Paneer Chettinad Curry Recipe | Chettinad Pepper Paneer Masala with detailed photo and video recipe. An extremely simple and tasty South Indian gravy-based paneer curry recipe. It is loaded with spices and herbs with an additional ingredient of fresh coconut grate for a thick and creamy gravy paste. It is an ideal South Indian curry recipe, inspired by the popular chettinad-based meat curries served with a choice of bread, roti, and chapati.
Paneer Chettinad Curry Recipe | Chettinad Pepper Paneer Masala with step-by-step photo and video recipe. South Indian cuisine mainly focuses on fresh vegetables mixed with a range of spices and herbs. These are generally served as a side to dal rice or sambar rice combo meal or served as dry sabzi for roti and chapati. However, you may also get some South Indian paneer curries and paneer Chettinad curry recipes known for their spices, flavours, and taste.
As I was explaining previously, South Indians do not deal with paneer or tofu to make their curries. However, there are myriad types of meat or nonveg curries that use a series of spice mixes to prepare them. Paneer is the ideal alternative for these meat-based curries when prepared for vegetarians, as it helps absorb the spice flavour and releases its creaminess to the spicy gravy. One such, authentic meat-based curry range is Chettinad curries with paneer replacing the meat variant. Apart from the typical onion, garlic, and tomato use, it is also loaded with coconut grate, which helps to get the thick gravy. I personally, prepare this, especially for my North Indian Guests, and serve it with chapati or phulka. Do try this paneer curry variant and do surprise your guests or friends.
Finally, I request you to check my other related Paneer Recipes with this post on paneer Chettinad curry. It mainly includes my different types of recipes like Paneer Pancake Recipe, Paneer Chingari Recipe, Lunch Thali Recipe, Matar Paneer Recipe, Matar Paneer Pulao Recipe, Veg Egg Curry Recipe, Dahi Ke Kabab Recipe, Paneer Do Pyaza Recipe – Dhaba Style, Paneer Ghotala Recipe, paneer pepper masala. Further to these, I would also like to add more recipe categories like,
Paneer Chettinad Curry video recipe:
Recipe Card for chettinad pepper paneer masala:
Paneer Chettinad Curry Recipe | Chettinad Pepper Paneer Masala
Ingredients
for masala paste:
- 1 tsp oil
- ¾ tsp fennel
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 star anise
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ tsp cloves
- 3 pods cardamom
- 1 javitri
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 5 dried red chilli
- few curry leaves
- ½ cup coconut, grated
- water, for grinding
for curry:
- 3 tbsp oil
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ tsp fennel
- 1 tsp cumin
- few curry leaves
- 1 onion, sliced
- 4 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1 inch ginger, finely chopped
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- ¼ tsp cumin powder
- ½ tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 3 cup water
- 17 cubes paneer
- 2 tbsp coriander, chopped
Instructions
- firstly, in a pan heat 1 tsp oil. add ¾ tsp fennel, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp coriander seeds, ½ tsp pepper, 1 star anise, 1 bay leaf, ½ tsp cloves, 3 pods cardamom, 1 javitri, 1 inch cinnamon, 5 dried red chilli and a few curry leaves.
- roast on low flame until the spices turn aromatic.
- now add ½ cup coconut and roast until the coconut turns golden brown.
- cool completely and transfer to the mixer jar.
- add water and grind to a smooth paste. Chettinad masala paste is ready, keep it aside.
- in a large kadai heat 3 tbsp oil. add 1 bay leaf, ½ tsp fennel, 1 tsp cumin and a few curry leaves.
- saute until the spices turn aromatic.
- further add 1 onion, 4 clove garlic, 1 inch ginger and saute until the onions turn golden brown.
- keeping the flame on low, add ½ tsp turmeric, ½ tsp chilli powder, ¼ tsp cumin powder, ½ tsp coriander powder and 1 tsp salt.
- saute until the spices turn aromatic.
- now add 1 tomato and saute until the tomato turns soft and mushy.
- add in prepared Chettinad masala paste and cook until the oil separates from the sides.
- now add 3 cup water and mix well adjusting the consistency as required.
- once the gravy comes to a boil, add 17 cubes paneer and mix well.
- simmer for 10 minutes or until the flavours are absorbed well.
- finally, add 2 tbsp coriander and enjoy Paneer Chettinad Curry with roti or rice.
Nutrition
How to make paneer chettinad curry with step by step photo:
- firstly, in a pan heat 1 tsp oil. add ¾ tsp fennel, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp coriander seeds, ½ tsp pepper, 1 star anise, 1 bay leaf, ½ tsp cloves, 3 pods cardamom, 1 javitri, 1 inch cinnamon, 5 dried red chilli and a few curry leaves.
- roast on low flame until the spices turn aromatic.
- now add ½ cup coconut and roast until the coconut turns golden brown.
- cool completely and transfer to the mixer jar.
- add water and grind to a smooth paste. Chettinad masala paste is ready, keep it aside.
- in a large kadai heat 3 tbsp oil. add 1 bay leaf, ½ tsp fennel, 1 tsp cumin and a few curry leaves.
- saute until the spices turn aromatic.
- further add 1 onion, 4 clove garlic, 1 inch ginger and saute until the onions turn golden brown.
- keeping the flame on low, add ½ tsp turmeric, ½ tsp chilli powder, ¼ tsp cumin powder, ½ tsp coriander powder and 1 tsp salt.
- saute until the spices turn aromatic.
- now add 1 tomato and saute until the tomato turns soft and mushy.
- add in prepared Chettinad masala paste and cook until the oil separates from the sides.
- now add 3 cup water and mix well adjusting the consistency as required.
- once the gravy comes to a boil, add 17 cubes paneer and mix well.
- simmer for 10 minutes or until the flavours are absorbed well.
- finally, add 2 tbsp coriander and enjoy Paneer Chettinad Curry with roti or rice.
Notes:
- firstly, make sure to adjust the spice level of the curry as it is slightly higher side of spice.
- also, the coconut gives a nice flavour to the curry, so make sure to roast it until it turns golden brown.
- additionally, you can add vegetables of chicken in place of paneer for variation.
- finally, Paneer Chettinad Curry Recipe tastes great when prepared spicy and oily.