Paneer Do Pyaza Recipe (Restaurant Style)
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Paneer Do Pyaza is a rich North Indian curry made with soft paneer cubes and twice as many onions, cooked in a spiced tomato-based gravy. The dish comes from Mughlai cuisine and is known for its balance of sweetness (onions) and bold spices. If you want a restaurant-style paneer recipe at home, this version gives you that glossy gravy, layered flavor, and perfect texture, without complicated steps.
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Whenever I make a full Indian vegetarian spread, paneer has to be a part of it. Palak Paneer, Paneer Korma, and Paneer Masala are the most popular ones. Last weekend, for a dinner party, I made this paneer do pyaza recipe. It was loved by everyone as well.
Do (pronounced as ‘though’) means two in Hindi, and pyaza means using pyaz (onions). This do pyaza paneer sabji uses onions in two different ways during cooking, which is why it’s called do pyaza.
You would find Paneer Do Pyaza on many Indian restaurant menus. But you can easily make it at home using very common ingredients, including paneer, onions, tomatoes, and spices.
You would love this curry as it is very easy to make and is perfect to make for Indian festivals, house parties, and home dinners. It has always gotten me many compliments whenever I make it.
I like to serve this delicious paneer curry with Indian breads such as phulka, tandoori roti, butter naan, or lachha paratha. You can choose any other bread that you like. It also pairs well with jeera rice or veg pulao.
Ingredients
To Saute The Paneer
- Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese) – You can buy any good local variety of paneer or use homemade paneer. In the US, you can buy it from an Indian grocery store. These days, larger supermarkets like Walmart and Costco also carry this.
- Other Ingredients – You will need oil, ghee, crushed coriander seeds, crushed fennel seeds (saunf), and onions from your home pantry.
To Make The Curry
- Whole Spices – They bring a lot of flavor to this recipe. I used cumin seeds, cloves (laung), cinnamon stick (dalchini), bay leaves (tejpatta), black cardamoms (badi elaichi), and dry red chilies.
- Spice Powders – You will need basic spice powders, including coriander powder, turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, and salt.
- Dairy – This recipe gets a good balance with plain yogurt (dahi, curd) and unsweetened heavy cream.
- Other Ingredients – Mustard oil adds a perfect Indian flavor to this curry, along with onions, ginger-garlic paste, green chilies, tomatoes, and kasuri methi. If mustard oil is unavailable, then use any other cooking oil that you have in your pantry.
How To Make Paneer Do Pyaaza
Saute The Paneer
Step 1: Heat 1 teaspoon oil and 1 teaspoon ghee in a pan over medium-high heat. Once your oil is hot, add 1 teaspoon crushed coriander seeds and 1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds and saute them for 3-4 seconds.
Step 2: Now add 350 g paneer (cut into 1-inch pieces) and 1 cup onions (cut into 1-inch pieces, petals separated), and sauté for a minute. Remove the pan from the heat and keep it aside.
Make The Curry
Step 3: Heat 4 tablespoon mustard oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the whole spices once the oil is hot, and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds. I have used the following in this recipe
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 3-4 cloves
- 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- 2-3 black cardamoms
- 3-4 dry red chilies
If you don’t like whole spices coming into your mouth when you eat this curry, then you can add them to a small piece of muslin cloth and make a bouquet gurney. Discard it when the curry is ready.
Step 4: Add 1 cup of thinly sliced onions and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Step 5: Now add 2 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste and cook for 2 minutes.
If you like a creamier curry, then blend the ingredients at this stage using an immersion blender.
Step 6: Add the following ingredients and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- 2 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 3-4 green chilies (slit in half)
- ½ cup finely chopped tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt
Step 7: Add ½ cup hot water and ½ cup plain yogurt (whisked with 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour), then cook for 1 minute.
Step 8: Now add the sauteed paneer and onion petals to the pan and mix well.
Step 9: Reduce the heat on your stove to low. Cover the pan with its lid and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Step 10: Now add ¼ cup unsweetened heavy cream and 1 tablespoon Kasuri methi, and mix well into the curry.
Step 11: Check for salt to your taste and add more if needed. Serve hot.
Storage Suggestions
Leftover paneer do pyaza curry can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Reheat it in a pan or in the microwave until it’s hot again before serving. Add some hot water if the thickened after refrigeration.
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Paneer Do Pyaza Recipe (Restaurant Style)
Ingredients
To Saute The Paneer
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1 teaspoon ghee
- 1 teaspoon crushed coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds
- 350 grams paneer (cut into 1-inch pieces)
- 1 cup onions (cut into 1-inch pieces and petals separated)
For The Curry
- 4 tablespoons mustard oil (or any other cooking oil)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 3-4 cloves (laung)
- 1 inch piece of cinnamon stick (dalchini)
- 2 bay leaves (tejpatta)
- 2-3 black cardamoms (badi elaichi)
- 3-4 dry red chilies
- 1 cup thinly sliced onions
- 2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
- 2 teaspoons coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder
- 3-4 green chilies (slit into half)
- ½ cup finely chopped tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ½ cup plain yogurt (dahi, curd) (whisked with 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour (maida))
- ¼ cup unsweetened heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon Kasuri methi
Instructions
Saute The Paneer
- Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add crushed coriander seeds and crushed fennel seeds and saute for 3-4 seconds.
- Add paneer cubes and onion petals and saute for a minute.
- Remove the pan from the heat and keep aside.
Make The Curry
- Heat mustard oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, black cardamoms, and dry red chilies and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds.
- Add thinly sliced onions and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add ginger-garlic paste and cook for 2 minutes.
- Now add coriander powder, turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, green chilies, tomatoes, and salt and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add ½ cup hot water and yogurt and cook for a minute.
- Add the sauteed paneer and onion petals to the pan and mix well.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Add cream and Kasuri mehi and mix well.
- Check for salt and add more if needed. Serve hot.
Onions, along with paneer, make an amazing curry. A keeper forever!