Paneer Handi | Handi Paneer Recipe
This recipe makes a tasty and creamy dish called Paneer Handi. It’s cooked in a special pot called a handi, commonly used in Indian cooking. A handi is like a wide and shallow pot. If you don’t have a handi, you can still make Paneer Handi using a regular pan or wok.
In this recipe for handi paneer, the creamy sauce is made from cashews, onions, and tomatoes. I’ve added milk powder to give it a subtle sweetness, but you can use cream instead if you prefer.
Making this paneer handi recipe is straightforward and uncomplicated.
In Indian cooking, various recipes are prepared using specific types of pans like handi or kadai, and they often take the name of the pan they’re cooked in.
Handi Paneer recipe is most enjoyable when served hot or warm alongside tandoori rotis, plain naan, butter naan, parathas, rotis, cumin rice, or biryani rice. It can also be enjoyed with plain steamed rice.
How to make Paneer Handi
Soak 3 tablespoons cashews in ⅓ cup hot water for 20 to 30 minutes.
After 20 to 30 minutes, drain all the water and add cashews to a small grinder or blender jar. Also, add 3 to 4 tablespoons of water. Grind or blend cashews to a smooth and fine paste. Keep cashew paste aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons of ghee in a handi, pan, or kadai. Keep the heat low. If you don’t have ghee, you can use a neutral-flavored oil instead.
Next, add 1 small bay leaf, 1-inch piece of cinnamon, 2 cloves, 2 green cardamoms, and 2 individual strands of mace.
Fry the spices on low heat for some seconds till they become aromatic.
Then add ⅓ cup chopped onions.
Mix and begin to saute onions on a low to medium heat stirring often. First, the onions will become translucent. Keep cooking them. If you want to speed up the process, sprinkle a little salt while sautéing. Saute till the onions turn golden stirring often.
Next, add1 teaspoon of ginger-garlic paste, 1 slit green chili, and 1 tablespoon of chopped coriander leaves. Cook them for a few seconds until the strong smell of ginger and garlic disappears.
Then add ½ cup of finely chopped tomatoes.
Mix the tomatoes and begin to saute them on a low to medium heat.
Sauté until the tomatoes become soft and mushy. Make sure they’re cooked thoroughly, and you can see oil separating from the mixture of sautéed onions and tomatoes.
Reduce the temperature and sprinkle in these ground spices:
- ¼ teaspoon of turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon of Kashmiri red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon of garam masala powder
Mix the spice powders and saute for half a minute.
Making paneer handi gravy
Add the prepared cashew paste.
Stir and mix well.
Stir frequently and cook them until you notice oil separating from the sides.
Next, add 2 teaspoons of milk powder. I didn’t use cream, so I’m using milk powder instead. This step is optional. If you have cream, you can add 1 to 2 tablespoons of it after the gravy is ready.
Stir again and mix very well. Now add 1 cup of water.
Stir and mix again to a smooth curry. Season with salt as per taste and mix again.
Simmer the gravy gently for about 6 to 7 minutes over medium-low heat. When it’s ready, you’ll notice small specks of oil floating on the top.
Then add 200 grams paneer cubes and stir to mix. Turn off the heat.
Next, sprinkle in ½ teaspoon of crushed kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves). You can also add a small amount, about 1 to 2 pinches, of nutmeg powder or grated nutmeg.
Stir to gently mix.
Lastly add 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves. Stir and mix again gently.
Serve the Paneer Handi while it’s hot or warm, along with naan, chapati, plain paratha, butter naan, cumin rice, or saffron rice. Enjoy it with your favorite bread or rice!
Recipe Card
Paneer Handi | Handi Paneer Recipe
Ingredients
For cashew paste
- 3 tbsp cashews
- ⅓ cup water
- 3 tbsp water for grinding cashews
Other ingredients
- 2 tbsp Ghee or any neutral flavored oil
- 1 tej patta
- 1 inch cinnamon stick (dalchini)
- 2 cloves (laung)
- 2 green cardamoms (hari elaichi)
- 2 single strands of mace (javitri)
- ⅓ cup chopped onions or 1 medium sized finely chopped onion
- 1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste or 1 inch ginger + 3 to 4 medium sized garlic, crushed in a mortar or pestle to a paste.
- 1 green chilli slit
- 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
- ½ cup finely chopped tomatoes or 1 medium sized finely chopped tomato
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp kashmiri red chilli powder
- ½ tsp garam masala
- 2 tsp milk powder optional, can replace with heavy cream
- 1 cup water
- salt as required
- 200 gms paneer
- ½ tsp kasuri methi crushed (dried fenugeek leaves)
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves cilantro leaves
Instructions
Preparation
- Soak 3 tablespoons cashews in ⅓ cup hot water for 20 to 30 minutes.
- After 20 to 30 minutes, drain all the water and add cashews to a small grinder or blender jar. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of water. Grind or blend cashews to a smooth and fine paste. Keep cashew paste aside.
Making Paneer Handi
- Heat 2 tablespoons of ghee in a handi, pan, or kadai. Keep the heat low.
- Add 1 small bay leaf, 1-inch piece of cinnamon, 2 cloves, 2 green cardamoms, and 2 individual strands of mace.
- Fry the spices on low heat for some seconds till they become aromatic.
- Add ⅓ cup chopped onions.
- Mix and begin to saute onions on a low to medium heat stirring often. First, the onions will become translucent.
- Sprinkle a little salt.
- Saute till the onions turn golden stirring often
- Add1 teaspoon of ginger-garlic paste, 1 slit green chili, and 1 tablespoon of chopped coriander leaves.
- Cook for a few seconds until the strong smell of ginger and garlic disappears.
- Add ½ cup of finely chopped tomatoes.
- Mix the tomatoes and saute them on a low to medium heat.
- Sauté until the tomatoes become soft and mushy. Make sure they’re cooked thoroughly, and you can see oil separating from the mixture of sautéed onions and tomatoes.
- Reduce the temperature.
- Add ¼ teaspoon of turmeric powder
- Add ¼ teaspoon of Kashmiri red chili powder
- Add ½ teaspoon of garam masala powder
- Add the prepared cashew paste.
- Stir and mix well.
- Stir frequently and cook them until you notice oil separating from the sides.
- Add 2 teaspoons of milk powder. If you are using cream, you can add 1 to 2 tablespoons of it after the gravy is ready.
- Stir and mix very well.
- Add 1 cup of water.
- Season with salt as per taste and mix.
- Simmer the gravy gently for about 6 to 7 minutes over medium-low heat.
- Add 200 grams paneer cubes and stir to mix.
- Turn off the heat.
- Sprinkle in ½ teaspoon of crushed kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves).
- You can also add a small amount, about 1 to 2 pinches, of nutmeg powder or grated nutmeg.
- Stir and mix gently.
- Serve the Paneer Handi while it’s hot or warm, along with naan, chapati, plain paratha, butter naan, cumin rice, or saffron rice. Enjoy it with your favorite bread or rice!
Notes
- This recipe can be scaled as per your requirements.
- Use fresh paneer.
- You can also use any neutral flavored oil instead of ghee.
