Luscious paneer cubes dunked in an aromatic, sweet, and slightly spicy gravy, this Restaurant Style Paneer Lababdar recipe is flavorful and worth trying!
This classic and tasty curry dish tastes best with Indian flatbreads like naan, paratha, tandoori roti, or even with jeera rice.
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Whenever I plan on organizing a party or an Indian festive dinner, at least one paneer-based dish is always on my menu list.
Yesterday, it was My husband’s birthday. And I decided to make this paneer lababdar with Tandoori roti. Being a paneer lover, My family loved this dish so much.
Recipes made out of Paneer are not just tasty but its quite filling and It’s a good protein option for vegetarians. Paneer takes on the flavor of anything you add it to. It’s creamy like cheese.
There are so many Indian paneer recipes that my family love: palak paneer, paneer pizza, paneer mattar, Paneer lababdar, paneer makhni, paneer pulao, paneer butter masala, paneer wrap, paneer tikka and the list goes on.
Out of all, Paneer lababdar is our favorite. This dish is lip-smacking and has my heart!
What is Paneer Lababdar?
Paneer Lababdar is an easy-to-make, restaurant-style authentic Punjabi curry dish that has a luscious combination of cubed paneer (cottage cheese) and exotic gravy made from tomato, chopped onions, cashew nuts, melon seeds, and whole spices.
This vegetarian Paneer Lababdar recipe is also naturally gluten-free.
To get the melt-in-mouth velvety and hunky texture in the gravy, I have added a generous amount of grated paneer in gravy too.
This paneer gravy dish is served in many restaurants worldwide and is very popular for its uniquely rich textures and sumptuous flavors.
Its richness, creaminess and unique taste will wow you every time.
Why it is called Lababdar?
I googled to know the meaning of Lababdar and I found one FB post. This word means a strong desire for something and a complete surrender when you get it!
Lababdar as a term is attached to this dish to signify the complete surrender of one’s taste buds to this dish ‘Paneer Lababdar’.
Why I love this curry?
- has flavorsome gravy
- perfectly apt to make for festive or special occasions, or when you simply want to indulge in something very delicious and exceptional.
- goes very well with Indian bread like Butter and Garlic Naan, Laccha Paratha and can be served with Jeera Rice as well.
- It’s mildly spiced so it’s perfect for kids too.
Ingredients required
Tomatoes: like many paneer curry recipes, giving the dish a bit of tang, tomatoes are an important ingredient in the gravy. Be sure to choose tomatoes that are bright red and aren’t too tangy or sour. Roma tomatoes work best. Instead of tomatoes, you can use canned diced tomatoes or tomato puree.
Cashews and melon seeds: It gives creamy consistency and adds a little bit of sweetness to paneer lababdar.
Onions: it adds some sweetness and a slightly sharp flavor to the curry.
Kashmiri red chilies: I used Kashmiri dried red chilies. Do not skip dried red chilies as they provide a unique flavor and a beautiful color.
Whole spices: In this recipe, whole spices like Cumin seeds (Jeera), Bay leaf, Cinnamon stick, Cloves, Green cardamom, and Black peppercorns are used.
Spices: Most of the spices (turmeric powder, salt, red chili powder, and garam masala) used in this recipe are common and you probably already have them in your kitchen. Red chili powder and garam masala are optional as we are already adding red dried chilies and whole spices.
Paneer (Indian cottage cheese): This is the main ingredient in the dish. Always use the best quality fresh paneer when making this curry. It makes delicious paneer lababdar. So if possible, use fresh homemade paneer. However, if you don’t have time to make paneer from scratch at home, you can surely use store-bought paneer. If you are using a store-bought paneer, simply soak it in warm water for about 15-20 minutes. Drain and then cut into cubes and add them to the gravy. This soaking will make paneer softer.
Ginger: I have added ginger twice in this recipe. One in making gravy and one with paneer. The addition of sautéed ginger juliennes in oil+butter brings out more flavors and aroma. So it is advisable to add ginger juliennes.
Cream: Adding cream also adds to the sweetness and richness in the paneer lababdar gravy making it a restaurant-style dish.
Kasuri Methi: The addition of Kasuri methi in paneer lababdar adds a nice aroma and flavor to this curry which is beyond delicious. It creates a huge difference in flavor profile, so it is highly recommended not to skip adding it to the curry.
Sugar: Adding some kind of sweetener is a must in this recipe. I have added sugar. You can swap sugar with honey or maple syrup. Adjust sugar according to
Butter and oil: This is a rich curry that is cooked in butter or ghee. I have used oil to make the gravy and butter for the curry. If you don’t want to add butter, then you can certainly use only oil.
How to make Paneer Lababdar? Step by step process
For tomato gravy
Heat oil in a pan or Kadai, add the cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves, black peppercorn, green cardamom, and red dried chilies. Sauté them for a minute. (image 1 and 2)
Add onions, green chilies, ginger, and garlic cloves, cook until onions are light brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. (image 2 and 3))
Add tomatoes, cashew, melon seeds, salt to taste, and 2 cup water, cover it and cook for 8-10 minutes on a high flame. Stir once or twice in between. (image 4 to 7)
Cooldown the mixture and grind them into a fine paste. Strain them using strain and keep it aside. (image 8 to 11)
For Paneer Lababdar curry
Heat butter in a pan, add ginger and sauté for a minute, add the freshly prepared tomato-onion gravy. (image 11 and 12)
Add water to adjust the consistency. Add salt(if needed) and turmeric powder. Mix well. Cover and cook for 7 to 8 minutes. (image 14 and 15)
Open the lid, add red chili powder, garam masala, grated paneer, and mix well. Now add Kasuri methi, paneer cubes and, fresh cream. Mix well without breaking the delicate paneer cubes and cook for a minute. (image 16 to 20)
Add fresh coriander, mix well switch off the flame. (image 21 and 22)
Serve hot with roti or paratha, Sirke vale pyaaz, Gulab jamun and enjoy!
Quick FAQs
Yes, sure you can do that.
I would recommend not to skip the cream.
Yes of course! Simply skip the onion and garlic and adjust the spices accordingly.
Add almonds instead of cashew.
Replace firm tofu, seitan, tempeh with paneer. Skip adding cream altogether or replace it with coconut cream. Add oil instead of butter.
Yes, you can easily freeze paneer lababdar curry.
I would recommend you to add paneer while serving. To freeze, transfer cooled gravy in a freezer-safe container and freeze it for up to 1 month. Simply thaw gravy at room temperature and add paneer cubes and grated paneer while reheating in a microwave or stove when you want to eat it.
Yes, it is possible to make this curry in advance. This is a great option to make this curry a day before, especially when you are having a party at home. This way you will save a lot of time on that day.
So, make this delicious dish for your next house party and I am sure everyone will lick their hands after eating this yummy simple Paneer gravy.
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Paneer Lababdar
Ingredients
For Tomato onion gravy
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1- inch Cinnamon stick
- 3 Cloves
- 3 green cardamom.
- 4 Black peppercorns
- ¾ cup Onion
- 1 green chilli
- 1 inch Ginger
- 6 Garlic cloves
- 15 Cashew nuts
- 1 tablespoon Melon seeds
- 2 cups chopped tomatoes
- 5 Whole Kashmiri red chili
- Salt to taste
- 2 cups Water
For making paneer lababdar
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon Ginger julienne
- ½ cup Water
- 100 gram Paneer grated
- 350 gram Paneer cubes
- 2 teaspoon Sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Garam masala
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder optional
- 1 tablespoon Fresh cream/heavy cream
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoon Fresh coriander
Instructions
For stove-top
For tomato gravy
- Heat oil in a pan or Kadai, add the cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves, black peppercorn, green cardamom, and red dried chilies. Sauté them for a minute.
- Add onions, green chilies, ginger, and garlic cloves, cook until onions are light brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, cashew, melon seeds, salt to taste, and 2 cup water, cover it and cook for 8-10 minutes on a high flame. Stir once or twice in between.
- Cooldown the mixture and grind them into a fine paste. Strain them using straine and keep it aside.
For Paneer Lababdar curry
- Heat butter in a wok, add ginger and sauté for a minute, add the freshly prepared tomato-onion gravy.
- Add water to adjust the consistency. Add salt(if needed) and turmeric powder. Mix well. Cover and cook for 7 to 8 minutes.
- Open the lid, Add red chili powder, garam masala, grated paneer and mix well. Now add Kasuri methi, paneer cubes and, fresh cream. Mix well without breaking the delicate paneer cubes and cook for a minute.
For instant pot
- Press the saute button and heat oil in an inner pot of instant pot.
- Now add the cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves, black peppercorn, green cardamom, and red dried chilies. Sauté them for a minute.
- Add onions, green chilies, ginger, and garlic cloves, cook until onions are light brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, cashew, melon seeds, salt to taste, and 2 cup water.
- Cover the IP with its locking lid, vent valve on seasing position.
- Now press the pressure cook button and set the timer for 5 minutes under high pressure.
- Once cooking time is done, let the pressure release naturally.
- Open the lid. Cooldown the mixture and grind them into a fine paste. Strain them using strain and keep it aside.
- Press the saute button again of your instant pot.
- Add butter and let it melt. Now add ginger and sauté for a minute, add the freshly prepared tomato-onion gravy.
- Let the gravy come to a boil. Add ½ cup water to adjust the consistancy. Add salt(if needed), turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala, kasuri methi and mix well.
- Now add grated paneer, paneer cubes, heavy cream and cilantro. Let it cook for a minute, give it a quick and gentle stir and switch off the instant pot.
Video
Nutrition
Warm regards,
Dhwani.
What was the cream that was used ?
What brand was it?
Hi,
I have used Horizon brand Heavy whipping cream. 🙂
Thank you Dhwani Mehta ! I tried this recipe and it was a hit ! 👏🏻
Did not have cream and melon seeds on hand so gave them a miss . Will try to incorporate the melon seeds next time . I personally felt that cream was not missed. Appreciate your detailed version of this recipe .
So glad to know. Thank you! 🙂
Paneer Labandar was just delicious. It has a texture of a restaurant paneer gravy.
So glad to know. Thanks 🙂