Recipe card
Pudina paneer curry
Paneer is the best and most loved vegetarian meat substitute. We love to prepare paneer-based dishes a couple of times a week, and when I have a pantry filled with fresh herbs, we make this green curry. Hariyali paneer is different from palak paneer. Palak paneer is prepared using spinach leaves, while hariyali paneer is prepared using a combination of green leaves like pudina (mint) and coriander (dhania or cilantro). This dish is also known as pudina paneer curry, and the vegan version is called green curry with tofu. Hariyali paneer can be served with any Indian bread such as Naan, Roti, Chapati, or along with rice items such as steamed rice, Jeera Rice, or Ghee rice. Check out list of Indian bread and flatbreads that can be served with this green paneer curry. Paneer butter masala, Palak paneer, Kadai paneer are popularly found in any Indian restaurant menus. But this hariyali paneer, like pudina chicken, is a unique dish you can find only in a few dhabas. This dish is vegetarian and gluten-free and also can easily be made vegan. Also, check out the best Indian vegetarian dinner recipe ideas.
Ingredients
Paneer: Use homemade paneer or store-bought paneer to make this recipe. Pudina: Paneer and pudina go well, just like chicken and pudina. Based on how strong or mild you like, adjust the mint in the recipe. Coriander leaves: Another herb that is added is fresh coriander leaves (dhania or cilantro). Cashews: Makes your dish creamy and rich. Onion, Tomato, Garlic, Ginger: Basic ingredients that form a base for most Indian gravy or curry.
Step-by-step instructions
Make the green onion tomato paste
Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a pan. Add onion, ginger, garlic cloves, and sauté till onion and garlic cloves become translucent on medium flame and the rawness goes off completely. To this, add cashew nuts and a finely chopped tomato, and cook till the tomato softens. Switch off the flame and allow the mixture to cool down. To speed up the process, you can blend using ice-cold water. Transfer this onion-tomato mixture along with mint leaves, coriander leaves, and green chilies, approximately 1 cup water, and blend it to a smooth paste.
Making of paneer pudina curry
In the same pan, add 1 tablespoon oil and cubed onions. Sauté for a minute or 2 minutes on medium-high flame. Add the cubed tomatoes and sauté it for another 1 minute. Transfer this to a plate and set it aside. In the same pan, add the pureed paste, salt to taste, water for desired consistency, approx ½ cup, garam masala powder (start with ½ teaspoon and add more if required), and let the gravy come to a boil and thicken. Taste the gravy and adjust the salt accordingly. Once it’s thickened, add cream, sugar, paneer, sauteed onion, and tomato, and mix. Cook for 2 minutes. Switch off the flame. Serve and enjoy.
Chef Tips
If you are not a big fan of pudina or mint leaves, reduce the amount or sauté it with onion and tomatoes and then grind. Cashews can be substituted with almonds, or feel free to use half cashews and half almonds or melon seeds. If you are preparing this dish for kids or can’t tolerate the heat, deseed green chilies, reduce the number of chilies, or skip. Most Indian dishes like tikka masala and butter masala use whole garam masala spices. If you like it, you may add 1 bay leaf, 1 cinnamon stick, and 2 cardamom pods while sautéing onions, and then remove the bay leaf and cinnamon sticks just before blending it to avoid the strong flavor. I would not recommend reducing the number of garlic cloves as you are sautéing it in oil; it is only going to enhance the flavor of the dish and not give any pungent flavor. But make sure you saute it on medium flame till it turns golden in color. Based on the brand you are using, vary the amount of garam masala powder. You can substitute paneer with tofu for a vegan version, corn kernels, mushrooms, cauliflower, baby corn, potatoes, or soya chunks. Fresh cream, heavy cream, whipping cream any of these go well. But if you want to skip cream altogether, increase the number of cashews. You can use butter instead of oil for a richer version of this gravy.
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