tomatoes roughly chopped.
- 1 bay leaf
- 2-3 green cardamoms.
- 1 cinnamon stick.
- 2-3 cloves.
- 2-3 dry red chillies or to taste.
- 7-8 black peppercorns or to taste.
- 10-12 cashew nuts.
- 6-7 garlic cloves.
- 1 inch ginger roughly chopped.
- 1 tsp sugar or to taste.
- 1 small onion finely chopped.
- 1 small tomato finely chopped.
- ½ tsp turmeric powder.
- 1 tsp coriander powder.
- ½ tsp cumin powder.
- Salt to taste.
- Water as required.
- 1 tsp dry roasted kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves).
- ½ tsp garam masala.
- ½ tsp red chilli powder or to taste.
- 3-4 tbsp of fresh cream.
- Some finely chopped coriander leaves
- 2-3 tbsp of cooking oil or ghee
- ½ tsp cumin seeds.
Instructions
- Take a pan and add 1 cup of water or just enough water to boil the tomatoes, onions, garlic, ginger, cashew nuts, and whole spices.
- Add roughly chopped tomatoes, roughly chopped onions, garlic cloves, chopped ginger, cashew nuts, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, green cardamoms, cloves, black peppercorns, salt to taste, dry red chillies, and sugar and mix all these ingredients well.
- Turn on the flame and let the water come to a boil on a high flame.
- When water comes to a boil, cover the lid and boil all these ingredients on a medium flame for 10-12 minutes or until tomatoes, onions, and cashew nuts are soft and well-cooked by stirring occasionally.
- Turn off the flame and let the mixture come to room temperature.
- When the mixture comes to room temperature, take a grinding jar and add in the mixture, discard the bay leaf.
- Grind this mixture into a smooth paste and keep it aside for later use.
- Take a kadai and turn on the flame.
- When kadai is hot, add 2-3 tablespoons of cooking oil or ghee.
- When oil is hot, add cumin seeds and let them crackle.
- Add finely chopped onions and saute the onions on a medium to high flame until onions are golden brown in colour.
- Add chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder, salt to taste, red chilli powder to taste, coriander powder, and cumin powder.
- Mix all these ingredients well, cover the lid and cook the tomatoes on a low to medium flame until tomatoes are soft and mushy by stirring often.
- Add the tomato, onion, and cashew paste that we made previously and mix well.
- Cook the masala on a low to medium flame for 8-10 minutes or until oil gets separated from the masala by stirring occasionally.
- When masala is well cooked, add water as required for gravy and mix well, check for the seasoning and adjust accordingly.
- Increase the flame and let the water comes to a boil.
- When water comes to a boil, cover the lid and simmer the gravy for 5-7 minutes by stirring occasionally.
- Add cubed paneer, grated paneer, garam masala, and kasuri methi and mix very gently.
- Cover the lid and simmer the curry for 3-4 minutes.
- Add fresh cream and mix well.
- Turn off the flame and add some chopped coriander leaves and mix well.
- Transfer this paneer lababdar to a serving bowl and serve hot with roti, paratha, naan, or with seasoned rice.
Notes
You may increase or decrease the quantity of ingredients depending on your taste and for how many people you are making for.