Paneer Pasanda is the sort of dish that makes everyone at the table pause after the first bite and say, “wow!”. Slices of paneer are stuffed with grated paneer, coriander, nuts, and sultanas. They’re served with a silky, creamy gravy.
Note – This recipe has been updated from the archives – first published October 2016. I’ve added new images and helpful content, the recipe has a small change. I previously added peas to the gravy.
There are some dishes that just feel a little bit special, and for me, Paneer Pasanda is one of them.
If you’ve tried shahi paneer or butter paneer , you’ll know how luxurious paneer curries can be. Paneer Pasanda sits in the same family of indulgent dishes but with its own unique twist – the stuffed paneer.
What makes this vegetarian curry so unique is the special stuffing inside the paneer. The mixture has grated paneer, fresh coriander, crunchy nuts, and sweet sultanas. That mix gives each piece of paneer a lovely bite — creamy, nutty, herby, with just a hint of sweetness. Once it’s cooked, the paneer is tender, almost melt-in-your-mouth , and so satisfying!
The paneer isn’t simmered in the gravy. Instead, it’s grilled, then topped with the steaming hot gravy just before serving.
My favourite way to serve paneer pasanda is with pillowy soft whole wheat chapati or flaky masala laccha paratha . Prepare a thali of shahi pulao and fruit raita . I’ll be preparing this one for my Diwali Dinner Menu this year!
The Recipe Details
Be sure to check out the full recipe and exact ingredient list below in the recipe card.
The Paneer & Stuffing
I like to use store-bought paneer for the slices, as it holds its shape much better when cut and stuffed. For the filling, I usually make paneer fresh at home from milk , since it has a soft texture. If you’d rather save time, you can simply grate a block of paneer instead.
The Gravy
The gravy is creamy and full of flavour. It starts with onion, garlic, ginger, green chillies, and fresh tomatoes. To make it velvety, I blend in cashews and white poppy seeds. For flavour, I use on a mix of whole spices, Indian spice powders, and a sprinkle of kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves). Finally, I stir in fresh cream to finish it off.
Many recipes call for butter or ghee, but I prefer using oil for cooking. To balance things, I simply add a touch more cream at the end for that indulgent finish.
My Tips for the Best Paneer Pasanda
- Slice the paneer carefully so it doesn’t break while filling.
- Don’t skip the sultanas. They give a gentle sweetness that balances the spices beautifully.
- For a slightly spicier version, you can add crushed green chillies to the stuffing.
- I like to sieve the gravy once blended to get it extra smooth but this is optional.
- You can prepare the gravy in advance but I recommend cooking the paneer pieces on the day of serving. Before this, and they can become chewy.
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!
- YouTube
Paneer Pasanda
Ingredients
- 250 gram paneer
Stuffing
- 2 tablespoon paneer grated
- 3 tablespoon cashew nuts finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon raisins/sultana chopped
- 1 tablespoon coriander finely chopped
- pinch salt
Gravy
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 cup tomatoes ripe chopped
- 2 tablespoon green chilli chopped
- 2 tablespoon ginger chopped
- 5 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoon cashew nuts
- 1 tablespoon white poppy seeds Khus-Khus
- 5 tablespoon oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 black cardamom
- 4 green cardamom
- ½ inch cinnamon stick
- 3 cloves
- 1 tteaspoon kasoori methi
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin and coriander
- 3 tablespoon cream optional
- salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Garnish
- coriander
- cream
Instructions
- Cut the paneer into equal sized square pieces and make a slit in the middle but not all the way across.
- In a bowl mix grated paneer, raisins, chopped nuts, salt and finely chopped coriander.
- Fill the paneer with a small amount of the stuffing. Press it gently and set it aside.
- You can shallow fry straight away or after making the gravy.
- Heat little oil on a non stick frying pan, arrange stuffed paneer pieces on it and shallow fry until light golden.
Gravy
- To prepare the gravy, heat 2 tablespoon of oil in a pan or kadai and add whole spices. Once they crackle add onion and sauté until light pink.
- Add garlic, ginger and chillies and cook for a few minutes or until soft.
- Then add the tomatoes and tip in the cashews and poppy seeds.
- Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala , ground cumin and coriander and salt.
- Cook the masala for a further few minutes then add 1 cup water and mix well.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, allow to cool then grind into a paste using a blender.
- Once again heat oil in a pan and sieve the gravy as you add it back in.
- Bring it to a gentle simmer and add kasoori methi, sugar and cream.
- Mix well and allow to simmer for a couple of minutes.
Serving
- Pour the sauce in a serving dish, and arrange the stuffed paneer pieces on top. If you wish, pour more gravy on top of the pieces.
- Sprinkle chopped coriander and drizzle some cream. Serve hot.
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.
Paneer Pasanda
Ingredients
- 250 gram paneer
Stuffing
- 2 tablespoon paneer grated
- 3 tablespoon cashew nuts finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon raisins/sultana chopped
- 1 tablespoon coriander finely chopped
- pinch salt
Gravy
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 cup tomatoes ripe chopped
- 2 tablespoon green chilli chopped
- 2 tablespoon ginger chopped
- 5 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoon cashew nuts
- 1 tablespoon white poppy seeds Khus-Khus
- 5 tablespoon oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 black cardamom
- 4 green cardamom
- ½ inch cinnamon stick
- 3 cloves
- 1 tteaspoon kasoori methi
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin and coriander
- 3 tablespoon cream optional
- salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Garnish
- coriander
- cream
Instructions
- Cut the paneer into equal sized square pieces and make a slit in the middle but not all the way across.
- In a bowl mix grated paneer, raisins, chopped nuts, salt and finely chopped coriander.
- Fill the paneer with a small amount of the stuffing. Press it gently and set it aside.
- You can shallow fry straight away or after making the gravy.
- Heat little oil on a non stick frying pan, arrange stuffed paneer pieces on it and shallow fry until light golden.
Gravy
- To prepare the gravy, heat 2 tablespoon of oil in a pan or kadai and add whole spices. Once they crackle add onion and sauté until light pink.
- Add garlic, ginger and chillies and cook for a few minutes or until soft.
- Then add the tomatoes and tip in the cashews and poppy seeds.
- Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala , ground cumin and coriander and salt.
- Cook the masala for a further few minutes then add 1 cup water and mix well.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, allow to cool then grind into a paste using a blender.
- Once again heat oil in a pan and sieve the gravy as you add it back in.
- Bring it to a gentle simmer and add kasoori methi, sugar and cream.
- Mix well and allow to simmer for a couple of minutes.
Serving
- Pour the sauce in a serving dish, and arrange the stuffed paneer pieces on top. If you wish, pour more gravy on top of the pieces.
- Sprinkle chopped coriander and drizzle some cream. Serve hot.
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.
Prepare fluffy South Indian coconut rice, aka thengai sadam, for a quick yet flavourful side dish. I use dried shredded coconut rather than fresh to save time!
Note – This recipe has been updated from the archives – first published November 2015. I’ve added new images and made improvements to the recipe.
Ok, so usually I preach using fresh ingredients in all my recipes. Therefore, you wouldn’t be wrong in asking why I think dried coconut is a good substitute. The original South Indian recipe calls for fresh grated coconut.
I’ve tried this recipe with fresh coconut, and of course, the flavours are incredible. However, using dried shredded coconut actually comes pretty close to the original. It’s a lot easier and quicker to deal with, so that’s what I now use whenever I make it. Note that shredded coconut has longer grains than standard desiccated coconut!
As with many South Indian dishes – South Indian pineapple chutney and mogo 65 – this dish starts with a tempering of mustard seeds, dal and curry leaves.
The whole spices and fresh curry leaves do a lot of the heavy lifting and give amazing aroma to the dish overall.
It’s different to my coconut milk pulao which uses, you guessed it, coconut milk! It’s also all cooked directly in one pan.
If you want another South Indian rice recipe without the coconut flavour, ghee rice might be a better option.
Although this is a South Indian recipe, it’s mild flavour means it goes well with most Indian dishes. I had it with masoor dal and the flavours matched beautifully.
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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Indian Coconut Rice
Ingredients
- 3 cups basmati rice cooked
- 3 tablesppon oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- pinch hing
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 2 dried red chillies
- 1 tablespoon chana dal
- 1 tablespoon urad dal
- ½ cup desiccated coconut soaked in warm water
- 3 tablespoon nuts in total – cashews and almonds
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in pan and sauté cashew and almonds until golden brown. Remove from the pan.
- In the same pan, add mustard seeds and hing.
- Tip in the chana dal and urad dal, dried red chillies and curry leaves.
- Once it’s all crackling, add the soaked desiccated coconut. Ensure any excess water is drained.
- Sauté for a minute then add in the cooked rice.
- Season with salt and add the toasted nuts back in.
- Mix everything together well and cook until the rice is hot.
Video
Notes
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.
