Dhaba style paneer masala is a paneer curry that is super easy to make for a weeknight dinner and also delicious enough to make for a dinner party. It is perfect served with rotis, naan or rice.
Dhabas are roadside eateries in Northern India. You can find them mostly on the highways, serve as truck stops and serve local delicacies. Dhabas serve vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.
Tandoori chicken is the most popular non-vegetarian dhaba dish and while Dal Makhani is very popular among the vegetarian dishes, several paneer recipes are also equally popular and so are seasonal recipes like sarson ka saag.
Paneer curries are easily the most versatile curries to add to any Indian dinner or lunch menu. They go with most everything and the protein rich paneer is very wholesome and filling too.
If you love paneer and are looking for more paneer curry recipes, paneer tikka masala, shahi paneer, palak methi paneer, matar paneer and palak paneer are personal favorites.
Why you will love this recipe
- It is an easy recipe that uses minimal ingredients, all from a basic Indian pantry
- It is extremely flavorful and delicious.
- This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled
Ingredients for Dhaba Style Paneer Masala
- Paneer - use your favorite brand of store bought paneer or you can use homemade paneer too. I LOVE Appel Farms brand, it is so soft and there is no need to put the paneer in hot water before use to soften it.
- Red onion - dice the red onion so it is easier for it to soften while sauteing and becomes a part of the sauce
- Tomatoes - medium Roma tomato is what I have used. Any tomato, other than heirloom or cherry tomatoes can be used. In a pinch, use a jar or pureed tomatoes. But fresh tomatoes make the curry taste so much better.
- Spices - basic spices from an Indian pantry are used in this recipe. Cumin seeds, cinnamon sticks, bay leaf, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, ground coriander and garam masala. Fresh Thai green chillies are also added to give that unique flavor and heat from them to this paneer masala recipe.
- Aromatics - ginger garlic paste is the basic aromatic added to a lot of Indian curries. Crush fresh ginger and garlic together or use a ready to use ginger-garlic paste found in Indian grocery stores.
- Heavy cream - a touch of heavy cream is added at the end to round off the flavors.
- Kasuri methi - dried fenugreek leaves / dried methi leaves are so aromatic and ups the flavors in any curry.
- Oil and salt
Method
Marinate the paneer
Slice the paneer into medium sized rectangular blocks. In a small bowl, add paneer, ground turmeric, red chilli powder, salt and some oil. Toss to mix well and keep aside.
Make the onion-tomato sauce
In a Dutch oven or a heavy bottomed pan, heat the oil over medium high heat.
Add the cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon stick and slit green chillies to the hot oil. Give it a quick stir.
Add the diced onion to this and saute till the mixture starts to turn golden brown.
To the onion, add the crushed ginger and garlic and saute for a couple of minutes till the raw smell of garlic disappears.
Add the spice powders and salt and saute for a minute or so.
To this mixture, add pureed tomato and a little water from the washed out tomato puree in the blender jar. Add a tablespoon of besan (chickpea flour) to this. Mix well right away so as to not have clumps of besan.
Add some kasuri methi. Let this cook over medium heat for a few minutes. Meanwhile, heat a little oil in a saute pan and add the marinated paneer pieces to this. Let it fry up a little in the oil, flip to get it evenly fry on all sides or at least the two bigger sides.
Add this paneer to the Dutch oven with the onion tomato sauce. Taste check for salt and add some more if needed. Add a little heavy cream and garam masala and mix it all in.
Let it simmer on medium heat for another 2 mins to blend everything in and for the paneer to absorb the sauce into it.
Serving Suggestions
This dhaba style paneer masala is best served with naan, rotis or rice.
Leftovers hold good and can be heated in the microwave or on the stove top. If it gets a little too thick, add a little heavy cream to thin out the sauce.
You may also love these other paneer recipes
📖 Recipe
Dhaba Style Paneer Masala
Ingredients
For the paneer marinade
- ½ lb paneer cut into rectangular blocks
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tsp avocado oil
For the Onion- Tomato Masala Sauce
- 2 tablespoon avocado oil or butter, for a more authentic dhaba style taste
- 2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 3 Thai green chillies slit
- 1 large red onion diced
- 2 medium tomatoes pureed
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 3 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon besan
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon kasuri methi
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
Marinate the paneer
- Slice the paneer into medium sized rectangular blocks. In a small bowl, add paneer, ground turmeric, red chilli powder, salt and some oil. Toss to mix well and keep aside.
Make the onion-tomato sauce
- In a Dutch oven or a heavy bottomed pan, heat the oil over medium high heat.
- Add the cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon stick and slit green chillies to the hot oil. Give it a quick stir.
- Add the diced onion to this and saute till the mixture starts to turn golden brown.
- To the onion, add the crushed ginger and garlic and saute for a couple of minutes till the raw smell of garlic disappears.
- Add the spice powder and salt and saute for a minute or so.
- To this mixture, add pureed tomato and a little water from the washed out tomato puree in the blender jar. Add a tablespoon of besan (chickpea flour) to this. Mix well right away so as to not have clumps of besan.
- Let this cook over medium heat for a few minutes. Meanwhile, heat a little oil in a saute pan and add the marinated paneer pieces to this. Let it fry up a little in the oil, flip to get it evenly fry on all sides or at least the two bigger sides.
- Add this paneer to the Dutch oven with the onion tomato sauce. Taste check for salt and add some more if needed. Add a little heavy cream and garam masala and mix it all in.
- Let it simmer on medium heat for another 2 mins to blend everything in and for the paneer to absorb the sauce into it.
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