Paneer Sabzi
- Vegetarian
- Ready in under 30 minutes for a weeknight meal (one pot)
- Gluten-free option
About Paneer Sabzi
This paneer sabzi recipe came about because I wanted to make a quick, healthier than usual paneer dish. Many popular paneer dishes are often inclusive of heavy cream and fats, like the ones you find at Indian restaurants. Don’t get me wrong, they are super delicious, and I make them as well, but I thought this would be a nice change.
This dish entails the usual Indian spices you likely have on hand if you are into Indian cooking. The star ingredient is paneer and I’ve added bell peppers in. You can also add in other veggies to your liking, I’ve noted some variations below.
If you haven’t had paneer before it is often referred to as Indian cottage cheese. It’s made by curdling milk with lemon juice or vinegar. Its crumbles can even be used for a yummy dish like paneer bhurji.
I’ll soon have a recipe up for fresh homemade paneer, it is such a versatile ingredient.
Ingredients & Substitutes
Veggies: I’ve added green bell pepper (capsicum) in this recipe. I also like to add in sweet corn, green peas and spinach sometimes.
Crushed tomatoes: these are canned crushed tomatoes which is different from tomato puree. The difference between the two is that crushed tomatoes includes both crushed tomatoes and tomato puree. This results in a slightly thicker gravy.
- If all you have is tomato puree on hand, you can use it but you make want to cook it a little longer.
- You can also use chopped fresh tomatoes as well.
Fat: I’ve used oil, you could substitute ghee.
Kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves): While this spice isn’t one I keep in my masala dabba, it is one I have on hand and adds a delicious depth of flavor. If you don’t have it just skip it, it’ll still taste good 😉
Cilantro: Coriander leaves are optional but adds a last fresh touch if you have it on hand.
Note: You can also use ginger garlic paste in place of the fresh ingredients
Variations
Making it gluten-free: if you skip the hing (asafoetida), this is gluten-free
Making it vegan: Substitute the paneer for tofu for a vegan alternative. You can either use the tofu soft, or lightly saute in a little oil if you prefer a crispier texture.
Making the dish
This paneer sabzi is simple to make. If you have everything prepped and measured ahead of time, it makes the process even easier.
First, you heat oil in a pan (I used non-stick) and add cumin seeds. Once they begin to cook/sizzle, add in the hing (asafoetida).
Then, add in the sliced onions and garlic. Next up are the remaining spices (garam masala powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin powder, salt and sugar) and crushed tomatoes. After giving it a good mix and letting it cook briefly, add in the bell peppers and paneer cubes into the rich spicy gravy.
Let cook briefly so the paneer can soak in all that flavor and the bell peppers soften a bit. I like to leave the capsicum (bell peppers) with a slight crunch. Then, it’s done!
Serving suggestions
Paneer ki sabji tastes great with warm roti or other Indian breads and with steamed rice such as basmati rice / jeera rice. Often sabzis are also served with dals for a complete meal.
If you’d like to serve other vegetable dishes, peas cauliflower nu shaak or bhinda nu shaak are two other very easy ones you can make. Others include karela nu shaak or bharela bhinda.
This is a simple paneer sabzi recipe you can also make for special occasions in big batches.
For a sweet ending, you can try one of many popular Indian sweets.
Simple Yummy Paneer Sabzi
Equipment
- 1 Non stick pan
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp oil
- ½ tsp cumin seeds jeera
- ⅛ tsp asafoetida hing
- 1 cup onions chopped, 160g
- 1 tbsp ginger blended/paste
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- 1 tbsp cumin coriander powder dhana jeeru
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 tsp red chili powder lal mirch, do 1/2 tsp for less spice
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes canned
- 1 bell pepper (capsicum) 180g, chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 250 g paneer cubed
- 1 tsp dry fenugreek leaves kasuri methi
- 2 stalks cilantro chopped, optional
Instructions
- Heat oil in pan. Add cumin seeds. Once they begin to sizzle, add in the asafetida.
- Add in chopped onions. Mix and let cook about 4 minutes, they will begin to look translucent. Add in garlic and mix another 2 minutes.
- Add in all spices and mix.
- Add in crushed tomatoes. Mix and let cook 3 minutes.
- Add in paneer and bell peppers. Mix well and let cook 5 minutes. Add in kasuri methi, mix and turn off gas. Optionally top with freshly chopped cilantro and serve.
