Malai Paneer Curry, also known as Paneer Malai Curry, is a delicious and creamy paneer dish in which paneer cubes are cooked in fresh cream and gravy made of onion and other spices. In this dish, paneer cubes are cooked with onion, ginger, and garlic before being dipped in a silky, fresh-cream sauce.
Raise your hands if you like paneer; this dish is simple enough for you to try on the weekends. Though we are hard core non-vegetarian, but we like paneer and vegetables too. So I can enjoy a vegetarian lunch just as much as one that has meat or fish.
I immediately bookmark any new paneer recipes I come across, and if I get the time, I would absolutely make that particular paneer dish in my kitchen. After seeing this recipe of malai paneer curry on Chef Harpal Singh Sokhi's television show, I added it to my to-do list right away.
I noted the preparation time for this paneer dish wasn't too long. Moreover, the recipe uses items that are readily available. You just need a small tetra pack of fresh cream apart from the regular ingredients.
Ingredients Required for Malai Paneer Curry
Paneer: The key ingredient of this dish. However, you can either use store bought paneer blocks or make your own paneer at home.
Fresh Cream: Another key ingredient of this recipe is fresh cream which is called malai in Hindi. I use store bought tetra pack for this recipe. You can use homemade malai in this recipe. In case, if you want to reduce the quantity of the cream in the gravy, then use half quantity of fresh cream and replace remaining half with full fat milk.
Onion: The base of the gravy is made of onions. To add the onions in the gravy, I thinly slice rather than chop them.
Ginger & Garlic: Julienne the 1 inch ginger before adding it into the base gravy. I prefer mild garlic flavor in this gravy. Therefore added only few garlic pods.
Spice Powders: This recipe needs two simple spice powders such as turmeric and dried mango powder which is also known as aamchur.
Whole Spices: I have used bay leaf, black peppercorn, and cumin seeds in this recipe. Freshly crushed black peppercorns give nice aroma and taste to the gravy.
Oil: Use any vegetable oil that has a neutral flavor and taste.
How to make Restaurant Style Malai Paneer at home
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan and add sliced onions into it, sauté. Then, add the ginger and garlic and continue to sauté.
Add green chilli for a mildly spicy flavor. After that, add the turmeric powder and mix thoroughly. After a few minutes, turn off the gas and allow to cool the mixture.
Transfer the ingredients to a blender after it has cooled, add a half cup of water, and process until a paste forms.
Now heat the remaining oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds, a few peppercorns, and a bay leaf in the oil. Sauté for a few minutes. Then, add the ground paste and stir while maintaining a low heat at this stage.
Next add dried mango powder and salt. Combine well. Add approximately 1/2 cup more water at this point, followed by the cream, and whisk well.
Now add the paneer cubes and cook for an additional two to three minutes. Finally, turn off the gas and add some crushed black peppercorns as a garnish.
How to Serve Malai Paneer Curry
Malai paneer is served as a side dish with an Indian meal. I prefer to pair it with paratha, naan, or roti. You can serve this in addition to plain rice, jeera rice, or matar paneer pulao.
More Paneer Recipes
Restaurant Style Paneer Butter Masala
Restaurant Style Malai Paneer
Materials
- 200 gms Paneer Cut into 1 inch squares
- 3 no Onion medium
- 10-12 no Garlic Pods
- 1 inch Ginger cut in to julienne
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1-2 no Green Chilli
- 1 no Bay Leaf
- ½ teaspoon Black Peppercorn
- ½ teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- ½ teaspoon Dried Mango Powder
- ½-1 cup Fresh Cream use as required
- Salt to taste
- 3-4 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
Instructions
- Heat oil (2 tablespoon) in a pan and add sliced onions and sauté.
- Then, add the garlic and ginger and sauté.
- Next add green chilli for slight spicy flavor.
- Add the turmeric powder after that and combine thoroughly.
- After couple of minutes turn the gas off and let the mixture cool.
- After cooling transfer the mixture in a blender, add ½ cup of water and blend into a smooth paste.
- Heat the remaining oil in a different pan and add cumin seeds, a few peppercorns, and a bay leaf. Sauté for a few minutes.
- Then, add the ground paste and continue cooking on a low temperature.
- Next add dried mango powder and salt. Combine well.
- Add approximately 1/2 cup more water at this point, followed by the cream, and whisk well.
- Now add the paneer cubes and cook for an additional two to three minutes.
- Finally, turn off the gas and add some crushed black peppercorns as a garnish.
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