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achari paneer recipe, how to make achari paneer masala recipe

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achari paneer recipe
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achari paneer recipe with step by step photos – creamy as well as robust flavored paneer gravy with achari masala or pickling spices.

paneer gravies are often made at home. i experiment and try making various gravies for paneer. i had experimented with achari paneer a couple of time before, but the results were not that great. i again tried making achari paneer some days back and this time the result was too good. so made it again and clicked the pics.

this is a really good achari paneer recipe. the robustness of the pickling spices or achari masala makes its presence felt without getting over powered. the light sourness of the fresh curd or dahi complements the flavors of the spices. the taste is similar to that of achari paneer tikka, but what you get is soft paneer pieces in a smooth creamy gravy. few more similar recipes on blog are:

  1. paneer tikka
  2. paneer tikka on tawa
  3. hariyali paneer tikka
  4. paneer tikka masala recipe.

if you are fond of pickles, you will like achari paneer. the recipe is also a no onion no garlic version. if you want, you can add onions and garlic.

achari paneer is best served with tandoori rotis, phulka, parathas or naan. accompany a side veggie salad by the side.

if you are looking for more paneer recipes then do check paneer 65, palak paneer, matar paneer, kadai paneer and paneer butter masala.

achari paneer masala recipe below:

achari paneer recipe

achari paneer recipe

achari paneer masala recipe - creamy as well as robust flavored paneer gravy with achari masala or pickling spices.

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course main course
cuisine north indian
prep time 15 minutes
cook time 30 minutes
total time 45 minutes
servings 4
author dassana

ingredients (1 cup = 250 ml)

pickling spices:

  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds (rai or sarson)
  • ½ teaspoon nigella seeds (kalonji)
  • ¼ teaspoon methi dana (fenugreek seeds)

other ingredients for achari paneer masala:

  • 200 to 250 grams paneer, choppped in cubes or squares (cottage cheese)
  • 1 cup fresh whole milk curd (dahi or yogurt) or 240 grams dahi
  • 1.5 teaspoon ginger-green chili paste (adrak + hari mirch ka paste) Or ½ inch ginger + 1 or 2 green chilies
  • 2 dry red chilies (sookhi lal mirch)
  • 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
  • 1 medium tomato chopped, about 1/3 cup tightly packed chopped tomatoes, 75 to 80 grams of tomatoes
  • 10 to 12 cashews or 2 tablespoon cashews or 2 tablespoon cashew powder
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
  • ½ teaspoon red chili powder (lal mirch powder)
  • ½ teaspoon coriander powder (dhania powder)
  • ¼ teaspoon cumin powder (jeera powder) - optional
  • 1 or 2 teaspoon of mango pickle masala (optional)
  • 1 to 1.5 tablespoon besan (gram flour)
  • ½ teaspoon kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
  • 3 tablespoon low fat cream
  • 2 tablespoon rice bran oil or sunflower oil or mustard oil or ghee
  • 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves (dhania patta)
  • 1 teaspoon chopped mint leaves (pudina patta)
  • salt as required

how to make recipe

roasting pickling spices:

  1. first take the achari or pickling spices in a pan - 1 tsp fennel seeds/saunf, 1 tsp cumin seeds/jeera, 1 tsp mustard seeds/rai or sarson, 1/2 tsp nigella seeds/kalonji and 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds/methi dana.
  2. heat the pan and on a low flame roast the spices till they are fragrant. don't brown them.
  3. once cooled, add the spices in a small dry grinder or spice grinder and grind to a semi fine powder.
  4. remove the achari masala powder and keep aside in a bowl.

making achari paneer masala:

  1. in the same grinder, add 10 to 12 cashews.
  2. grind to a fine powder. if oil releases while grinding then its fine.
  3. in a bowl, take 1 cup fresh whole milk curd/yogurt and whisk it till smooth. use fresh curd and not sour curd.
  4. heat 2 tbsp mustard oil or sunflower oil or ghee in a pan.
  5. on a low flame, add 2 dry red chilies and a generous pinch of asafoetida. saute for some seconds till the red chilies change color.
  6. then add 1.5 tsp ginger-green chili paste - about 1/2 inch ginger + 1 or 2 green chilies crushed to a paste in mortar-pestle. stir and saute till the raw aroma of ginger goes away.
  7. then add 1/3 cup tightly packed chopped tomatoes.
  8. stir and add 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp red chili powder, 1/2 tsp coriander powder and 1/4 tsp cumin powder (optional).
  9. again stir very well and saute the tomatoes till the tomatoes soften completely and become pulpy. you should also see oil releasing from the sides.
  10. now add the cashew powder. if using store brough cashew powder, then add 2 tbsp cashew powder. do check the shelf life of store brought cashew powder before adding.
  11. on a low to medium flame, stir and saute the mixture for 2 minutes after adding cashew powder.
  12. reserve 1 tsp of the ground achari masala and add the rest. stir very well.
  13. add 1 tbsp besan. we are adding besan so that the curd does not curdle.
  14. stir the besan very well and incorporate it into the rest of the masala.
  15. keep the flame on a low and add the beaten curd.
  16. as soon as you add the curd, begin to stir the mixture quickly and fast. stirring quickly, incorporate the curd well into the rest of the masala.
  17. add salt as per taste.
  18. simmer for 2 to 3 minutes on a low flame.
  19. add the paneer cubes. 200 or 250 grams paneer chopped in cubes.
  20. cook the paneer cubes for about 1 to 2 minutes.
  21. then add 3 tbsp low fat fresh cream and 1/2 tsp kasuri methi, which has been crushed. stir very well.
  22. switch off the flame and add 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves and 1 tsp chopped mint leave & stir again.
  23. while serving sprinkle the reserved achari masala from top and garnish with a coriander or mint sprig. serve achari paneer masala with tandoori rotis, chapatis or naan.


lets start step by step achari paneer recipe:

1. first take the achari or pickling spices in a pan. the five pickling spices in clockwise order are – 1 tsp fennel seeds/saunf, ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds/methi dana, ½ tsp nigella seeds/kalonji, 1 tsp cumin seeds/jeera and 1 tsp mustard seeds/rai or sarson.

spices for achari paneer masala recipe

2. heat the pan and on a low flame roast the spices till they are fragrant. don’t brown them.

spices for achari paneer masala recipe

3. once cooled, add the spices in a small dry grinder or spice grinder.

making achari paneer masala recipe

4. grind to a semi fine powder.

making achari paneer masala recipe

5. remove the achari masala powder and keep aside in a bowl.

preparing achari paneer masala recipe

6. in the same grinder, add 10 to 12 cashews.

cashews for achari paneer recipe

7. grind to a fine powder. if some fat releases while grinding then its fine.

cashews for achari paneer recipe

8. in a bowl, take 1 cup fresh whole milk curd/yogurt and whisk it till smooth. use fresh curd and not sour curd.

milk for achari paneer masala recipe

9. heat 2 tbsp mustard oil or sunflower oil or ghee in a pan. if using mustard oil, then allow it to smoke before you add the spices. for any other oil or ghee just lightly heat it. then lower the flame and add 2 dry red chilies and a generous pinch of asafoetida.

ghee for achari paneer masala recipe

10. saute for some seconds till the red chilies change color.

chillies for achari paneer masala recipe

11. then add 1.5 tsp ginger-green chili paste – about ½ inch ginger + 1 or 2 green chilies crushed to a paste in mortar-pestle.

paste for achari paneer masala recipe

12. stir and saute till the raw aroma of ginger goes away.

ginger for achari paneer masala recipe

13. then add ⅓ cup tightly packed chopped tomatoes.

tomatoes for achari paneer masala recipe

14. stir and add ¼ tsp turmeric powder, ½ tsp red chili powder, ½ tsp coriander powder and ¼ tsp cumin powder (optional).

spices for achari paneer recipe

15. again stir very well and saute the tomatoes till the tomatoes soften completely and become pulpy. you should also see oil releasing from the sides.

spices for achari paneer recipe

16. now add the cashew powder. if using store brought cashew powder, then add 2 tbsp cashew powder. do check the shelf life of store brought cashew powder before adding.

cashew powder for achari paneer recipe

17. on a low to medium flame, stir and saute the mixture for 2 minutes after adding cashew powder.

sauteing - making achari paneer masala recipe

18. reserve 1 tsp of the ground achari masala and add the rest.

ground achari masala for achari paneer recipe

19. stir very well. at this stage you can also add masala of a mango pickle. just take about 1 to 2 tsp of the masala from the mango pickle and add it.

achari masala for achari paneer recipe

20. add 1 tbsp besan/gram flour. we are adding besan so that the curd does not curdle. you can also add 1.5 tbsp of besan.

besan for achari paneer recipe

21. stir the besan very well and incorporate it into the rest of the masala.

making achari paneer masala recipe

22. keep the flame on a low and add the beaten curd.

curd for achari paneer recipe

23. as soon as you add the curd, begin to stir the mixture quickly and fast.

stir - making achari paneer masala recipe

24. stirring quickly, incorporate the curd well into the rest of the masala.

curd mixed with achari masala recipe

25. add salt as per taste.

salt added to achari paneer gravy recipe

26. simmer for 2 to 3 minutes on a low flame.

simmer achari paneer recipe

27. add the paneer cubes. 200 or 250 grams paneer chopped in cubes.

paneer for achari paneer recipe

28. cook the paneer cubes for about 1 to 2 minutes.

making achari paneer recipe

29. then add 3 tbsp low fat fresh cream and ½ tsp kasuri methi/dry fenugreek leaves, which has been crushed.

cream for achari paneer recipe

30. stir very well.

stir achari paneer recipe

31. switch off the flame and add 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves and 1 tsp chopped mint leaves. stir.

coriander for achari paneer recipe

32. while serving sprinkle the reserved achari masala from top and garnish with a coriander or mint sprig. serve achari paneer with tandoori rotis, phulka or naan.

achari paneer recipe




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Reader Interactions

{ 137 Responses }

  4. Should i use same measurements of ingredients if I hsve 180 gms of paneer ? Or should I half the measurements?

  5. Followed the instructions (only substituted whole milk dahi with slim dahi). It was delicious. I loved how all the masalas come together so well. It’s well spiced but not overpowering at all. Yum!

  7. Hello, I’m planning to try this one today. Can you please Confirm if mango pickle masala is just mustard seeds,chilli powder,turmeric powder,hing blended together in right proportions?

    • thanks khola. bookmark the page in your browser. you can also use our app and then save the pages in favorite section of the app. our app is available on both android and iOS. just search with the title ‘veg recipes of india’.

  9. Hello Dassana,

    I am big fan of your recipes and they have been hit on my all parties.
    This time I am going to try Achaari Paneer. I am a working woman and will not have time to cook fresh on day of party. I usually cook on evenings after work. Is it okay if I prepare achaari paneer gravy couple of days in advance and refrigerate it? I am planning to add paneer just hours before party after reheating gravy.
    Please suggest best way to do it.

    • thanks a lot jaspreet. you can easily make the gravy and refrigerate it. since curd is added, i would suggest to refrigerate for 1 to 2 days and not more. secondly add cream when you reheat the gravy. since the gravy will thicken after cooling, then you can add some water also while reheating it.

  10. Just tried this recipe today for my family… everybody just love it… thanks for providing such a great recipe

    • what is used in masala dabba, the size is usually 1/2 teaspoon, but can be 1 teaspoon also. teaspoons ranging from 1/4th to 1 teaspoon and 1 tablespoon are easily available online and also in super stores.

  12. All your recepies are gr8.. But when i tried your achari paneer recepie it got bitter , i don’t know why?? Is something wrong i did..

    • did you add methi seeds and dry methi leaves as per the measurements mentioned in the recipe. if even a slight amount is increased, the gravy will have bitter tones to it.

  13. Is there a substitute for kalonji ? I dnt have it handy at the moment but want to try this recipe 🙁

  15. Hey Dassana.. Thank u so much for sharing this recipe.. Because of your recipe I got the first prize during a competition! Thanx a ton ??????

  17. The best part about trying these recipes is that it makes a person like me, someone who had simply no interest in the kitchen finally believe that I too can handle the kitchen well. I made this preparation a few a days ago and my family loved it. A big thank you. 🙂

  18. Amazing recipe. I made this for my mom’s birthday and she was floored with the taste.
    I will never be able to thank you enough.

  19. hello,

    i am regular follower of your recipes and they are easy and awesome. last time when i cooked achari paneer from your recipe, it went awesome but this time slight bitter test is coming might be i added methi dana or kalunji twice. Can you suggest me how to rectify the same it it happen again.

    • manita, nice to know that you liked the achari paneer recipe. in that case you can add some more beaten curd and the sourness of the curd will balance the bitterness of the methi.

  21. I have been following your posts/recipes for quite some time now. They are very helpful. I always make manchurian as per your recipe. But I am facing a problem recently that pictures of your recipes do not load on to my phone. What could be the problem?

  22. Thank u so much 🙂 tried the recipe..came out awesome..
    Also..Can u please add the recipe for honey chilli potatoes..

  23. Hello!

    I tried this recipe one Sunday and it came out really well! Thank you for sharing such good recipes with us 🙂 The only thing was that there was a little bit of bitterness because of mustard seeds I guess. Rest was all awesome!

    • thankyou nirupama for trying the achari paneer. could be you must have kept the mustard seed for long time in the oil hence its become bitter. you are welcome 🙂

  24. Hey dassana.. gr8 recipe!! Wl b trying it out soon.. just have some doubts.. when u say at this stage u can add masala from mango pickle..u mean as an addition to the achari masala v prepared or instead of ?? Also..instead of the fresh cream at d end can v use malai instead wen v make d gravy and tomato puree instead of the cut tomatoes.. I find the flavour of tomatoes btr in my gravys wen used as puree

    • thanks. the masala from mango pickle is added along with the achari masala. you can add 1 tsp of the mango pickle masala. but if you want more strong pickle flavors, then you can 1 tsp more. yes you can add malai. just beat the malai with a spoon before adding. and also you can add tomato puree.

  25. Hello Dassana….last saturday i cooked achari paneer..it came out perfect…my husband likes to eat paneer & my achari paneer was so delicious that he gave me 95 marks out of 100 😉 u & all ur recipes r just awesome…my nxt try will b veg kadai gravy…i know it will also b a big hit…:-) 🙂 thnk u & God bless u ….:-)

  26. Achaari Paneer is a very delicious dish. It has a great combination of flavours and the taste is very unique and it’s very easy to make:)

  27. Awesome Recipe.. Will definitely gonna try this one..!! Yummy.. :P. Keep posting more recipes 🙂 I tried Methi Malai paneer recipe of yours and it was amazing. My friends liked it so much. Thanks.. 🙂

  28. This is the first recipe I tried from this site and its lovely….achari in true sense.

  29. hello mam,
    I love ur recipes and illustrations….you are angel send by god for non cook people like us((for me sure))…because of u I am a super sushil bahu((counted as)) 🙂
    I wanted to ask can we add masala from nilon/mother dairy mango pickle in step 19 ????

  32. Hello….
    Is it okay… if i make the gravy 3 hours before the dinner time n keep it in fridge. And later during dinner time i add paneer. As m worried if i make whole thing earlier and what if due to heat curd curry gets sour..

  33. Your website is the helping hand for me.. thanks for this wonderfull recipe.. Aachari Paneer… i also tried your eggless cakes n vada sambhar… it came out awesome… once again thanks

  36. Hi Dassana, sorry I have a query regarding your south indian mushroom biryani, but I could not seem to find the “Leave a Reply” boxes…so I am commenting here. I wish to know if that biryani can be made in a rice cooker? Normally what I do is fry the seasonings, add the rice and mix well, then cool it and transfer to a rice cooker. Wonder if the same would work for the mushroom biryani recipe? Please let me know, thanks.

    I really like your clear instructions and beautiful pictures. Am not a “natural” cook, but with your help, I am coping quite okay. Keep up with your good work 🙂

    • hi mala, you can easily make the south indian mushroom biryani in the rice cooker. since its not layered biryani, it will work in the rice cooker. thank you for your sweet words.

  38. very nice recipe
    Can you please post the recipe of spring rolls?
    thanks and you are doing a great job

  39. You have said mengo pickle masala to be used but which mengo pickle masala? Can you share that mengo pickle masala recipe?

  40. Hi Dassana, thanks for another wonderful recipe. I know this is Vegetarian food blog, however I was wondering if I make this recipe with chicken drumsticks, would I marinate it? It’s fine if you are unable to answer. Thanks

  41. Awesome piece of recipe ,very well defined and posted, easy to make and tastes good. Thanks for sharing such a delicious paneer variant.

  44. It came out perfect! Thanks for the recipe. Can you plz share restaurant style paneer kathi roll recipe, I have tried it many times but it doesn’t come like the ones we get outside.

  45. Absolutely loved this recipe. I think I even slept better after such a good dinner!
    I’m wondering if I can extrapolate this to a rice dish.. like Achari Pulav. I will try it this weekend!

    Thank you for rekindling my interest in cooking.. I have watched various videos, and followed a few other food blogs but this dedicated blog for vegetarian recipes means, I don’t have to skim through looking for veg options. I just pick one and go with it.

  46. Hey. I tried this recipe .. It turned out too sour maybe because of the curd … Can i add tomato ketchup to it? And you havent added even a pinch of salt to this?

    • you can add tomato sauce. you can also add some sugar to balance the sourness. the curd must have been too sour, hence the gravy has become too sour. i have added salt. its there in the step by step pics. its also mentioned in the recipe method details. i missed adding in the ingredients section, though.

  47. Thank you so much for the awesome recipe! I made it last weekend and got rave reviews from my boyfriend (and I too loved it!). I like this recipe because it’s fast to prepare, and has things I keep in the house (now that I got the kalonji). So I can make this one last-minute.

    I want to thank you for posting easy-to-follow Indian recipes with AWESOME pictures. I can’t tell you how much the pictures help, because I can tell if I got the consistency right. I am an American, and I didn’t grow up cooking Indian food, but with your help, I am able to cook wonderful tasty dishes.

  48. First of all wants to thank u, all your recipes are superb and this blog is just like my helping hand… Once again thank u.

  49. Made this today for dinner ! Finger licking it was ! Glad that I liked your page in fb 🙂 keep going Dassana.

  50. I tried this last night and it turned out superb. I didn’t expect mine to taste so good on the first try. I am officially a fan of yours now. Your recipes are always so easy to follow, especially with the pictures that you post. I even read all the comments, bcoz so many of them have useful tips from you. Thanks for posting these. 🙂

  51. Hello Dassana,

    Made your achari paneer on Saturday . It came out very well, the achari masala took it to a different level altogether. Just wanted to let you know that in the written description of the recipe, you have forgotten to mention the addition (optional) of the mango pickle masala. I too forgot to add it:)it still turned out really great. I think the recipe can be easily adapted to make Achari chicken or baby potatoes. It’s a keeper!

    • thanks you anu. good to know. yes i have forgotten to add. i will update. yes the same recipe can be made for any achari dish gravy. for chicken, you will need to marinate it in the curd and achari spices for a few hours or minimum for 30 minutes. for baby potatoes also, you can parboil them and then saute or shallow fry them. for less calories, just steam them till they are cooked well. but do remember to poke the potatoes with a skewer or toothpick, so that they absorb the masala flavors well.

  52. Hi Dassana,

    it is my first visit to your blog. You have explained in very well manner with all steps. Everyone who don’t know how to make achari paneer recipe, can eaisly make using your tutorial. I love your way how you crafted this post.

    Keep up your great work!

    Regards,
    Jyoti

  55. Simply awesome, Dassana!! Let me tell you this, I visit a lot of blog/websites & try out recipes, but so far your website is the best. Your recipes are foolproof & guaranteed to succeed..keep up the good work!!

  60. Your recipes are amazing. I am a non vegetarian but I h have started enjoying yr recipes, specially paneer ones. My son loves when I make yr paneer receipes.

  62. Amazing Dassana.. this Recipe looks so simple and yummy.. i will give a try this weekend and share the pics with you… ur amazing cook…

  63. This recipie looks so delicious can’t wait to try it out.
    All your recipes are so well explained that even a non cook like me is hooked. My kid just loved your quick strawberry mousse.
    Thank you!

  65. Very nice combination of all spices and the gravy what you have suggested.
    Can you please share the recipe of Paneer Tikka Masala (main Course) Restaurant style ?
    Paneer Tikka Masala (Starter) that you have shared is amazing recipe , I tried and everyone just loved it. Thankful to you 🙂

  67. hi,

    Can you post any receipe with soya chunks? Am looking for a side dish with that for chapati or roti.