Recipe- Restaurant Style Paneer Lababdar

Paneer lababdar is yet another popular Punjabi delicacy served for roti, naan, jeera pulav and other Indian bread items.

Lababdar recipe is almost similar to paneer butter Masala or the basic Makhani masala, yet the method of making and few extra ingredients gives the difference. When compared to paneer butter masala, my personal choice would be always this paneer lababdar gravy because of the excellent aroma and spice level it holds.

Moreover, the Paneer lababdar gravy goes very well with jeera rice and any kind of mild pulav as it is spicier.

Please do check my Paneer butter masala post. The major difference between butter masala and this restaurant style paneer lababdar is in the masala making. In butter masala, the ingredients are first sautéed in oil before grinding whereas here in lababdar gravy the masala ingredients are boiled in water before grinding into a paste.

Ingredients

200 g paneer
1 tbsp butter unsalted
2 cinnamon sticks
1 bay leaf
1 big onion
¼ tsp turmeric powder
½ tbsp chilli powder
½ tsp coriander powder
¼ tsp jeera powder
2 green chillies
1 tsp salt
½ tsp sugar
1 tbsp fresh cream
1 tbsp grated paneer
¼ tsp garam masala
¼ tsp pepper powder
1 tbsp kasuri methi
1 inch ginger julienne cut
1 cardamom
2 cloves
1 inch ginger
3 garlic pods
2 tomatoes
15 whole cashews

Method

* Chop onion and slit green chillies.

* Wash and chop tomato.

* Cut paneer into cubes. Also, grate a tbsp of paneer and keep aside.

* In a pan take cardamom, cloves, ginger, garlic, chopped tomato, and cashews.

* Add a cup of water and close with a lid.

* Boil these ingredients for 10mins until water is completely absorbed.

* Let these boiled things cool down and grind them into a fine paste. Lababdar masala is ready. Set aside.

* Heat some butter in another kadai, add bay leaf and cinnamon sticks.

* Put chopped onion and saute nicely until onions become soft and transparent.

* Now add the ground masala along with some water and stir quickly.

* Cook the masala for five minutes and add the spice powders turmeric, chilli, coriander powder, and jeera powder respectively. Pour some water to cook the masala.

* Slit green chillies and add into the masala.

* Now add required salt for the gravy and some sugar for taste and mix well.

* Put the chopped paneer cubes and cook for two minutes.

* Mix half a cup of fresh cream or homemade cream and cook for two minutes.

* You can adjust the consistency of the gravy by adding the required water.

* Also, add grated Paneer slices.

* Finally, when gravy starts boiling add garam masala and pepper powder.

* For flavor add crushed kasuri methi(fenugreek) leaves.

* At last, just before serving add julienne cut ginger pieces and mix well.

* Serve hot with roti, naan, paratha or ghee rice.