Nawabi Paneer Recipe (Restaurant-Style White Curry)
Nawabi Paneer is a restaurant-style Indian paneer curry where paneer pieces are simmered in a rich and creamy white sauce. Serve this Mughlai-inspired dish with naan or lachha paratha for an indulgent meal.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
For The Masala Paste
- 1 tablespoon oil use any neutral-flavored oil
- 2-3 whole green cardamoms (hari elaichi)
- 1 inch piece of cinnamon (dalchini)
- 1 whole black cardamom (badi elaichi)
- 2-3 cloves (laung)
- 4-5 whole black peppercorns (kali mirch)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ cup chopped onions
- ½ cup grated fresh coconut
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- 2-3 whole green chilies
- 15-20 whole cashew nuts
- ½ cup water
For The Paneer
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 300 grams paneer cut into 1-inch pieces
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
For The Curry
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 1 tablespoon butter salted or unsalted
- 2 tablespoons plain yogurt (dahi, curd)
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup green peas
- 1 teaspoon Kasuri methi
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ cup unsweetened heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 2-3 drops kewra essence
- 1 teaspoon sugar or honey optional
Instructions
Make The Masala Paste
- Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
- When the oil is hot, add green cardamoms, cinnamon, black cardamom, cloves, black peppercorns, and cumin seeds and let them crackle for 5-6 seconds.
- Add onions and cook until they turn a light brown color (4-5 minutes).
- Add coconut and cook for 2 minutes. Stir frequently.
- Now add ginger-garlic paste and cook for another minute.
- Add green chilies and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Now add cashew nuts and cook for another minute. Stir frequently.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool down.
- Transfer it to a blender along with ½ cup of water and blend to make a smooth paste. Scrape the sides of the blender a few times.
If you want extra smooth curry, then you can pass this paste through a fine-mesh strainer.
Fry The Paneer
- Heat oil in a flat pan or a skillet over medium heat.
- Arrange the paneer pieces on the pan and sprinkle them with salt and pepper.
- Cook from both sides until lightly browned. Remove them from the pan and add them to a bowl filled with hot water to keep the cubes plump and soft while you make the gravy.
Do not over-fry; you want a light crust, not a hard shell.
Make The Curry
- Heat ghee and butter in a pan over medium-high heat.
- Once hot, add the masala paste and fry for 8-10 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent the masala from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Add plain yogurt and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add coriander powder and cook for another minute.
- Now add milk and cook for 4-5 minutes. Stir frequently.
- Add green peas, fried paneer cubes, Kauri methi, salt, and heavy cream, and mix well. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Finally, add garam masala powder and kewra essence and mix well. Check for salt and add more if required. Nawabi paneer is ready, serve hot.
This is the most important step: the masala paste deepens slightly in color, and you see ghee separating cleanly at the edges. This “bhunao” stage eliminates raw flavors. Rushing this step is the most common reason home versions taste flat or starchy.
You can add a teaspoon of honey or sugar if you like the gravy to be a little sweet.
Video
Notes
You can replace cashew nuts with almonds or melon seeds. If using almonds, then soak them in water for 30 minutes before blending.
If using store-bought paneer, soak it in a bowl of warm water for about 5 minutes to soften it.
If using fresh green peas, boil them with a small amount of sugar until tender. Adding a little sugar helps them retain their lovely green color. If using frozen peas, simply rinse and use them.
Thin the curry with some milk or water if you like it thinner.
Kewra essence gives the curry a typical Mughlai flavor. Be very careful while using it. Just 2-3 drops are good enough. If added more, it can make the curry bitter. Replace it with rose water if it’s not available.
You can also add some coconut milk at the end of cooking to change the taste.
Nutrition
Calories: 470kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 88mg | Potassium: 254mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 566IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 480mg | Iron: 1mg
