Paneer do Pyaza is a crowd pleasing, quick to make dish which combines Paneer/ Indian Cottage and onions with a rich, smooth and delicious gravy to create an amazing curry dish ! Today we are making a quick gravy dish using Paneer and a few other ingredients which is sure to be loved by all age groups and takes just 20 minutes to make. This dish is also made using very little oil, making it perfect for weight watchers ! Lets make Paneer do Pyaza
Origins of Paneer do Pyaza
Paneer do pyaza (Paneer = Indian Cottage cheese, Do =twice, pyaza = onions) is a famous Indian dish. Now i am not sure about the real meaning of “do pyaza” but there are various interpretations . It could mean using twice the quantity of onions in the recipe or cooking onions two ways. One of the more strange interpretation i have heard is that this dish was invented by someone who went by the name Mullah Do piaza .
For me, do pyaza means “cooking onions two ways” and that is how i have been making this dish all these years.
To confess, I was not a huge fan of Paneer as a kid and my mother had a tough time finding ways to feed me some. Over the years, i have developed the taste for it and now that i make my own at home, i love it ! I find the taste of homemade Paneer so much better than the store bought. Use lemon juice to make your paneer. Use the nutritional whey water to knead your dough for naans and breads. I would blog about my recipe for homemade Paneer soon !
Paneer do pyaza – Cottage cheese cooked in rich gravy
Paneer do Pyaza - Indian Cottage Cheese with onions, cooked in gravy
Ingredients
- Paneer / Indian Cottage Cheese- 200 gms , cut into cubes
- 1 large onion, cut in cubes (roughly same size as Paneer), divided into 2 parts
- tomatoes – 2 large , roughly chopped
- 6-7 cashews, soaked in half cup of lukewarm milk for atleast half hour
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- Ginger- 1 inch, roughly chopped
- green chili- 1 medium , roughly chopped
- kasuri Methi (dried fenugreek), 1 tablespoon
- Ghee / Clarified butter, 1 teaspoons
- Salt to taste
- garam masala – 1 tsp
- sprig of coriander for garnish (optional)
Method
- Take half of chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, garlic, cloves, green chili and blend them together into a smooth paste in a mixie/food processor.
- Next, take a kadhai/ wok and put to flame. Add in the ghee and let it melt.Once the ghee is hot, add in the tomato onion paste and cook on medium high till the paste starts to thicken and leave ghee on the sides (about 10 mins)
- Now, add in 1 cup of water and mix well. Bring the mix to boil. At this point, add in the leftover chopped onions to the gravy and mix well. Cook for 5-7 minutes.
- Make a smooth paste of the cashews in milk and add this to the gravy. This will thicken the gravy.
- Add in the Kasuri methi. Add in the salt, garam masala and mix well. Taste the gravy and adjust spices to your liking.
- Lastly, add in the Paneer cubes and gently mix (be sure not to break the soft cubes).
- Switch off the flame and serve hot with sprinkle of fresh coriander on top. Serve over naan or with Indian flatbreads of your choice.
Easy isn’t it ? This dish takes less than half an hour to make and is enjoyed by everyone in my family. I use Ghee instead of oil and replace cream with cashews in the gravy to make it rich and taste gourmet. If you like Tofu better, switch Paneer with Tofu in this recipe and soak cashews in water to make this recipe vegan friendly. If you like a creamier dish, opt for Malai Paneer (made with cream added to whole milk while making ) in the recipe.
