Mixed Vegetable Paneer Masala

My husband and I enjoy eating Indian Punjabi sabjis in rich gravies with parathas and naan.  A lot of the paneer gravy recipes almost follow the same cooking steps and end up tasting the same.  I am always looking for different ways to make Punjabi gravies.  This recipe for Mixed Vegetable Paneer Masala follows a different method of gravy preparation from the one I usually make.

What is different about this recipe of Mixed Vegetable Paneer Masala?

The tomatoes, onion, cashews, ginger and the whole spices like cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and bay are boiled in water for 30 minutes.  Boiling it really intensifies the flavors and the whole house smells amazing from all the spices cooking.  This mixture is then cooled and blended smooth to make the gravy.  Boiling makes a different tasting and texture gravy from the one where onions and tomatoes are first cooked in oil and then blended. 

Ingredients used in this paneer and mixed veg recipe

For the gravy:

• 5 medium roma tomatoes (about 1- 1 1/4 lb)
• ½ of a large yellow Onion
• ¼ cup raw cashews
• 1 inch piece of ginger
• 1 inch piece of cinnamon stick
• 3 cloves
• 2 green cardamom
• 1 bay leaf

For the Vegetables and Paneer:

• ½ cup medium diced carrots
• 1/2 cup medium diced green beans
• ½ cup medium diced green or red pepper
• ½ cup frozen green peas
• 1 cup 1/2 inch cube paneer pieces
• 1 tablespoon oil or ghee
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• ½ teaspoon haldi
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon ground jeera powder
• 2 teaspoons kasoori methi
• ½ teaspoon garam masala
• Handful of chopped cilantro
• 2 -3 tablespoons heavy cream (optional)

Recipe tips for Mixed Vegetable Paneer masala

• The gravy can also be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  You can also store the gravy for up to a month in the freezer. 
• Besides the vegetables I have used in the recipe, you can also use frozen corn, cauliflower and green peppers (capsicum) or any combination of vegetables.  The total amount of vegetables used is about 2 cups. 

Serving and Storage

This dish goes wonderfully well with Indian Parathas, Naan or Tandoori Roti.  If you don’t want to make it from scratch at home, there are some wonderful frozen ones available at the Indian stores.  Trader Joes frozen naan is one of our family favorite. 

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.  Re-heat in the microwave.  The gravy thickens over time, so you may need to add a little bit of water before re-heating. 

FAQs- Mixed Vegetable and Paneer Masala

Is this recipe Gluten- free?

Yes this recipe is Gluten- free.  Serve it with basmati rice and you have a nice gluten free dinner.

Can you make this recipe vegan?

Yes, it can be made Vegan if you replace paneer with extra firm tofu.  Heavy cream at the end is optional and I almost never use it.

Can this recipe be made Nut-free?

To make this paneer and mix vegetable recipe nut- free, replace the cashews with  ½ yellow onion, so a total of 1 large onion for the recipe.

If you like this recipe and are looking to try some other North Indian gravy vegetables, try:

Hasselback Dum Aloo

Mixed Vegetable Paneer Masala

Tasty mixed vegetable and paneer gravy to be enjoyed with rotis, naan or parathas

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Recipe by Divya Jhaveri

5 from 2 votes

Course: MainCuisine: Indian

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

50

minutes

Ingredients

• For the Gravy

• 5 medium Roma tomatoes (about 1- 1 1/4 lbs)

• 1/2 large yellow onion

• 1/4 cup raw cashews

• 1 inch ginger

• 1 inch cinnamon stick

• 3 cloves

• 2 green cardamoms

• 2 Bay leaves

• Rest of the Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon cooking oil (I use Avocado oil)

• 1/2 cup medium diced carrots

• 1/2 cup medium diced green beans

• 1/2 cup medium diced red or green pepper ( capsicum)

• 1/2 cup frozen peas

• 1/2 cup 1/2 inch cubed paneer pieces

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)

• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)

• 2 teaspoons ground coriander powder (dhaniya powder)

• 1 teaspoon Red chili powder

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin (jeera powder)

• 1 tablespoon kasoori methi

• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala

• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

• 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream (optional)

Method

• To make the gravy boil the gravy ingredients with 3 ½ cups of water for 30 minutes, covered on medium heat. Once cooled completely, remove and discard cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and bay leaf and blend the remaining ingredients till smooth. You can sieve the mixture for a smoother gravy.
• Heat oil in a large pan and temper with jeera. Add all the vegetables and cook till almost cooked but still crunchy, about 4-5 minutes.
• Add, haldi, coriander powder, jeera powder and chili powder and cook for another minute.
• Add the prepared gravy to the vegetables and bring to a boil. At this point you can add additional water to the gravy if your gravy is too thick.
• Now add the paneer pieces and cover and let cook for 5 minutes till reduced slightly. Uncover and stir in kasoori methi, garam masala and heavy cream (if using). Turn the stove off and garnish with cilantro. Enjoy with rotis, naan or parathas.

Tips

• You can use extra firm tofu instead of paneer and make it vegan. Heavy cream is an optional ingredient.