Paneer Lababdar

Luscious Paneer cubes are made even more irresistible in the rich and creamy Onion-Tomato Gravy. You will simply ‘surrender’ to the taste and feel of this dish.

What is Lababdar? More info on Intro page.

The Recipe Intro↓ has , more information as well as Recipe Video. Don’t forget to check it out.

Ingredients:

Method:

1. To a non -stick pan add the oil and heat.
2. Add the whole spices (1/4tsp cumin seeds, 1 segment of star anise, 3 green cardamoms, and 3 cloves).
3. Once the spices have just popped, add the sliced onions and saute for 2 minutes, just till softened and lightly changed in color.
4. Add tomatoes, along with the raw cashews(a handful)  and melon seeds (1Tbsp).
5. Saute again for 2 minutes, till tomatoes are softened. Set the sauteed ingredients aside to cool off completely.
6. Take the Paneer block at room temperature and slice it into thick slabs. Then cut into triangles, as seen in the image.
7. Prepare 300 gms of triangular paneer slices like this, and grate the remaining 200 gms of the paneer. Set aside.
8. Grind the cooled sauteed ingredients, without adding any water to a smooth velvety paste.
9. Wash out the pan and return to heat. Add the mixture of butter (1 1/2Tbsp)  and oil (making 1/4 cup together) and melt.
10. Quickly add the Kashmiri red chilli powder (2tsp). Stir it quickly till nice a fragrant and the color deepens.
11. As soon as the color has deepened,  add the Ginger-Garlic paste (2 1/2 tsp) and saute briefly, just till the raw pungency of ginger and garlic is gone.
12. Stir in the prepared Lababdar paste. Stir briskly till you get a Homogenous mixture. Once the homogenous texture is achieved, cover and cook on medium heat for two minutes.
13. You will see that the oil has separated, at this stage and the gravy has also thickened somewhat.
14. Now we can add the spice powders, beginning with North Indian garam masala (1tsp first). Always add 1 tsp first and taste. Various Garams masalas come in various strengths, so you might not need to add any more garam masala OR you might have to add 1 more teaspoon. 
15. Next, add the coriander powder( 1 tsp) and turmeric powders (a little less than 1/2 tsp).
16. Add a little bit of boiled water to loosen the gravy. You can keep adding a little hot water as you cook.
17. Stir well and add the remaining Garam masala if desired. I added 2 tsp garam masala in total.
18. Also, add 1/2 tsp or so more of the Kashmiri red chili powder for more color.
19. Stir in some more water before covering and cooking till thickened again and for oil to separate again.
20. Open and add salt and sugar (1/2 tsp each), to balance the flavors.
21. Pour in the cooking cream(1/4 cup) and stir through and then lower the heat to a light simmer only.
22. Add Kasuri methi (2 tsp) , crushed between your hands, first. Add water as needed to loosen to the desired consistency.
23. At this stage, add half of the grated paneer, reserving the rest for garnish.
24. Stir it through and follow with the large paneer triangles. Cover and cook on low for 5 minutes. Be careful that the gravy does not catch on the bottom of the pan.
25. Finally, add some chopped fresh coriander leaves, and the Paneer Lababdar is done.
26. Pour into a serving dish and sprinkle the reserved grated paneer over the top! Surrender to the delicious taste of the fantastic Paneer dish along with some hot buttery naans or other flatbreads.

Paneer Lababdar

Notes:

• What is Char Magaz? Char Magaz refers a few different varieties of melon seeds, namely pumpkin, cantaloupe, watermelon, and cucumber seeds. These seeds are extremely nutritious, thanks to the numerous vitamins, minerals, and trace elements. They can be purchased at your Indian grocery shop. They are used as a thickening agent when ground along with the cashew nuts.
• Ginger Garlic Paste, is a paste made by grinding equal proportions of ginger and garlic without or with very little water. The paste is often made and stored as it is so often used in Indian cooking. Watch my video on how to make Ginger Garlic Paste.
• Get my authentic trademark recipe for North Indian Garam Masala.
• Red chilli powder used here is Kashmiri chili powder, which packs less heat, yet is fragrant and provides vibrant color.
• Kasuri Methi is dried Fenugreek leaves. They provide a strong flavor and is used in small quantities.  It is a must-have ingredient in dishes like Paneer makhani, Butter Chicken etc.
• The video for this recipe is available on both my youtube channels.

Key Ingredients for Paneer Lababdar: Paneer, Onion, Tomato,Ginger, Garlic, Coriander Leaves, Kasuri Methi, Cashew nuts, Melon seeds, Spices, Butter, Oil, Cream, Salt, Sugar,

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Paneer Lababdar

Author: Shana Shameer