This Paneer Curry ticks all the boxes for a quick, easy, and really delicious Vegetarian curry. Ready in under 30 minutes, this speedy curry makes a fantastic mid-week meal and is perfect to serve with homemade chapati. Tastes just like the ones from the Indian restaurant in the comfort of your home!
Ditch the takeaway and try this easy homemade version of restaurant-style paneer curry in less than half an hour. Plus, save some money too!
The recipe is really simple, and you really cannot go wrong. This easy Indian curry with paneer is brilliant to serve on curry nights or busy weeknights too. It is made with ingredients you may already have at hand.
Serve with naan bread and a cooling cucumber raita for a delicious combo meal.
Are you a Paneer Lovers? try these 30-minute Paneer recipes - Jain Paneer Makhani(without onion and garlic) or Paneer Butter Masala
Jump to:
- Sandhya's Top Tips
- Why Should You Try this Recipe?
- How to Make Paneer Curry Recipe?
- What to Serve with Paneer Curry?
- What can I do with a Leftover Paneer block in the fridge?
- Cooking with Paneer Tips
- Storing Paneer Curry
- Recipe FAQ's
- More Easy Vegetarian Indian Curry Recipes
- Easy Paneer Curry Recipe (Restaurant style)
Sandhya's Top Tips
- My number #1 Tip for cooking a curry. Although you can make this paneer curry in 15 minutes too, I always suggest cooking the onion and tomato masala really well, until the raw flavours from them are gone! This is one of my secrets to getting the BEST flavours from Indian curry.
- Soak the Paneer in hot water for at least 10 minutes and then add it to the curry. It makes such a difference to the texture in paneer recipes.
- Paneer dishes freeze really well. So make a large batch and enjoy throughout the week.
Why Should You Try this Recipe?
- Quick and Easy Vegetarian curry in hurry!
- Budget-friendly side dish.
- You have a Paneer block lying in your fridge.
- Perfect for batch cooking. Make ahead a large batch, portion, and freeze for later.
- Serves brilliantly for every occasion - Curry nights, Midweek meals, Weeknights, special occasions or festive occasions like Diwali, Christmas, or more.
- Easy to customize with ingredients available in your pantry.
- Dietary needs - Vegetarian, Gluten free, and Nut free.
How to Make Paneer Curry Recipe?
Step 1: Heat oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Add the cumin seeds. Allow it to crackle and become fragrant - About 30-40 seconds.
Step 2: Add diced red onion, ginger, and garlic. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, until the onion is translucent and soft.
Step 3: Add the tinned tomatoes and spices.
Step 4: Cook the mixture over high heat and simmer for a further 8-10 minutes or until the mixture comes together.
Add ½ -¾ cup of water or vegetable stock to the mixture and blend them to a smooth puree. If you like it chunky, you can leave out the blending step.
Step 5: Add the red pepper, sliced green chilli, paneer, cream, garam masala and coriander leaves.
Stir well and heat through for another 1 minute.
Step 6: Finish off with a teaspoon of Kasuri methi and ½ teaspoon chilli flakes for extra heat.
Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately with homemade chapati, naan bread or rice.
What to Serve with Paneer Curry?
Flatbreads: Serve this super-easy homemade paneer curry with homemade chapati, naan bread, or yogurt flatbread.
Rice: You can also serve it with white basmati rice, brown basmati rice, yellow pilau rice, veg pilau rice, or Indian spiced cauliflower rice.
This paneer curry also goes brilliantly as a component of a vegetarian Indian thali or in a buffet spread.
What can I do with a Leftover Paneer block in the fridge?
Thinking about what to make using leftover Paneer? There are plenty of curry recipes you can use Paneer in - Palak Paneer, Paneer Bhurji, Paneer Butter masala, or Paneer Matar. They are delicious in any gravy curry and will absorb flavours well.
You can also use Paneer to make Paneer Tikka or Paneer Paratha or a Paneer Biryani.
It can be used in making a sandwich filling, a burger patty and so much more.
Cooking with Paneer Tips
- Soak Paneer in Hot Water for at least 10 minutes before using it in the curries. This step is important in rehydrating the paneer, bringing back its crisp white colour and soft texture.
- REMEMBER Never to Cook the paneer in the curry for too long as it can become rubbery and hard. You need to add them towards the end of cooking. I see a lot of recipes where the paneer is cooked for 10-15 minutes. I suggest you don't do it, else you will not be able to enjoy the soft, spongy paneer in the curries.
- It is not necessary to fry the paneer in butter/ ghee or oil to add to the curry. You can add them straight to the gravy.
- Adjust the spices to your liking. For a guide on how different spices and sauces affect the taste of curry, see What Does Curry Taste Like?
Storing Paneer Curry
- Fridge – Store leftover paneer curry in an air-tight container for up to 3 days in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove top and enjoy.
- Freezer – Paneer dishes freeze well. So it's a great idea to batch cook for later. Allow the curry to cool completely and place it in a freezer-safe container and store for up to 3 months. Thaw the curry overnight in the fridge or defrost it in the microwave and then heat thoroughly before serving.
Recipe FAQ's
You can easily find Paneer in most local UK grocery stores or superstores like Tesco, Sainsbury's, ASDA, Morrisons and Waitrose. They are easy to find at Asian stores as well as at Costco.
I highly recommend soaking the shop-bought paneer in hot water for at least 10 minutes before use. Drain well, pat dry and use straight away or pan fry the paneer, it will be really, really soft to enjoy.
Always add Paneer at the last stage of cooking a curry. Do not cook the paneer for too long, as it can turn rubbery and chewy in texture.
Use Tofu or chickpeas instead of Paneer in the curry for a Vegan option.
Fridge - Store any leftover paneer in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezer - Dice or cube the paneer and store the shop-bought paneer in freezer-safe bags in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To rehydrate, add the paneer cubes to hot water for at least 10 minutes. Drain the excess water and use it in your curries or dishes. Once defrosted, do not freeze it again.
Yes, you can freeze paneer curry as long as you are using fresh paneer in the recipe.
More Easy Vegetarian Indian Curry Recipes
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoon oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 inch ginger grated
- 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 medium red pepper diced
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi dried fenugreek leaves
- 2 teaspoon fresh coriander
- 250 g Paneer diced
- ¾ cup water vegetable stock
- 3 tablespoon cream
- ½ teaspoon chilli flakes optional
Instructions
- Add paneer to a bowl of hot water. Allow it to rest for 10 minutes. Drain the water.250 g Paneer
- Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add Cumin seeds.2 teaspoon oil, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- When they crackle and become fragrant, add onion, ginger, and garlic. Saute for 4-5 minutes or until the onion has softened and is translucent.1 medium onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1 inch ginger
- Now add the tinned tomatoes, salt, black pepper, cumin, coriander, cardamom powder, turmeric and chilli powder. Bring it to a boil and then cook over medium heat for further 8-10 minutes or until the masala mixture, comes together.400 g tin chopped tomatoes, ½ teaspoon turmeric, ½ teaspoon chilli powder, ½ teaspoon ground cardamom, ¾ teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, salt to taste, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- If you like the curry smooth, blend the onion and tomato masala until you have a smooth mixture. Add the sauce back to the pan, along with ¾ cup of water.¾ cup water
- Add the red pepper, sliced green chilli and mix them into the curry. Cook for a further 2 minutes.1 medium red pepper
- Now add the paneer, cream, garam masala and coriander leaves. Stir well and heat through for another 1 minute.2 teaspoon fresh coriander, 250 g Paneer, 3 tablespoon cream, 1 teaspoon garam masala
- To finish off, add a teaspoon of kasuri methi rubbed between your palm and ½ teaspoon chilli flakes for extra heat.1 teaspoon kasuri methi, ½ teaspoon chilli flakes
- Transfer to serving bowl and serve immediately with homemade chapati, naan bread or rice.
Notes
Expert Tips
- My top tip for any curry: take the time to cook the onion-tomato masala well—no raw flavours! It’s my secret to the BEST curry flavours.
- Soak paneer in hot water for 10 minutes before adding—it makes such a difference to the texture.
- Paneer freezes beautifully. Make a big batch, enjoy through the week, or store leftovers in the fridge up to 3 days, or freezer up to 3 months
Bill Q says
Really tasty curry, going to become one of my staples.
I replaced the cream with Greek yoghurt which also worked well. That said, I'll try it with the cream next time.
Sandhya Hariharan says
That's fantastic to know you loved this simple paneer curry. It's the simple steps and the way the curry sauce base is cooked makes all the difference.
Nicholas Parkes says
tasty curry thanks
used doible the paneer
Sandhya Hariharan says
Great to hear Nicholas!
Graham Monck says
Really nice curry very enjoyable and easy to follow recipe thanks
Sandhya says
Glad to know Graham. Its a speedy simple paneer curry recipe - perfect for takeaway nights too!
Shay L. says
You weren't kidding about this being Curry in a hurry! I loved how quickly this meal came together. It'll be a go-to for weeknight meals!
Alison Saalbach Corey says
I appreciate how you prioritize convenience without compromising on flavor and nutrition. Your recipes have encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and explore new flavors.
TAYLER ROSS says
I made this curry for dinner last night and fell in love with how flavorful it was! Thanks so much for sharing!
dina and bruce miller says
My son prepared this for us, and WOW! So tasty!!
Tavo says
Hey there! Your paneer curry post is absolutely fantastic! The flavors are truly exceptional, and the paneer itself is so wonderfully tender. I was blown away by the perfect balance of spices, creating a delightful symphony of taste in every bite. Your recipe instructions were clear and easy to follow, making it a breeze to recreate this mouthwatering dish.
Nathan says
I love this paneer curry, such perfect flavors, and fantastic that it's vegetarian too! Thanks for the recipe!
Cara says
I really enjoyed this recipe! And it was so easy to make thanks to all the step by step photos in this post. Thank you!
Vicky says
Simply one of the easiest paneer curry I have ever tried. My family enjoyed it with garlic naan. Thank you.