Collection of 88 Indian paneer recipes – Paneer or cottage cheese is an ingredient which is popular in the Indian vegetarian cuisine.
Paneer Recipes can be made in various ways, either as a dry curry, snack or with gravy. It can be combined with veggies like peas, potatoes, capsicum, spinach or even with mushroom.
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To make the paneer recipes, you can either buy ready made cottage cheese from market or you can also Make paneer at home. I always prefer to make paneer at home since its cheaper and also more hygienic. Homemade paneer is softer and better than the store brought one.
Paneer is often made on festive or celebratory occasions. Also when there are guests at home. Some of the paneer recipes mentioned below can be made, when guests arriving or you want to make a special dish for an occasion.
All paneer recipes in this below collection are tried and tested. For ease of reading I have divided this Cottage cheese recipes collection into 6 categories in the following order:
- Top 10 Paneer Recipes
- 26 Paneer Gravy Recipes
- 11 Paneer dry recipes
- 30 Paneer snacks recipes
- 4 Paneer recipes with rice
- 8 Paneer sweets recipes
Top 10 Paneer Recipes
1. Paneer butter masala – an easy, quick and delicious recipe of paneer butter masala. Within minutes you can prepare this restaurant style paneer butter masala at home. This is a tried and tested foolproof recipe and is one of most popular cottage cheese recipe on the blog.
2. Palak paneer – this delicious palak paneer recipe is my mom’s version of making this dish. She has been making this recipe for years now. It has become a favorite with all of us.
3. Kadai paneer recipe – Restaurant style delicious semi dry curry made with paneer, capsicum and Indian spices. The flavors of this restaurant style kadai paneer recipe comes from freshly pounded coriander seeds and Kashmiri red chilies and yes adding freshly pounded spices do make a lot of difference to the food that we cook. I have shared 2 recipes in this post. The second recipe is of kadai paneer with gravy.
4. Matar paneer – spiced and creamy curry made with green peas and cottage cheese. Its a simple and easy recipe for matar paneer.
5. Shahi paneer recipe – Shahi means royal and as the name suggest this is a royal paneer dish. Literally translated to royal cottage cheese. Dry fruits, yogurt, saffron, whole spices and sometimes cream is added to make this dish royal and rich.
6. Malai kofta recipe – delicious melt in the mouth koftas in a creamy, rich, mild and lightly sweet gravy. Malai kofta is a popular as well as most sought after vegetarian Indian dish in restaurants.
7. Chilli paneer recipe – One of the favorite dishes from Indo Chinese cuisine is chilli paneer. This chilli paneer recipe gives restaurant style taste and flavor. You can serve chilli paneer with Veg fried rice or Schezwan fried rice. In this post I have shared one more recipe of making street style chilli paneer dry.
8. Paneer tikka masala – This is a popular dish of marinated grilled cottage cheese cubes in onion-tomato yogurt based gravy. This recipe is pretty rich and heavy and tastes too good.
9. Paneer tikka – spiced marinated grilled cottage cheese cubes. This popular and delicious tandoori snack can be easily made at home. paneer tikka is served with mint chutney.
10. Paneer bhurji – a popular North Indian breakfast recipe made from crumbled paneer. Bhurji means scrambled. so in this dish, the cottage cheese is scrambled. Best to have paneer bhurji hot with some bread or rolls or pav, rotis or parathas and a cup of hot tea. It can also be served as a side dish.
27 Paneer gravy recipes
1. Paneer lababdar – easy to prepare restaurant style delicious paneer lababdar recipe. It is a popular paneer gravy dish and can be found on the menu of many restaurants. This recipe is more Punjabi style than Mughlai style with the use of onions, tomatoes, cashews and spices.
2. Paneer pasanda – a rich and delicious restaurant-style recipe of shallow fried stuffed paneer sandwiches in a smooth, creamy onion-tomato based gravy.
3. Paneer curry recipe – a rich and delicious cottage cheese curry made in an onion-tomato-cashew base. Along with paneer, you can also add some steamed green peas and potatoes in the recipe. This paneer masala gravy is best served with chapatis, rotis or naan or roomali roti.
4. Paneer makhani – This is simple and easy to make delicious paneer makhani recipe. Succulently cooked cottage cheese cubes in a smooth sauce of tomatoes and cream, which is lightly spiced with a hint of tang and sweetness.
5. Paneer Kolhapuri – Kolhapuri style delicious and spicy paneer gravy recipe. Kolhapuri cuisine is best known for its spicy, hot and robust flavors.
6. Achari paneer – creamy as well as robust flavored paneer gravy with achari masala or pickling spices. This is a really good achari paneer recipe. The robustness of the pickling spices or achari masala makes its presence felt without getting overpowered.
8. Instant Pot Chilli paneer gravy – This is a Chinese style recipe of cottage cheese cubes in a spicy, sour, sweet, umami chilli sauce. This is a fusion recipe having the best of both Indian and Chinese cuisine.
9. Paneer makhanwala – paneer in a buttery, creamy, tangy and mildly sweet sauce. This recipe has restaurant like flavors and taste. Paneer makhanwala and Veg makhanwala is often seen in the restaurant menus and liked by many people.
10. Methi malai paneer – Creamy, mildly sweet gravy with hints of bitterness from methi leaves. The recipe uses fresh fenugreek leaves and I do suggest to add them. But if you are not able to get them, then substitute with dry fenugreek leaves or kasuri methi
11. Paneer handi – It is a delicious and creamy gravy cooked in a handi. If you do not have a handi, then you can still make paneer handi in a pan or a kadai (wok). The gravy in this paneer recipe is made with a base of cashews, onions and tomatoes.
12. Dhaba style matar paneer – delicious and spicy dhaba style matar paneer gravy recipe made with green peas and paneer. This matar paneer has the flavors and taste of dhaba like food in it. The recipe is also easy. I have made the entire recipe in a pan. But you can even use a pressure cooker to save time.
13. Paneer korma – Creamy, royal and delicately flavored delicious paneer korma with white gravy. This Mughlai white korma has a faintly sweet taste with a touch of sourness.
14. Methi paneer – easy and delicious paneer gravy recipe with bitter hints of fresh fenugreek leaves in a tangy tomato based gravy. Apart from tomatoes even onions, curd and cream are added in the gravy. So the final Taste is like a restaurant style gravy.
15. Aloo paneer – tasty and easy to prepare is this potato paneer curry that goes well with chapatis or rotis. The recipe shared here is Punjabi aloo paneer masala with a creamy and tangy onion-tomato based gravy.
16. Paneer kali mirch – one of the lesser known but equally tasty gravy based dish made with paneer is paneer kali mirch. Kalimirch or black pepper is the highlight of this restaurant style paneer recipe.
17. Methi chaman – a delicious gravy based dish from the Kashmiri cuisine. Methi is fenugreek leaves and chaman is paneer in Kashmiri language. No onion no garlic recipe.
18. Aloo matar paneer – a tasty curry made with paneer, potatoes and green peas in an onion-tomato base. This is a simple and easy paneer recipe with a home style taste.
19. Paneer gassi recipe – A delicious paneer curry from the Mangalorean bunt cuisine. The gravy has complex and bold flavors. Lots of spices and coconut is used to make this aromatic paneer curry.
20. Paneer schezwan – easy and quick recipe of spicy chilly paneer schezwan gravy. This is a spicy recipe as along with schezwan sauce, even green chillies are added. You can control the amount of schezwan sauce or green chilies you want to add and make a less spicy version.
21. Mushroom Paneer – this paneer mushroom curry is a restaurant style recipe with a super delicious taste. The gravy is creamy, slightly tangy and mildly sweet with tender mushrooms and soft paneer in it.
22. Paneer bhurji gravy with curd – This is a spiced and easy to prepare scrambled cottage cheese in a gravy or curry base.. Fairly simple and easy and you don’t need to grind or puree anything. This recipe is my mom’s recipe of making the bhurji with a Tari or Rassa or gravy.
23. No onion no garlic – paneer butter masala – Creamy, tangy and a spiced tomato and paneer based dish made without onion and garlic. You can make this recipe during Navratri fasting by skipping the asafoetida, garam masala powder, kasuri methi and adding rock salt instead of regular salt.
24. No onion no garlic palak paneer – Tasty variation of palak paneer made without onion and garlic. Even without onion and garlic, this palak paneer tastes good.
25. Palak kofta – this palak kofta curry has crispy soft paneer stuffed koftas dunked in a creamy onion-tomato gravy. This palak paneer kofta recipe has many textures and flavors. The umami flavor of spinach, the softness of paneer in the koftas blend very well with the lightly sweet and tangy tomato onion gravy.
26. Chanar dalna recipe – a delicious curry made with fresh paneer and potatoes from the Bengali cuisine. This is also a no onion no garlic recipe and also called as niramish chanar dalna.
11 semi dry or dry paneer recipes
1. Paneer fry – a simple stir fry recipe made with paneer, onion, tomatoes and herbs-spices. Its easy and quick enough to prepare for those busy or hectic days. All the ingredients for this paneer fry recipe is easily available in an Indian kitchen.
2. Malai paneer – soft, melt in the mouth creamy paneer recipe made easy and quick and also restaurant style. one of the best and quickest paneer recipes. the paneer cubes have a similar taste like that of malai paneer tikka.
3. Tawa paneer masala – this delicious tawa paneer recipe is one of the easiest and quick paneer recipe you can prepare. A delicious semi dry paneer curry which can be cooked in less than 30 minutes. So easy that you can make these when you have unexpected guests at home or you want to cook something easy for dinner after a day’s hard work.
4. Paneer khurchan – easy, quick and delicious North Indian semi dry curry made with paneer in a onion-tomato-capsicum base. This is a North Indian Punjabi paneer recipe which at times you will find in dhabas and restaurants.
5. Chole paneer – spicy and delicious Punjabi curry made with paneer and white chickpeas. This chole paneer recipe does not use any chole masala and nor do you need to grind any masala. Just the regular Indian spices are added to the gravy.
6. Paneer jalfrezi recipe – tangy, mild and semi dry dish of paneer cooked with vegetables. This is one more easy paneer recipe. The preparation work is just slicing the veggies and making the tomato puree. If you use ready made tomato puree, then the prep work is halved.
7. Paneer do pyaza – a rich and tasty Mughlai dish of soft succulent cottage cheese and plenty of onions in a creamy gravy. Do pyaza means double the amount of onions or the onions are added twice. So if you like onions, then this dish is for you.
8. Fried Mix Veg Sabzi with Paneer – The mixed vegetable sabzi made in punjabi style is creamy, mildly sweet and less spiced with a hint of sourness from the tomatoes and yogurt.
9. Dhingri dolma – mildly spiced, delicious mushroom paneer curry recipe from the Awadhi cuisine. its a really good dish of mushroom and paneer in a lightly spiced onion-tomato base.
10. Paneer peas bhurji – spicy blend of scrambled cottage cheese and peas with onions, green chilies, tomatoes and Indian spices.
11. Paneer palak bhurji – a healthy variation to the regular paneer bhurji recipe. the bhurji tasted good and goes well with chapatis.
30 paneer snacks recipes
1. Aloo paneer ka kofta (no onion no garlic) – melt in the mouth soft texture koftas with a crisp exterior. These kofta can be made for fasting/vrat or during Navratri fasting or Ekadashi fasting. Just substitute the corn flour with fasting flours like water chestnut flour (singhare ka atta), buckwheat flour (kuttu ka atta) or arrow root flour.
2. Paneer cutlet with mix veggies – easy to prepare crisp and tasty cutlets made with paneer and mix vegetables. This paneer cutlet recipe is similar to the veg cutlet. Addition of paneer makes these cutlets have a soft texture and yet they are crisp from outside.
3. Paneer sandwich – Simple, easy and tasty breakfast or snack idea of grilled paneer sandwich. These sandwiches taste best with fresh paneer. In this post, I have shared one more version of paneer sandwich with mix veggies.
4. Paneer kulcha – leavened flatbreads stuffed with a spiced paneer filling. These kulchas remain soft even after cooking. Unlike aloo kulcha, paneer kulcha is bit dry. So its better to serve these paneer kulchas with chana masala. You can also serve with curd.
5. Tawa Paneer tikka (on pan) – easy and fool proof recipe of a delicious paneer tikka on tawa or stove top or griddle. If you don’t have a tava then you can also make this tikka recipe in a frying pan.
6. Paneer manchurian – popular Indo Chinese snack of pan fried paneer cubes coated with a spicy, sweet and tangy sauce. The recipe post shares both dry and gravy version of Paneer manchurian.
7. Paneer 65 – quick and easy to make spicy paneer 65 recipe from Hyderabadi cuisine. In this recipe, I have kept everything easy and simple for a home cook.
8. Paneer bread roll – this is a quick, easy and tasty snack recipe of spiced crumbled paneer stuffed in bread slices and then baked. No onion no garlic recipe.
9. Achari paneer tikka – yet another variation of the popular paneer tikka flavored with pickling spices. if you enjoy biting into pickle and relishing the sour taste of lemon or mango then you will like this recipe.
10. Paneer pakora – These tasty cottage cheese fritters are crisp from outside and soft from inside. You can have them as a snack or serve with rotis or bread.
11. Instant paneer tikka (without curd) – this is a Quick recipe to make delicious paneer tikka at home. In this recipe, there is no time used up for marination. Just mix everything and then fry the tikka pieces individually or skewered in a tooth pic. The best part is you can shallow fry or pan fry the paneer tikkas. You can even fry the tikka on a tava or griddle.
12. Aloo Paneer tikki – an easy and quick recipe for making paneer tikki. It is very simple, quick and has both paneer and potatoes. If you do not have paneer, it alright. I made the same recipe minus paneer and it was great.
13. Paneer hariyali tikka on tawa – this tasty paneer hariyali tikka recipe is made on a tawa or pan. This recipe is simple and easy and gives a really good paneer tikka. Since the paneer cubes are pan fried, they also become crispy.
14. Paneer tikka pizza – looks daunting but trust me this desi pizza is very easy to prepare and taste yum. This delicious paneer tikka pizza is a must try for folks who like paneer, pizza and desi Indian flavors.
15. Paneer paratha – Indian flatbread made with cottage cheese. Paneer paratha is one of the many popular paratha varieties from Punjab. Its an all time favorite paratha at home and is served in most restaurants as well as Punjabi dhabas (road side eateries).
16. Amritsari paneer tikka – tasty starter snack of crisp shallow fried paneer cubes. The paneer cubes are marinated in a mixture of gram flour, spices, herbs and then fried. This tikka recipe comes from the city of Golden Temple – Amritsar in Punjab.
17. Paneer pav bhaji – It is a variation of pav bhaji. There are some variations of pav bhaji which you will get in Mumbai and paneer pav bhaji is one of them.
18. Paneer pizza – this is a yum & delicious homemade pizza made with toppings of paneer and mix veggies. The recipe shared shows how to make the pizza dough and then bake the pizza in an oven.
19. Paneer koliwada recipe – tasty snack made with marinated and batter coated fried paneer cubes. Serve paneer koliwada hot with a side of sliced onions, lemon wedges and mint chutney. Don’t forget to sprinkle some chaat masala
20. Paneer palak kathi roll – easy to prepare and tasty palak paneer wraps. the palak paneer wrap recipe shared here is a simple yet delicious palak paneer bhurji stuffed in a roti wrap along with onions & cheese.
21. Grilled Hariyali paneer tikka in oven – This paneer tikka is made with fresh green herbs which lend a green color to it and thus the name hariyali paneer tikka. The recipe I am sharing is a simple and easy recipe, but one which gives tasty paneer tikka.
22. Paneer bhurji sandwich – this yummy sandwich is stuffed with spiced paneer bhurji and then toasted or grilled. this is a quick paneer recipe as making paneer bhurji does not take time. In case, you have already prepared paneer bhurji, then you just need to toast the sandwiches. these sandwiches are good for a quick brunch, lunch box or for a cocktail party.
26. Paneer cheese cutlet – crisp and melt in the mouth are these pan fried cutlets made with paneer and mozzarella cheese. They are easy and quick to make and serve as a nice party snack or a finger food.
27. Paneer cheese toast sandwich – an easy yet delicious toast sandwich that can be made are these cheesy, spiced paneer cheese toast recipe. the entire paneer cheese toast recipe is made on a tawa.
28. Malai paneer tikka – a popular and delicious variety of paneer tikka that is served in restaurants is malai paneer tikka. Malai tikka has mild light flavors as compared to the regular paneer tikka.
29. Paneer popcorn recipe – an easy to make crispy snack. These crunchy paneer bites can also be called as paneer nuggets. this recipe is lightly spiced and not spicy or pungent.
30. Paneer peas toast sandwich – a simple and healthy toast sandwich recipe made with paneer, green peas and spices. This recipe makes for an easy brunch or snack.
4 paneer recipes with rice
1. Paneer fried rice – Indian inspired delicious recipe of a mildly spiced paneer fried rice with mixed veggies. Instead of paneer you can also use tofu. If you have leftover rice, then the recipe is easy and quick to make.
2. Paneer pulao – aromatic, delicious and mildly spiced paneer pulao recipe. for this paneer pulao, I have ground whole spices to make a fragrant pulao masala. Its this masala, that gives a nice aromatic flavor to the pulao.
3. Paneer biryani – This is a mildly spiced and delicious dum cooked layered paneer biryani. Easy recipe as you just need to marinate the paneer cubes, layer with cooked rice and then dum cook. Serve paneer biryani with raita like a onion-tomato raita or cucumber raita or boondi raita.
4. Pressure cooker paneer biryani – a relatively easy and foolproof recipe of preparing delicious paneer biryani in pressure cooker. This biryani is layered and has the flavors of a dum cooked biryani.
8 sweets recipes made with paneer
1. Kalakand sweet – two ingredient kalakand or Indian milk cake recipe in 15 minutes. only two ingredients are required sweetened condensed milk and paneer or chenna.
2. Gulab jamun recipe – an easy recipe of gulab jamun made with khoya or evaporated milk, paneer and all purpose flour (maida). these soft sugar syrup soaked balls are a treat always.
3. Kala jamun – easy and delicious recipe of kala jamuns made with khoya and paneer. these kala jamuns stay well for about a week in the fridge.
4. Malai ladoo – easy and delicious two ingredient malai or paneer ladoo recipe. These malai ladoos stay good for 4 to 5 days in the fridge.
5. Paneer barfi – one easy recipe of soft sweet fudge made with cottage cheese, condensed milk and cream.
6. Dry Jamun – these delicious dry gulab jamuns are made with khoya (evaporated milk solids) and paneer. Dry is the english word for ‘sukha’ in hindi. As the name suggests these jamuns do not have sugar syrup served with them. Hence these gulab jamuns are known as sukha jamuns.
7. Paneer kheer – quick and easy paneer kheer flavored with cardamom powder, saffron and rose water. Always use fresh milk while making this kheer.
8. Chhena poda – It is a delicious dessert popular in Odisha. Its made with chenna or fresh paneer. The entire dish is baked and can also be called paneer cake. Its also said that chhena poda is the favorite sweet of Lord Jagannath (the presiding deity of Puri Jagannath Temple in Odisha). Chena poda is also made during festivals like Diwali or Durga Puja.