Paneer Do Pyaza is an underrated classic that you’ll find at any North Indian restaurant. It heroes onions in three different ways to make a curry that’s spicy, mildly sweet, and filled with texture.
This Paneer Do Pyaza isn’t your average paneer sabzi. The star of this dish isn’t paneer, but onions which are traditionally used in 2 different ways (hence the name, Do Pyaza). In this recipe though, I’ve used onions in 3 different ways for even more flavor and texture, and it’s a total game changer!
The result is a dish that is rich, spicy, mildly sweet and pairs perfectly with some tandoori roti, naan or paratha.
Jump to section: Paneer do pyaza
Onions 3 Ways + Ingredients Overview
In this recipe, we add onions into an onion-tomato-cashew paste to form the base of the gravy. We also add finely chopped onions to form the masala and then add in lots of onion petals into the gravy to give this dish its signature texture – onions in every bite!
Something distinct about this paneer sabzi is that we actually fry the paneer in oil and butter before adding it into the gravy which also gives it that restaurant-style richness.
We season the gravy with basic Indian masalas along with some garam masala and kasuri methi. A litte bit of tomato ketchup goes a long way in adding a tang that alleviates the whole dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
You could absolutely make a Chicken Do Pyaza but I’d recommend using a pressure cooker and noting that the cook time will increase – as for this recipe we are directly adding in the fried paneer pieces. You can also check out my Kadhai Chicken recipe!
The key difference between the two is Paneer Do Pyaza’s heavy use of onions and Kadhai Paneer’s addition of capsicum and kadhai masala. Both are delicious North Indian restaurant-style curries!
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Yep you absolutely can! Just make sure to thaw it at room temperature for 1-2 hours before reheating and serving.
You’ll absolutely love this Paneer Do Pyaza! I love making this to elevate our weeknight dinners and I’m already adding it into this week’s meal plan. If you liked this recipe, I’ve got heaps of other paneer recipes up on the blog under Paneer Archives that you must check out!
As always, be sure to send me your recreations over on my IG @my_foodstory and I’ll see you with the next recipe!
Watch How To Make Paneer Do Pyaza Video
For the onion-cashew-tomato paste
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Paneer frying
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Heat a pan or kadai, add oil & butter, add paneer block & fry them for 2-3 minutes on medium heat till they turn light golden. Transfer to a chopping board & cut into 1 inch cubes. Set aside. Refer notes 1.
400 gms paneer, 2 tablespoons cooking oil, 2 tablespoons butter
Making onion-cashew-tomato paste
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Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in the same pan or kadai & fry sliced onions till they turn translucent. Add soaked cashews & saute for a minute. Add tomatoes, salt and cook covered for 4-5 minutes on low till they turn mushy.
2 tablespoons cooking oil, 1 cup sliced onions, 4 tablespoons broken or whole cashew nuts, 6 medium tomatoes roughly chopped approx. 2 ½ cups, ¾ teaspoon salt
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Set aside to cool down, grind it to a smooth paste (you may add 2 tablespoons of water for ease of grinding, if needed)
Making do pyaza gravy
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Heat ghee in a pan or kadai, add cumin seeds, bay leaf, black cardamom & cloves & saute. Add finely chopped onions & fry till they turn golden brown.
2 tablespoons ghee, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 2 bay leaves, 2 black cardamoms, 8 cloves, ½ cup finely chopped onions
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Add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute.
2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
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Add all spice powders and fry for about 30 secs.
1 teaspoon red chilli powder, 2 teaspoons kashmiri red chilli powder, 2 teaspoons coriander powder, 1 teaspoon cumin powder, ½ teaspoon salt
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Add the onion petals and fry on high for 30 secs. Add 2 tablespoons of water to mix everything & cook for only a minute. Do not over cook.
2 cups onions cut into petals, 2 cups + 2 tablespoons water
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Add the onion-cashew-tomato paste and boil on low for 3-4 minutes.
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Add tomato ketchup and mix well.
2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
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Add the remaining 2 cups of water & bring to a boil.
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Add fried paneer cubes along with kasuri methi, garam masala powder, boil for a minute or two, garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve.
1 teaspoon kasuri methi, ½ teaspoon garam masala powder, 3 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
- Frying paneer as a block helps in frying the paneer evenly and keeping it soft. If you prefer, you may use paneer cubes and it will work well.
- Any cooking oil may be used in the recipe.
- Ghee is used for the authentic taste of the gravy which may be replaced with oil, if you prefer.
- To make onion petals: cut onions into 1 inch cubes, separate each layer of onion to form the petals.
- Leftovers will stay good for 3 days when refrigerated in an airtight container.
Calories: 699kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 20g, Fat: 58g, Saturated Fat: 25g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Monounsaturated Fat: 15g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 100mg, Sodium: 916mg, Potassium: 809mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 13g, Vitamin A: 2235IU, Vitamin C: 37mg, Calcium: 572mg, Iron: 3mg
This article was researched and written by Navya Khetarpal.
