Recipe- Dhaba Style Paneer Masala

Dhaba style paneer is a lip-smacking spicy paneer masala, prepared in an onion-tomato base with lots of spices and curd.

Most Dhaba recipes specially Punjabi dhaba recipes are very popular among travelers because of the rustic local spices they use and the speed of service like fast-food restaurants. These roadside dhabas are mostly open for 24 hours, not only visited by drivers and travelers but also liked by common people for their unique tasty food.

Ingredients

300 g paneer
¼ tsp salt
1/ tsp chilli powder
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp pepper
1 green chilli
4 garlic pods
1 inch ginger
1 onion
2 tomatoes
8 cashews
1 tsp ghee
1 bay leaf
2 cinnamon
1 cardamom
1 tsp chilli powder
¾ tsp coriander powder
1 tsp salt
¾ cup curd
1 cup water
1 tsp Kasuri methi dried fenugreek
¼ tsp garam masala
1 tbsp butter

Method

* Cut paneer into an inch size cubes.

* Add some salt and chilli powder, mix well with fingers and keep aside.

* In a mixer jar, take cumin seeds, whole black peppercorns, green chillies.

* Also add onion, ginger and garlic.

* Grind everything together as a paste and keep aside.

* Grind tomatoes and cashews into a fine paste and keep ready. You may soak the cashews for 15 mins before grinding to get a smooth paste.

* Usually, I don't soak them as my mixer is efficient enough to grind them thoroughly. Please soak for best results.

* Heat a pan with some oil, place the paneer cubes and fry them for two minutes. Fry both the sides to golden color and remove them to keep aside in a plate.

* To the same pan with leftover oil, add ghee(optional) and heat.
Saute bay leaf, cinnamon and cardamom followed by onion masala paste(paste no:1).

* Now saute well for few to minutes until the raw smell of onion and garlic disappear completely.

* Add paste no 2, the tomato and cashews paste and stir with the cooked onion paste.

* Cook tomato for five minutes until oil separates on the top layer.

* Add chilli powder and coriander powder with the masala.

* Now add salt and thick beaten curd and mix well in simmer mode.

* Also, pour a cup of water, mix well to get a creamy base gravy.

* Cover and cook this for three minutes on low heat.

* Add the paneer cubes we kept aside and mix with the masala.

* Let the paneer cook in the masala for a few minutes to absorb the spices.

* Crush a tsp of Kasuri Methi (dried fenugreek)leaves, add along with garam masala.

* Finally, add a blob of butter(optional to get authentic dhaba style).

* Serve with hot naan, roti, Phulkas, jeera rice, ghee pulav etc.