Tangy Paneer

There aren’t too many people who don’t like (love) paneer – an Indian homemade cheese. You won’t be able to resist this colorful and simply delicious way to enjoy paneer. The combination of cumin, fennel, onion and mustard seeds puts a whole new twist on this protein packed dish! Try this recipe today!


Ingredients:

Paneer – Approx 14 oz, cut into strips
Tomatoes – 4-5 medium (1 lb), chopped finely
Green Bell Pepper – 1 large, cut into stips
Oil – 2 Tbsp
Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tsp
Cumin Seeds – 1/2 tsp
Onion Seeds (Kalonji) – 1 tsp
Fennel Seeds (Saunf) – 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
Ginger – 1 Tbsp, minced
Garlic – 1 Tbsp, minced
Green Chilies – to taste, finely chopped
Salt – to taste
Red Chili Powder – to taste
Dry Mango Powder (Amchur) – to taste, optional
Cilantro – finely chopped for garnishing

Method:

1. Heat Oil in a medium non-stick pan on medium heat.
2. Add Mustard Seeds and allow them to pop.
3. Add Cumin Seeds, Fennel Seeds, Onion Seeds and allow them to sizzle.
4. Add Turmeric Powder, Ginger, Garlic, Green Chilies and cook for 20-30 seconds.
5. Add Tomatoes and a little salt and cook covered (stirring frequently) until the Oil starts to separate from the mixture and tomatoes have cooked down completely.
6. Add Red Chili Powder and mix well.
7. Add Paneer and carefully mix until all the pieces are well coated. Additional Salt can be added at this time.
8. Add Bell Pepper, mix well, cover and cook for 3-4 minutes until bell pepper is cooked but not mushy.
9. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with chapati or roti.
10. Serves 4-5

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24 thoughts on “Tangy Paneer

  1. Hi friends,

    I tried this receipe few min back,I did some variation to it like I added the frozen colourful peppers so cooked for a little longer time,then added the paneer,little milk,and few crushed peanuts…it was looking like some Thai dish….but tasty.

  2. Hi Hetal and Anuja,

    I tried out this recipe two days back, and it was delicious! I didn’t have time to procure the onion seeds though, and I went ahead with the recipe. It turned out great anyway.
    I’m always scared of trying out paneer dishes as my store-bought paneer tends to harden as the dish cools down. I do soak it in warm, salty water before adding it to the dish, but it turns rock hard once the dish is cold. Is there something I can do about this? Although I’ve resolved to make home-made paneer next weekend, any inputs on the above issue would be really great!
    Thanks a bunch! Have a great day!

    Mash.

  3. Hi,
    I tried this dish for the first time and came out so well. My hubby really liked it a lot as he doesn eat much of paneer dishes. I did not have Kalonji so as the name is tangy paneer i just used a little of Chaat masala and it really gave that tangy taste. Thanks for the receipe

    Thanks
    Asma

  4. Hi Ladies,

    Was wondering if you absolutely need to add onion seeds? Will it change the flavor of the dish if I don’t add them? Not sure where to get them!

    Thanks!

    1. Hi Juanita,

      If you cannot find kalonji (onion seeds), you can leave them out. They do offer a pretty unique flavor and do not have a any good substitute. You can try your local Indian grocery stores – it is sure to have it.

      1. Thanks Hetal! I tried it out today (without kalonji) and it turned out yummy. I am sure with kalonji it might have tasted even yummier 🙂 The only issue I had was getting the water out of the tomatoes. It took forever even thought I kept stirring! This is the first recipe I have tried out from your website and I am super excited to have found it. You ladies rock! Keep up the great work!

        1. Hi Juanita,

          We’re glad you enjoyed the Tangy Paneer. Yes, it does take quite a while for the tomatoes to lose the water so you were on the right track. If you add a little salt, it usually helps to pull out the moisture from the tomatoes and evaporated faster (but still, it takes a while).

  5. Hi,I’m enjoying your recipes-on this one though,I could not make out the companion dishes you suggested-scientists claim our ears continue to grow as we age,but you certainly can’t prove that by MY hearing.Can you mention what those dishes are ahain,please?
    Thanks,
    Rob

    1. 🙂

      Tangy Paneer goes well with Tandoori Roti and Varan (Maharastrian Daal). We have both of those videos. Enjoy!

    1. Extra firm Tofu will be the best as it will retain it’s shape and not break up during the cooking process.

  6. Hello Hetal & Anuja,
    Hope u both are doing gr8.
    Awesome recipe..I tried came out wonderful.
    Can we use tofu instead of paneer?
    Thanks in advance for your reply.

  7. Didis,

    Could you please add more vegetable subji recipes? My family always enjoys the subjis at the Indian restaurants, but I have been unable to duplicate them: vegetable jalfrezi, etc.

    I love your website. Thank you so much!!!

  8. This is an excellent recipe. I tried it yesterday, taste was yummy. I would like to thanks for a wonderful recipe.

    Thanks again.

    Kamal

  9. hi,
    I tried this dish yesterday and it came out really yummy.I added all the coloured bell pepper and it looked beautiful.

    Thank u

    Shalini

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