Dhaba Style Paneer Curry - Healthier Version with Less Fat

Quick Dhaba style Paneer curry, but with less Oil and in much healthier way. A quick and easy Dhaba style Paneer Masala curry recipe.

Paneer curry has to be one of most ordered curry is Punjabi dhaba (roadside eateries on highways). If you love to travel and do frequent road side trip you know Dhaba plays a vital real in your eating out strategy. At least in my travel strategy we plan couple of stopovers to relish the piping hot freshly prepared simple food in these eateries.

Dhaba food is freshly prepared and is super tasty I agree but most of it comes laden with overload of ghee and butter. Which is acceptable to some extent when you are on vacation or you are eating this occasionally. But if you are like me, there are more chances of craving that super tasty dal or that scrumptious and spicy paneer curry that you ate during the indulgence period :D. So, many a times, I make do with these healthier versions (well at least healthier than original anyways).

When You are cooking any thing dhaba style, first thing that is important is the food should be well cooked (as they say Bhuna hua). The use of simple and easy to procure ingredients is another USP of dhaba style food. Here’s my version of this popular dhaba style Paneer curry. Also, in this recipe I have not used kasoori methi ( dried fenugreek leaves) but you can go ahead and use it if you like the taste.

Dhaba style paneer curry tastes best with Naan, Tandoori Roti and tandoori paratha, I often serve this with laccha paratha as well.

Tips for Making Dhaba Style Paneer Curry

1. Always use fresh ingredients.
2. Try and use fresh Paneer (full fat tastes better). I mostly use my homemade paneer.
3. Cook the food till it really looks well roasted.
4. Most of the dhaba style food made with simple and easily available ingredients and most of the times it involves using lot of butter and ghee.

But remember, when you are making dhaba style Paneer curry at home, you always have a choice of using less ghee and butter. 

Dhaba Style Paneer Curry Recipe in Hindi

Paneer Curry Dhaba Style

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Course: curry, Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian, indian cuisine, north indian, punjabi

Author: Rekha Kakkar

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp Ghee
• 1 Tsp Butter
• 2 bay leaves Tej Patta
• 1 cinnamon stick Dal Cheeni
• 2 Black Cardamon
• 1 Green Cardamon
• 2 cloves
• 150 g onions Chopped
• 1 Tsp Ginger Chopped
• 2 green chillies chopped
• ¼ cup yogurt
• 1 cup Tomatoes Puree
• 2 Tsp coriander powder
• 1 Tsp Cumin Powder
• 1 Tsp Red chilli powder
• 1 Tbsp Roasted Gram Flour
• 1 Tsp Turmeric Powder
• to taste salt
• 250 g paneer

Instructions

• In a pan heat up the ghee and add bay leaf, cinnamon stick, black cardamom, Green cardamom, cloves and cumin.
• Fry them for 1 minute and add chopped onion and cook them till slightly brown in colour.
• Now add in chopped green chillies, turmeric powder and cumin powder, stir to combine.
• Add in curd or yogurt and cook for 4-5 minutes while stirring it continuously.
• Now add in Coriander powder, red chilli powder and salt. Mix well.
• Add fresh tomato puree and cook for 7-8 minutes on medium heat. Stir in between.
• When masala is cooked add roasted gram flour/besan and cook for 3-4 minutes.
• Add 1 cup of water (add more if you prefer thin gravy) and mix well. Bring the gravy to boil and add paneer which is cut into cubes.
• Cook the paneer in gravy for 5 minutes and add butter. Combine everything, switch off the heat and serve the Dhaba style paneer curry hot with Naan, chapati or paratha.