Achari Paneer Recipe

Achari Paneer is a North Indian dish of Indian cottage cheese simmered with pickling spices and yogurt. It tastes spicy, hot, creamy and tangy with a burst of flavors from the unique fresh ground achari masala (spice blend). Like many other paneer dishes, this one is popular in the households and restaurants. It is best eaten with flatbreads like Roti, Paratha, Tandoori Roti, Butter Naan or plain Basmati rice.

Achari dishes are popular in the Indian sub-continent and usually made with paneer, vegetables, chicken and mutton. While Achari Paneer is more popular among the vegetarians, the meat versions like the Chicken Achari and Achari Gohst are much loved by the meat-eaters.

About Achari Paneer

Whenever my family is bored with the creamy cashew and tomato based paneer curries, I prefer to make this. Though this recipe uses onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic and chili powder like any other curried dishes, it tastes completely different due to the inclusion of curd, bell peppers and achari masala.

Spices like kalonji (onion seeds), mustard seeds, methi seeds and fennel impart those beautiful achari flavors to the dish. For best flavors mustard oil is used but you can use any other oil if you can’t eat mustard oil. While you can make this dish without tomatoes and use only curd, I prefer to cut down the amount of curd & use a small quantity of tomatoes to keep the dish lighter for digestion.

For a long time I failed to replicate the flavors of restaurant achari dishes, until I figured out the trick from Chef Sanjay thumma. A lot of Indian restaurants use pureed bell peppers to infuse some peppery notes. You will be surprised at how delicious this tastes.

For an extra punch of flavors, you may stir in a teaspoon of pickle/ achar to the finished dish. Achari Paneer is best eaten during the monsoon or winters. If you like to make paneer at home, you can check this post on how to make paneer.

For more Paneer Recipes, check
Paneer butter masala
Palak paneer
Paneer lababdar
Paneer do pyaza
Matar paneer

Photo Guide

How to make Achari Paneer (Stepwise Photos)

Preparation

1. To a spice grinder jar, add the following spices:

• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 
• 2 dried red chilies (deseed for low heat, use more for extra spicy)
• ½ teaspoon mustard seeds (yellow or brown rai, avoid using more)
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds 
• 1 pinch methi seeds (fenugreek seeds, avoid using more, it can make the dish bitter)

2. Make a fine powder. Your achari masala is ready. Keep it aside.

3. Add ⅓ to ½ cup ripe tomatoes and ⅓ to ½ cup green or red bell peppers (capsicum) to the same jar.

4. Make a fine puree.

Make Achari Masala

5. Whisk ⅓ cup curd very well and leave it at room temperature to use a little later. Heat 2 tablespoons mustard oil & any other oil in a pan. Add ½ teaspoon kalonji seeds (onion seeds).

6. Add ⅛ teaspoon hing / asafoetida.

7. When the kalonji splutters, add ½ cup finely chopped onions.

8. Saute them until golden brown. Add 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste and saute just until the raw smell goes away, for a minute.

9. Lower the heat & add the achari masala. Saute well just for 1 to 2 mins until the aroma comes out from the spices. Make sure you do not over fry it as it may make the dish bitter.

10. Pour in the pureed capsicum and tomato. Saute this until all the moisture evaporates.

11. Add

• ⅛ teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

12. Saute this until the mixture leaves the pan. Make sure you do not do it on a high flame or for long time.

13. Lower the flame/ heat completely. Add half of the curd and mix it well until combined. Make sure the curd is at room temperature and is whisked well before adding to the pan. Add the other half and repeat mixing.

14. Saute this till the masala leaves the pan and becomes thick. Pour ¾ cup water and mix well to make gravy.

15. Cover and cook till it becomes thick and traces of oil are visible on top. Stir in 200 grams cubed paneer and ¼ inch ginger slice peeled & julienned.

20. Cook covered for 2 mins on a low heat, overcooking can make the paneer chewy. Taste test and adjust salt. If you want stir in 1 teaspoon of achar or lemon juice at the time of serving.

Transfer achari paneer masala to a serving bowl. Garnish with 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with Tandoori Roti, Basmati rice or with Jeera rice. This Onion salad or Cucumber Salad on the side will be loved by everyone.

FAQs

Related Recipes

Recipe Card