Prepare delicious farali muthiya with dudhi for a filling meal on Hindu fasting days. These are made with a mix of farali flour and plenty of aromatic tempering.
Note – This recipe has been updated from the archives – first published August 2016. I’ve added new images, the recipe remains the same.
Often we think of farali dishes as being void of any vegetables – think farali potatoes and sabudana khichdi !
Over the years, my Mum has prepared plenty of farali dishes with vegetables like farali bhinda , farali spinach puri or farali patra. She also sneaks them into dishes like these muthiya and farali dudhi thepla .
A note on farali flour
Farali flour is pretty easy to purchase in Indian grocery stores. It’s usually a mix of different farali flours and will vary by brand.
If you can’t find it, use a mix of some of these flours: rajgira, singoda, moraiyo or sabudana flour.
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can’t wait to see you all there!
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Farali Muthiya
Equipment
- Steamer
Ingredients
- 2 cup mixed farali flour
- 1 cup dudhi grated bottle gourd
- ½ cup potato grated
- 3 tablespoon roasted peanut powder
- 2 tablespoon ginger chilli paste
- 3 tablespoon coriander fresh chopped
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 3 tablespoon yogurt
- 2 tablespoon oil for moin
- rock salt sendha namak
Vaghar (tempering)
- 3 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 2 dried red chilli
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Garnish
- 3 tablespoon coriander chopped
- 2 tablespoon shredded coconut optional
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients of muthiya in a big mixing bowl.
- Mix well and knead a soft dough. You may need to add a couple of spoons of water to knead the dough.
- Apply a little oil on your hands and divide the mixture into 4-5 parts.
- Then press the dough in your fists into cylindrical shapes. Place in a steamer. Cook for approximately 15 minutes.
- Insert a knife after 15 mins. It’ll come out clean if the muthiya are cooked.
- Let them cool a little and then slice each roll into thin oval-shaped pieces.
- For the vaghar, heat oil in a kadai, add cumin seeds, after they splutter add curry leaves, dried chillies and sesame seeds.
- Tip in the cut muthiya pieces and sauté them for few minutes or until they get slightly golden brown.
- Switch off the heat, garnish with coconut and coriander.
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Farali Muthiya
Equipment
- Steamer
Ingredients
- 2 cup mixed farali flour
- 1 cup dudhi grated bottle gourd
- ½ cup potato grated
- 3 tablespoon roasted peanut powder
- 2 tablespoon ginger chilli paste
- 3 tablespoon coriander fresh chopped
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 3 tablespoon yogurt
- 2 tablespoon oil for moin
- rock salt sendha namak
Vaghar (tempering)
- 3 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 2 dried red chilli
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Garnish
- 3 tablespoon coriander chopped
- 2 tablespoon shredded coconut optional
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients of muthiya in a big mixing bowl.
- Mix well and knead a soft dough. You may need to add a couple of spoons of water to knead the dough.
- Apply a little oil on your hands and divide the mixture into 4-5 parts.
- Then press the dough in your fists into cylindrical shapes. Place in a steamer. Cook for approximately 15 minutes.
- Insert a knife after 15 mins. It’ll come out clean if the muthiya are cooked.
- Let them cool a little and then slice each roll into thin oval-shaped pieces.
- For the vaghar, heat oil in a kadai, add cumin seeds, after they splutter add curry leaves, dried chillies and sesame seeds.
- Tip in the cut muthiya pieces and sauté them for few minutes or until they get slightly golden brown.
- Switch off the heat, garnish with coconut and coriander.
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
If you love paneer curries, this panch phoran version needs to be the next on your list! The whole spices crackle in oil, infusing the curry with robust, pickle-like flavours. Cream at the end brings everything together. It’s rich and impossible to resist!
Note – This recipe has been updated from the archives – first published December 2020. I’ve added new images and helpful content, the recipe remains the same.
Sure, there are plenty of paneer curry recipes already out there, paneer pasanda , paneer kali mirch , or punjabi matar paneer , but I feel like we could do with one more!
This isn’t really a curry you’ll find on restaurant menus or in homes. Rather, it’s one that my Mum and I created together inspired by our favourite flavours. I love the complexity of panch phoran and the softness of paneer.
The spices hit first, like in a paneer jalfrezi , but creaminess follows, just as in vegetable paneer makhanwala . If I had to describe it: it’s a flavour tug of war, or to put it more eloquently, a harmony of contrasts.
The Recipe Details
Be sure to check out the full recipe and exact ingredient list below in the recipe card.
For this dish, I wanted the flavour of panch phoran to shine. Panch phoran means “five spices” – a blend of fennel, nigella, fenugreek, mustard, and cumin seeds. I love how they crackle in the hot oil and release their layered aroma. Together, these spices give a vibrant, pickle-like depth.
I also use bay leaf, green cardamom, cloves and cinnamon bark to build the foundation of Indian curries, adding depth, aroma and giving a curry a more complex taste.
The curry base stays true to classic North Indian cooking. It uses onion, tomato, ginger, and garlic.
To balance that, I finish with a generous pour of cream. We first cooked this dish for a special occasion, so wanted to add richness.
In my opinion, ready-made paneer holds it’s shape best when cut into cubes. However, I’ve used homemade paneer too – I just leave it to set for longer.
Serving Ideas
Pair panch phoran paneer like any rich curry with whole wheat roti , flakey whole wheat paratha or garlic coriander naans . Jeera rice or shahi pulao also goes well.
I love it restaurant style with a side of Indian onion salad and sweet lassi .
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can’t wait to see you all there!
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Panch Phoran Paneer
Ingredients
- 250 gram paneer cut into cubes
- 1 teaspoon panch phoran crushed
- ½ teaspoon panch phoran
- 1 tablespoon whole spices in total with bay leaf, green cardamom, cloves and cinnamon bark
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 1 onion pureed
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic pureed
- 1 green chilli chopped
- 1 teaspoon kasoori methi
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ cup tomato purée or crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 150 millilitres single cream
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry paneer cubes with the crushed panch phoran. Remove from the heat once golden brown.
- In the same pan heat more oil, add whole spices and panch phoran.
- Let the spices crackle, then add pureed onion and sauté until it turns light brown.
- Add ginger garlic purée and chopped green chillies and cook the mixture until oil appears on the sides of the pan.
- Add the puréed tomato and cook the mixture on low heat for a few minutes.
- Now add all the spice powders and add fenugreek leaves. Add a couple of spoons of water so the masala doesn’t burn.
- Add the paneer cubes back in, season with salt and add sugar. Cook for around 5 minutes.
- Pour over the cream. Let the curry simmer for a further 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Garnish with fresh coriander.
Video
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
