Aloo paneer recipe with step by step photos – an easy to prepare tasty curry made with potatoes and cottage cheese. It goes well with chapatis or rotis.
The recipe shared here is Punjabi aloo paneer masala with a creamy and tangy onion-tomato based gravy. I have added cashews to give some creaminess in the gravy. If you do not have cashews, then you can add blanched almonds. Even some cream can be added to the gravy.
Since this is a tomato-based gravy, do make sure to use ripe and red tomatoes. Avoid tomatoes which are very sour or sour. For a dairy-free recipe, you can add tofu instead of paneer.
You can serve aloo paneer with chapatis or paratha or pudina paratha and even cumin rice or peas pulao.
How to make aloo paneer
1. Firstly chop 1 medium onion, 2 medium to large tomatoes. ½ inch ginger, 2 to 3 small to medium garlic and 1 or 2 green chilies.
2. Then add all the chopped ingredients (onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic and green chilies) in a mixer or blender jar. Also, add 15 cashews. If you want you can soak cashews in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes and then add.
3. Blend or grind to a smooth paste without adding any water.
4. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan. Add 1 tej patta (Indian bay leaf).
5. Then add the ground onion-tomato-cashew paste. Be careful as the mixture splutters. So keep flame to low when adding this paste. Mix very well.
6. Keep a lid on the pan allowing some steam to pass out, as this masala paste splutters a lot. Do check at intervals if the masala paste has stopped spluttering or not and give a stir.
7. When the mixture stops spluttering, remove the lid.
8. Now add ¼ turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon coriander powder and ½ to 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder.
9. Mix very well and saute till you see oil releasing from the sides of the masala paste.
10. Now add chopped potatoes. Do chop 2 medium-sized potatoes in smaller size so that they cook faster.
11. Add salt as per taste.
12. Mix very well.
13. Add 1.5 to 1.75 cups water. For a medium consistency gravy or a slightly thinner version, add more water.
14. Cover the pan with its lid and cook the potatoes on a medium-low to medium flame. Do check while the potatoes are cooking and if required add water. Alternatively, you can also use a pressure cooker to save time. Add less water if cooking potatoes in pressure cooker.
15. Once done check the potatoes by sliding a fork or knife through a few pieces. The knife should slid easily. Once potatoes are cooked and gravy is done, you will see some oil specks on top of the gravy.
16. Add 200 grams paneer (cut in cubes).
17. Add ¼ teaspoon crushed kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) and ½ teaspoon garam masala powder . At this step you can also add 2 tablespoons fresh cream.
18. Mix very well and cook the paneer for a minute.
19. Lastly, add 2 to 3 tablespoons coriander leaves. Mix well.
20. Serve aloo paneer with chapatis, phulkas, parathas or naan. You can also have it with cumin rice or saffron rice. But this curry will go best with rotis or parathas.
More Paneer recipes
Aloo Paneer
INGREDIENTS
for grinding
- 1 medium onion - chopped or ⅓ cup chopped onion
- 2 medium to large tomatoes or 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- ½ inch ginger - chopped
- 2 to 3 small to medium garlic - chopped
- 1 or 2 green chilies - chopped
- 15 cashews
other ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 tej patta (indian bay leaf)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder (ground coriander)
- ½ to 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder
- 1.25 cups chopped potatoes or 2 medium potatoes or 4 small potatoes
- 1.5 to 1.75 cups water or add as required
- salt as required
- 200 grams paneer (cottage cheese)
- ¼ teaspoon kasuri methi - crushed
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 2 to 3 tablespoons coriander leaves
INSTRUCTIONS
preparation for aloo paneer
- Firstly chop 1 medium onion, 2 medium to large tomatoes, ½ inch ginger, 2 to 3 small to medium garlic and 1 or 2 green chilies.
- Then add all the chopped ingredients (onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic and green chilies) in a mixer or blender jar.
- Also add 15 cashews. If you want you can soak cashews in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes and then add.
- Blend or grind to a smooth paste without adding any water.
making aloo paneer
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan. Add 1 tej patta.
- Then add the ground onion-tomato-cashew paste. Be careful as the mixture splutters. So keep flame to low when adding this paste. Mix very well.
- Keep a lid on the pan allowing some steam to pass as this paste splutters a lot. Do check at intervals if the masala paste has stopped spluttering or not and give a stir.
- When the mixture stops spluttering, remove the lid.
- Now add ¼ turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon coriander powder and ½ to 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder.
- Mix very well and saute till you see oil releasing from the sides of the masala paste.
- Now add chopped potatoes. Do chop the potatoes in smaller size so that they cook faster.
- Add salt as per taste. mix very well.
- Add 1.5 to 1.75 cups water. For a medium consistency gravy or a slightly thinner version, add more water.
- Cover the pan with its lid and cook the potatoes on a medium-low to medium flame. Do check while the potatoes are cooking and if required add water. Alternatively, you can also use a pressure cooker to save time. Add less water if cooking potatoes in pressure cooker.
- Once done check the potatoes by sliding a fork or knife through a few pieces. The knife should slid easily.
- Once potatoes are cooked and gravy is done, you will see some oil specks on floating on top of the gravy.
- Add 200 grams paneer (cut in cubes).
- Add ¼ teaspoon kasuri methi, crushed and ½ teaspoon garam masala powder.
- Mix very well and cook the paneer for a minute.
- Lastly add 2 to 3 tablespoons coriander leaves. Mix well.
- Serve aloo paneer with chapatis, phulkas, parathas or naan.
NOTES
- Sauté the masala paste very well till you see oil releasing from the sides.
- Instead of cashews, you can use almonds. Soak almonds in hot water for 30 minutes. Later peel them and then add while grinding.
- If using kashmiri red chili powder or deghi mirch, then you can add upto 1 teaspoon. This makes the gravy slightly spicy and gives a nice orangish color.
- If using any other red chili powder, then add ½ teaspoon of it.
- If you plan to serve aloo paneer gravy with rice, then you can add some more water to make a medium to slightly thin consistency gravy.
- If you plan to serve this curry with chapatis or naan, you can add the amount of water mentioned in the recipe as this gives a slightly thicker gravy.
- Instead of paneer, you can use tofu.
- 2 to 3 tablespoons of fresh cream can also be added towards the end in the gravy.
- If the gravy tastes sour, then add ¼ to ½ teaspoon sugar or 2 to 3 tablespoons cream.
- Avoid using tomatoes which are too sour.
I love each and every recipe of urs….. mam u made me master chef of my family… especially pickle made with recipe of Gobi shalgam gajar pickle sweet and sour version is all time favourite recipe of everyone in my family
thank a lot jyoti. glad to read your comment and also for the fact that your family likes the recipes. thanks again and happy cooking.
great and innovative recipe!!
thanks.
hi..actually i hd made matar paneer masala paste instead of matar aloo paste so alternatively can i use matar paneer paste in matar aloo recipe
yes you can use the masala paste recipes interchangeably.
Amazing ????.
I love your yummy recipes, they are
Fantastic and awesome. ????????????
Thanks Shishir for your positive feedback on recipes.