Paneer labadar is a delicious, rich, creamy paneer gravy that’s also surprisingly light. The flavors are warm, buttery, slightly tangy, and mildly sweet paneer lababdar is very similar to paneer butter masala.
This Paneer labadar gravy is very easy to make. And tastes exactly like the restaurant one. If you are a fan of paneer, then this is a recipe you absolutely must try.
This is truly a dish that you will always love to make for special days or festival days.
Paneer labadar is made with onions, tomatoes, nuts, and a mixture of whole and ground spices. The result is a creamy and flavourful deep orange gravy. Perfectly apt to make for festive or special occasions.
INGREDIENTS FOR PANEER LABADAR
For Paste:
- 10 Cashew Nuts, soaked in water for 15-20 minutes
- 3 medium Tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped Ginger
- 5 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
- 2 pods cardamom
- 4 cloves
- ½ cup water
Other Ingredients
- 2 tsp butter
- 2 tsp oil
- 1/2 piece of Bay Leaf
- 1-inch cinnamon
- 1 medium Onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Red Chili Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
- ½ tsp coriander powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup water
- 300 g paneer cubes
- 100 g grated paneer
- 1 teaspoon Kasuri methi
- 2 tablespoon finely chopped Coriander Leaves, for garnishing
INSTRUCTIONS FOR PANEER LABABDAR
Paste:
- Take a pan over medium-high heat.
- Add tomatoes, cashews, chopped ginger, chopped garlic, cardamom, cloves, ½ cup of water
- Simmer this mixture on low heat.
- Cook until the tomatoes are softened.
- Allow this mixture to become cool completely at room temperature.
- Transfer all of the ingredients to a grinder or blender jar.
- Grind or blend to a smooth paste. There should not be any cashews or tomato chunks in the paste.
- Set this ground tomato-cashew-spices to paste aside.
Sautéing onions and tomato paste:
- Heat 2 tsp butter and 2 tsp oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
-
Saute bay leaf, and cinnamon until it turns aromatic.
- Add finely chopped onions.
- Then continue to saute as well as stir and cook until the onions become light golden or golden on medium-low to medium heat.
- Add the tomato-cashew-spices paste. Stir and mix thoroughly.
-
Keep the flame on low and add red chili powder, garam masala, coriander powder, turmeric powder, and salt.
- Sauté until you see fat leaving the sides of the masala paste. The masala will also look glossy and shiny.
- Then add 1 cup of water to the perfectly sauteed masala. Mix very well.
- Reduce flame to low and cook for 3-minutes.
- Stir in 300 g paneer cubes, and 100 g grated paneer. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Gently mix and switch off the heat.
- Then sprinkle 1 teaspoon Kasuri methi and add 2 tbsp cream Mix again gently very well taking care that the paneer cubes do not break.
- Turn off the flame and transfer the prepared curry to a serving bowl. Garnish it with coriander leaves and serve.
Serving Suggestions for paneer labadar
Paneer lababdar goes very well with Indian flatbreads, including roti, naan, or pudina paratha. Also, this creamy gravy can be served with jeera rice or vegetable pulao.
Serve it as a main curry dish for lunch or dinner with chapati or butter naan. It also tastes well with steamed rice and papad.
You can also make heavy cream swirls on top before serving. Thin down the cream with a few drops of water for easy drizzling.
You can add a dollop of butter on top of the hot curry just before serving.
Tips and Variations:
- If you don’t have dried fenugreek leaves, don’t use them.
- First, adding cream is not required. Nevertheless, it aids in obtaining the restaurant’s flavour.
- Additionally, use heat until the masala paste releases its oil. This contributes to a tasty flavor.
- In addition, adding grated paneer to the gravy gives the curry a richer, creamier flavour.
- Finally, make paneer lababdar using handmade paneer that is fresh and juicy.
Nutrition
Calories | 442kcal |
Carbohydrates | 18gm |
proteins | 14g |
sodium | 207mg |
potassium | 336mg |
sugar | 9g |
Vitamin A | 1045IU |
Vitamin C | 15mg |
Fat | 35g |
Iron | 1.3mg |
Also read: Balushahi Recipe (Perfect & Delicious)
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