Paneer Do Pyaza | Paneer Dopiaza

One of the blogs I follow religiously is Savoury and Sweet Food by Sadia Mohamed. Do visit her blog and you will know why I say that. Not only does Sadia cook the most amazing food, she photographs it beautifully too. The moment I saw her Mutton Do Pyaza pics, I knew I had to adapt it to a vegetarian version.

And adapt I did. It turned out to be a super delicious treat this weekend.

This recipe has essentially two ingredients—paneer and onions—cooked in a variety of spices. The onion plays a starring role in this dish; grated onion is used in the marinade and finely sliced onions are used in the making of the curry base. Hence the name, Paneer Do Pyaza (also spelt as Paneer Dopiaza), which literally means “with two onions”.

I originally intended to make Bhindi do Pyaza but then opted for Paneer Do Pyaza as it did not need additional cooking. Now that I have made this dish once, I intend to experiment with Anda Do Pyaza and Bhindi Do Pyaza.

How to Make Paneer Do Pyaza | Paneer Dopiaza

Serves: 4

Marinating Time: 1 hour

Cooking Time: 1 hour

Ingredients for the Curry

1. Paneer – 250 gms
2. Finely Sliced Onions – 4 Packed Cups
3. Ghee – 3 tbsp
4. Sugar – 1 tsp
5. Fresh Grated Ginger – 1/2 tsp
6. Fresh Minced Garlic – 1/2 tsp
7. Green Cardamom – 2
8. Cinnamon – 1? Stick
9. Cloves – 2
10. Green Chillies – 2
11. Black Pepper Powder – 1/4 tsp
12. Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder/Deghi Mirch – 1 tsp
13. Coriander Powder – 1 tsp
14. Fenugreek Seeds – 1/4 tsp
15. Turmeric – 1/4 tsp
16. Salt to Taste

Ingredients for the Marinade

1. Dahi or Yogurt – 4 tbsp
2. Grated Onion – 2 tbsp
3. Fresh Grated Ginger – 1/2 tsp
4. Minced Fresh Garlic – 2/3 tsp
5. Red Chilli Powder – 1/2 tsp (Use Kashmiri Mirch, if you don’t like spicy food)
6. Turmeric – 1/4 tsp
7. Salt – 1/2 tsp

To Marinade the Paneer

1. Mix all the ingredients listed under Ingredients for Marinade.
2. Dice the paneer into 1″ cubes.
3. Add the paneer to the marinade.
4. Mix well and set aside for 1 hour.

Other Preparations

1. Pound the cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom. Set aside.
2. Pound the fenugreek seeds. Set aside.
3. Slit the green chillies. Set aside.

Method to Make the Paneer Do Pyaza

1. In a kadhai, heat 1 tbsp ghee.
2. Add 1 cup finely sliced onions, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp salt.
3. Stir-fry till the onions are golden brown.
4. Remove the onions and set aside.
5. To the same kadhai, add 2 tbsp of ghee.
6. Add the pounded cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom.
7. Stir-fry till they emit a sweet aroma.
8. Add the sugar and mix well till it dissolves.
9. Add the remaining slit green chillies, sliced onions, and 1/4 tsp salt.
10. Stir-fry till the onions just start to turn brown.
11. Add the pounded fenugreek seeds, grated ginger, and minced garlic.
12. Stir-fry for a couple of minutes till the raw smells of ginger and garlic disappear.
13. Remove the paneer from the marinade.
14. Add to the kadhai and mix well.
15. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes.
16. Add in the turmeric, coriander powder, chilli powder and black pepper powder.
17. Mix well.
18. Lower to heat to low.
19. Add the marinade.
20. Mix well.
21. Cook well, while stirring continuously, till the ghee starts to appear at the sides.
22. Add the crispy fried onions.
23. Mix well.
24. Add about 1/3 cup water.
25. Cook covered for 5 minutes till the gravy turns thick.
26. Add salt. Be careful with the salt as there is some in the marinade and the fried onions.
27. Mix well.
28. Cover and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.
29. Serve hot with rotis, naans, or parathas.

Tips

• This is one curry where more onion means more flavour. Do not reduce the quantity.
• You can use Mustard Oil instead of Ghee. If you do, heat it till it starts to smoke and is transparent before cooking in it.
• Use Deghi Mirch or Kashmiri Mirchi Powder to get the red colour but not the heat of a regular chilli powder. I used a mix of both.