Paneer Lababdar is a creamy, tangy, and decadent North Indian cottage cheese dish made with fried paneer cubes cooked in a rich gravy of cream, almonds, tomatoes, and aromatic spices. It's a great vegetarian main course for parties or family meals, served best with rotis or rice. The recipe offers useful tips for variation, such as substituting ricotta or chicken, and suggests that the gravy can be made in advance and frozen.
Ingredients 22
250 g paneer, fresh or frozen, cut into cubes
2 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
1 onion, large, roughly chopped
2 green chillies, sliced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp ginger paste
12 raw unsalted cashews
3 ‒ 4 tomato, medium, blanched in hot water, peeled, chopped
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp cumin seeds
4 cardamoms
1 cinnamon stick, small
2 cloves
1 1⁄2 tsp red chilli powder
2 tsp cumin powder
salt, to taste
1 tbsp fenugreek leaves (Kasuri Methi), crushed
1 tbsp fresh cream, plus more for garnish
1 capsicum, cubed, optional
1 cup hot water
1⁄2 cup green peas, optional
slivered almond, for garnish, optional
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Method 10
Cooking The Paneer
Heat 1 tbsp of the in a pan and shallow fry the cubes gently on all sides until they are light golden brown. Be gentle, as overcooking will make the paneer rubbery.
Remove the onto a kitchen towel and let it stand while you prepare the gravy.
For The Gravy
Heat the and remaining 1 tbsp in a pan. Add the and chopped , and sauté for 1 minute.
Add the and , and sauté until the onions are almost translucent.
Add the raw , blanched, peeled, and chopped , and cook until everything is soft and mushy.
Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool before blending it to a fine paste.
Return the pan to the heat and add , , , and . Sauté for 30 seconds, then add the blended paste and salt. Cover and cook for a few minutes on medium heat until the starts to separate from the gravy.
Add the and , and mix well.
Add 1 cup of to the pan and bring to a boil. Add the (if using) and (if using), and cook for 5–7 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Add the fried to the gravy and sprinkle with . Cover and let it sit until ready to serve. Garnish with and slivered almonds or , if desired. Serve hot with steamed rice or rotis.
