Kashmiri Lal Paneer Recipe (Lal Chaman)
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Are you bored with your usual paneer curries? Then give them a break and try this easy and flavorful Kashmiri Lal Paneer. It can be served with phulka or rice for everyday meals.
As paneer is one of the vegetarian ingredients that almost everyone loves, I am sharing a few more delicious paneer recipes that you can try at home: Paneer Butter Masala, Paneer Ghee Roast, Matar Paneer, Paneer Tikka Masala, and Paneer Korma.
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Our trip to Kashmir was filled with breathtaking landscapes, warm hospitality, and unforgettable food. One dish that truly captured the essence of Kashmiri cuisine was Lal Paneer, also called lal chaman in the local language, a vibrant red paneer curry known for its rich flavors and beautiful color from Kashmiri red chilies.
We first tasted it in a local restaurant overlooking the Dal Lake, and it instantly became one of our favorite meals from the trip. The soft paneer simmered in a fiery red, spiced gravy was comforting and delicious.
Ever since returning home, making Kashmiri Lal Paneer brings back memories of the serene valleys, snowy peaks, and the soulful flavors of Kashmir.
Laal paneer is similar to the other popular Kashmiri dishes but is made without milk or yogurt. The goodness of aromatic whole spices and fragrant spice powders makes this simple dish flavorful.
Ingredients
- Paneer – You can use homemade paneer or buy it from any Indian grocery store. Soak the store-bought paneer in warm water for 10 minutes to soften it. To make vegan curry, you can use tofu pieces instead of paneer.
- Whole Spices – This recipe uses whole spices such as cumin seeds, bay leaves (tejpatta), green cardamom (hari elaichi), cloves (laung), and cinnamon (dalchini). When added to hot oil, they leave a beautiful aroma and flavor to the dish.
- Mustard Oil – This recipe is traditionally made in mustard oil, which gives it a beautiful, authentic taste. You can use any cooking oil if you prefer not to use mustard oil.
- Hing (asafetida) adds a beautiful flavor to the curry, so do not miss it. If you want the recipe to be gluten-free, then you can avoid adding it.
- Spice Powders – You will need spice powders such as ground fennel (saunf), ground ginger (saunth), Kashmiri red chili powder, and coriander powder to enhance the flavors.
How To Make Kashmiri Lal Paneer
Step 1: Wash 200 g paneer with water and cut it into 2-inch pieces. Keep them aside. Stir together the following ingredients in a bowl.
- 2 tablespoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoon ground fennel
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
Step 2: Add ¼ cup of water to the bowl and mix until a paste forms. Set aside.
Step 3: Heat 4 tablespoon mustard oil in a pan over high heat.
Step 4: Once the mustard oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium. Add the paneer pieces to the pan.
Step 5: Fry the paneer pieces from all sides until nicely browned. Keep flipping them while frying.
Step 6: Remove the paneer pieces from the pan and add them to a bowl filled with 2 cups of water. Set aside.
Step 7: Add the following ingredients to the oil in the same pan and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds.
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon asafetida
- 2 whole bay leaves
- 2 cloves,
- 2 whole green cardamom
- 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick
Step 8: Reduce the heat to low. Add the spice paste to the pan and mix well.
Step 9: Cook for 2 minutes on low heat until the oil separates from the sides of the pan. Increase the heat to medium. Now add the water in which we soaked the paneer and 1 teaspoon salt, and bring the curry to a boil.
Step 10: Add the fried paneer and cook for 10 minutes. Check for salt and add more if needed.
Note: The curry looks orangish at this stage, but after some time, the oil will float on top and it will look dark red.
Step 11: Serve hot with rice.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this easy and delicious Kashmiri lal paneer with steamed rice or Kashmiri Pulao.
You can also serve it with Phulka or Plain Tawa Paratha with raita or salad on the side for your everyday meals.
Storage Suggestions
This laal paneer curry will last in the fridge for 2 to 3 days when stored in an air-tight container. Reheat it in a pan or in the microwave until it’s nice and warm.
Other Kashmiri Recipes We Recommend
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Kashmiri Lal Paneer Recipe (Lal Chaman)
Ingredients
- 200 grams paneer
- 4 tablespoons mustard oil (or any other cooking oil)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon asafetida (hing) (skip for gluten-free)
- 2 whole bay leaves (tejpatta)
- 2 cloves (laung)
- 2 green cardamoms (hari elaichi)
- 1 inch piece of cinnamon stick (dalchini)
- 2 tablespoons Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger (saunth)
- 2 teaspoons ground fennel (saunf)
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
Instructions
- Wash paneer with water and cut it into 2-inch pieces and keep them aside.
- Stir together Kashmiri red chili powder, ground ginger, ground fennel, and coriander powder in a bowl.
- Add ¼ cup of water to the bowl and mix to make a paste. Set aside.
- Heat mustard oil in a pan over high heat.
- Once the mustard oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium.
- Add the paneer pieces to the pan and fry them from all sides until nicely browned. Keep flipping them while frying.
- Remove the paneer pieces from the pan and add them to a bowl filled with 2 cups of water. Set aside.
- Add cumin seeds, asafoetida, bay leaves, cloves, green cardamoms, and cinnamon stick to the oil in the same pan and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Add the spice paste to the pan and mix well.
- Cook for 2 minutes on low heat until the oil starts to separate from the sides of the pan.
- Increase the heat to medium.
- Now add the water in which we soaked the paneer and salt and bring the curry to a boil.
- Add the fried paneer and cook for 10 minutes.
- Check for salt and add more if needed. Serve hot with rice.
- Note – The curry looks orangish at this stage but once you keep it for sometime, the oil will start to float on top and it will looks dark red.