Paneer Pasanda/Stuffed Cottage Cheese In Creamy Gravy
Paneer Pasanda is a very delightful and exotic dish made with dry fruits stuffed fried paneer sandwiches, served with aromatic, rich and creamy onion-tomato based gravy. This recipe is everyone favorite as the name suggest “Pasanda” which means every one’s favorite. Yes this recipe takes quite of time is not for daily cooking.
So to ease the recipe you can make sandwiches in advance, a day before, refrigerate, soak in warm water for few seconds just before serving. Voila!! You are good to go. Enjoy with Tandoori, Naan or Jeera rice.
Step by Step Instructions with Photos
For Paneer Sandwiches
- Finely chop raisin, cashew, chili and ginger.
- In a bowl add all chopped ingredients along with crumbled or grated paneer, salt and approx. 2 Tbsp. of green chutney.
- Mix well and keep aside.
- Slice the paneer in equal size square pieces. Now slice each square into two halves gently making triangle pieces.
- Divide the stuffing into equal part and place the stuffing on half of the paneer triangle.Slice the paneer in equal size square pieces. Now slice each square into two halves gently making triangle pieces.
- Cover gently with remaining slices.
- In a bowl mix ¼ cup of corn flour with 4 Tbsp. of water to make paste. In plate spread some corn flour.
- Heat oil in a pan. Lightly coat each sandwich with dry corn flour and then dip the sandwiches in the batter to coat from all sides. Use a spoon to coat the sandwiches.
- Place the coated sandwiched in medium hot oil and deep fry till lightly golden brown.
- Drain on absorbent paper. Keep aside
For Onion Tomato Paste
- Heat oil in a Pan/Kadai. Add cumin seeds, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. When cumin starts spluttering add chopped onions and sauté till translucent.
- Add ginger garlic paste and sauté till raw smell disappears.
- Now add the chopped tomatoes, cashews, green chili and cook till tomatoes are soft and gooey.
- Once cool, grind the mixture into a smooth paste. Keep aside.
For making Paneer Pasanda Gravy & Serving
- Heat oil in pan/Kadai. Add the onion-tomato paste and sauté for a while.
- Add turmeric powder, chili powder and garam masala and sauté for a minute.
- Stir in yogurt very well and simmer the gravy on a low flame till oil specks on the top. If the gravy splutters a lot, cover the pan with lid and cook.
- Now add kasuri methi and finely chopped coriander leaves along with salt and sugar.
- Finely stir in the cream and cook till everything is mixed evenly. Do not cook for long as the cream will curdle. Gravy is ready.
- For serving you can either place the paneer sandwiches in the gravy or place the sandwiches in a serving tray and pour gravy from the top.
- Garnish with cream or coriander leaves.
- Serve mouth melting Paneer Pasanda hot with Naan, Tandoori or Jeera Rice.
Recipe Card
Mix vegetable is really a good way to add variety of vegetable to your meal. This north Indian curry recipe is a very easy, simple yet tempting preparation made with choices of colorful vegetable, paneer served with creamy tomato, onion and cashews based gravy.
- 250 g Paneer/Cottage cheese
- 2-3 Tbsp. Crumbled or grated paneer
- 1 Tbsp. Raisin (chopped)
- 2 Tbsp. Cashews (finely chopped)
- 1-2 Green chili (finely chopped)
- ½ Tsp. Ginger (grated)
- 2 Tbsp. Green chutney or Fresh mint & coriander
- Salt to taste
- ¼-½ cup Corn flour
- 4 Tbsp. Water to make corn flour paste
- Oil (for frying)
- 2 Tbsp. Oil
- ½ Tsp. Cumin seeds/Jeers
- 1 inch Cinnamon
- 2 Cardamom
- 2 Cloves
- 2 medium/1 cup Onion (chopped)
- 1 Tbsp. Ginger garlic paste
- 4 Tbsp. Cashew
- 3 medium/2 cup Tomato (chopped)
- 2 Tbsp. Butter/oil
- ¼ Tsp. Turmeric powder/Haldi
- ½ Tsp. Kashmiri red chili
- ¼ Tsp. Garam masala
- ¼ cup Yogurt/Curd
- 1 Tsp. Dry fenugreek leaves/ Kasuri methi
- ¼ Tsp. Sugar
- Salt to taste
- 2 Tbsp. Coriander, chopped (for garnishing)
- 4-6 Tbsp. Cream
In a pan/kadai heat 1 Tbsp. of oil. Add in chopped tomato, cashew with 1 cup of water, cover and cook on a medium flame for 10-15 minutes. Cook till tomatoes are soft, stirring occasionally. Switch of the flame and keep aside to cool completely.
Once cooled, blend the tomato mixture into smooth puree. Keep aside.
Wash and chop the vegetable into preferably equal size & similar shape pieces.
Heat the 3-4 Tbsp. of oil in a deep pan to pan fry vegetable. You can deep fry vegetable or can totally skip frying. I have fried vegetable with very less oil. To the heated oil fry potato, carrot, cauliflower, onion one after one on a medium high flame for 3 to 4 minutes or till the vegetables turn light brown in color. Drain on kitchen paper towel and keep aside
At last fry paneer cubes. Add more oil if required. Keep aside.
Parboil peas and dice capsicum.
Now in same pan heat 3 Tbsp. of butter/oil.
Add in cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and bay leaf.
When cumin sizzles add chopped onion and ginger garlic paste and sauté for 5-7 minutes or until raw smell disappears.
Next add in pureed tomato-cashew mixture, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 8 to 10 minutes or till the oil begins to separate, while stirring continuously.
Add the chili powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and garam masala mix well and cook on a medium flame for 2-3 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
Next add in green chili, pea and diced capsicum, salt and ½ cup of water. Sauté for few minutes.
Season the gravy with salt and pinch of sugar, add kasuri methi and 2 Tbsp. of chopped coriander. Sauté the gravy for more 2-3 minutes.
Now add in fried vegetable and paneer, mix well, cover & cook on a medium flame for 8-10 minutes, while stirring occasionally. Cook until everything cooked and tender. Add few spoons of water if required.
Finally add in cream, mix everything well and stir the curry for 1-2 minutes.
Switch off the flame and garnish with remaining chopped coriander.
Serve hot with Indian bread, Naan, Chapatti or Rice.
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