Hyderabadi Paneer | Hyderabadi Style Spicy Paneer Subzi

5 from 13 votes

Hyderabadi Paneer | Hyderabadi Style Spicy Paneer Subzi

If you are looking for the most flavorful and unique Paneer recipe, then this Hyderabadi Paneer Subzi is the best one yet. It is loaded with traditional and rice flavors that the Hyderabad cuisine is known for and this Paneer curry will not disappoint you.

Prep Time15

Cook Time40

Total Time55

Course: Side Dishes

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: people

Calories: 314kcal

Author: Sandhya Ramakrishnan

Equipment

Blender

Ingredients

400 grams Paneer
1 large Onion Cubed
1 Bell Pepper Cubed
3 Tomatoes Pureed
½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
1 teaspoon Red chili powder
½ teaspoon Garam masala
to taste Salt
3 tablespoon Oil or butter or both

TO GRIND TOGETHER

2 teaspoon Dhania / Coriander seeds
3 teaspoon Sesame seeds
1 teaspoon Cumin seeds / Jeera
2 Dry red chili
3 cloves Garlic
1 inch piece Ginger
1 small Onion
½ cup Roasted peanuts

Instructions

In a pan, dry roast coriander seeds, sesame seeds, cumin and red chili. Once it cools down a bit, transfer it to a blender jar and add the rest of the ingredients mentioned under ‘To Grind’ and grind it to a smooth paste. Add a little water if needed.
Cube the paneer into ½ inch pieces and pan fry them until light brown in about 1 tablespoon of oil. Remove the paneer from the pan and keep it aside. I sometimes also keep the fried paneer soaked in warm water to keep it soft.
In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and sauté the cubed onion and bell pepper. Make sure that they still have a crunch in them. Remove from the pan and keep it aside.
Again, in the same pan, heat the remaining oil and add the ground paste. Cook the ground paste in low medium flame until the raw smell disappears and it turns aromatic. Also, the paste would thicken and the oil will start leaving the sides of the pan. This will take about 10-12 minutes, but cooking it patiently in low flame ensures a very flavorful subzi.
Now add the pureed tomato and the masala powders (red chili powder, turmeric powder and garam masala) and mix well. Cook for 3-4 minutes for the flavors to combine and then add the salt. Do not add salt in the beginning as it will cause the gravy to splatter all over.
Add the sautéed onions, bell pepper and paneer pieces. Mix gently and simmer for about 5-7 minutes.
Serve the Hyderabadi Paneer hot with rice or chapatti.

Notes

Expert tips

Keep the pan fried paneer immersed in hot water to keep it softer in the subzi. You can use paneer without frying as well, but I love the flavor of the paneer when it is pan fried.
Make sure to take time to saute the masala paste. Keep the flame in low and fry the paste until it is aromatic and oil starts to seep out through the masala.
I love using canned tomatoes for subzi like this that use tomato puree. It saves time to blanch and remove the skin from the tomatoes and also gives the paneer subzi a beautiful color.
You can sprinkle the subzi with some toasted sesame seeds before serving for a wonderful flavor.

Nutrition