What is Paneer Lababdar?
Paneer is the Indian cottage cheese and Lababdar means to want something strongly and give in. No wonder this curry is finger-licking good. Once you taste this paneer recipe you will come for seconds. What makes this paneer in creamy gravy exotic is the generous use of cashews and heavy cream. I think it has more of a Mughlai flare to it. Paneer Lababdar makes a great choice for special occasions and fits in the menu so well. I have noticed that whenever it’s subzi roti on the menu, paneer is the most preferred and crowd-friendly dish. You can make this paneer gravy for a potluck, party or to entertain your guests for any celebration.
Ingredients to make Paneer Lababdar.
Like most North Indian curries it has onion, tomatoes, ginger, and garlic. But the usage of onion is much less as compared to Paneer butter masala or Paneer Makhani. Rather than oil, ghee is used to fry the lababdar masala. It additionally uses melon seeds and loads of cashews. To make the paneer gravy rich this recipe uses heavy cream too. Instead of a readymade masala like kitchen king or garam masala I have used whole spice. I promise you that it takes only 1 minute extra of your time to gather and roast these spices. Using whole spices like cardamom i.e elaichi, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorn, bay leaf, mace, and coriander seeds just amplifies the flavor of the gravy. I have even used dried red chilies for the spice and beautiful color of this gravy. If you do not have whole spices or dried chilies go ahead and use the ready-made masala and red chili powder. The best part of making this easy paneer recipe at home is that you can customize it to your taste by smartly changing the proportions of ingredients without affecting the taste. You may reduce the cashews or skip the heavy cream too. If you do not have melon seeds you can replace it with more cashews.
The step-by-step guide.
Making this gravy starts with lightly roasting the whole spices. Instead of frying the onions until brown and then further cooking the tomatoes until softened, this curry is made by boiling everything including cashews and melon seeds. The next step is processing in the blender to form a smooth paste and then frying the paste with spices. I added grated paneer along with cubed ones and finished off with heavy cream.
Pro-tip to make the process easy.
I used to do the steaming process in a pressure cooker for hands-off cooking. Now that I have an Instant Pot I just cook the ingredients in it. You may choose to steam everything in a pot on a stovetop keeping it covered. Stirring 2-3 times in between until everything is softened.
How to serve Paneer Lababdar?
Paneer Lababdar is a low-carb curry so you can pair it with low-carb tortillas or eat on its own on a low-carb diet. I ate it this way during my pregnancy when I had Gestational Diabetes in my last trimester. Or you can serve it with Parathas, naan, tandoori rotis, plain basmati rice, jeera rice or peas carrot pulao goes well with paneer gravy dishes. And a side of raita or a salad completes the meal.
Paneer Lababdar Vs Paneer Makhani
This Indian curry is quite close to Paneer Makhani but not the same. The main difference between paneer lababdar and paneer makhani is that the latter uses butter. Paneer lababdar has a combination of grated paneer and cubed ones giving you an unforgettable paneer experience.
Paneer recipes you need to try!
Badami Paneer Saag Paneer Vegetable Paneer Jalfrezi Shahi Paneer KEEP IN TOUCH – Are we friends yet? Let’s connect on Facebook| Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter. Never miss a recipe. Please subscribe to my blog. It is free! Check out easy recipe videos on my YouTube channel now! Pin this photo for future reference.
Let’s make Paneer Lababdar recipe-
I made this curry in my 6 Qt Instant Pot duo . Stovetop instructions are mentioned too. Pin this recipe for later –
