Paneer Hyderabadi is a popular North Indian curry made with paneer cubes cooked in a flavorful onion-coriander-spinach-based green gravy. In this recipe, I share some tips and tricks to make hotel-style paneer sabzi at home, along with homemade kulcha prepared to be as soft and fluffy as those served in restaurants.
This easy thali recipe is simple to prepare because all the ingredients are easily available at home. In this recipe, I aim to replicate the dhaba-style method of making quick and delicious paneer sabzi with soft kulcha. It can be prepared for lunch or dinner and is very easy to make. Do give it a try!
The Key Tips for Making Delicious Paneer Hyderabadi and Soft Kulcha at Home
Paneer Hyderabadi
- Firstly, the choice of paneer is crucial. It should be moist and fresh — ideally, homemade paneer is best. Also, lightly roasting the paneer in a little oil or butter enhances its flavor. After roasting, soak the paneer in water to keep it soft and juicy.
- Secondly, for the masala gravy, I add some yogurt, which enhances the taste and gives a creamy texture to the curry. I also add fresh malai (cream) for a rich and velvety texture. Alternatively, you can use fresh cream or a cashew-melon seed paste. This curry base is very versatile and can be adapted with other vegetables or customized with your choice of mix-ins to make it even more interesting.
- Lastly, dhaba-style paneer masala tastes best when prepared slightly spicy.
Kulcha
- Firstly, for instant plain kulcha, instead of using yeast, baking powder, or baking soda, I use Eno to make it soft and fluffy. It gives the same result as restaurant-style kulcha.
- Secondly, I roast kulch on tawa, while roasting kulcha, sprinkle a little water on the pan, place the kulcha on it, and cover it. As the water evaporates over a high flame, the kulcha will puff up nicely. Then roast the kulcha on a medium flame until cooked through.
- Lastly, Kulchas taste best when they are prepared soft, fluffy, and served hot.
Please do visit my other related recipe collection like
Recipe video
Paneer Hyderabadi recipe | hotel style paneer Hyderabadi | no yeast tawa kulcha recipe
Ingredients
For paneer Hyderabadi
- 200 grm paneer pieces
- 3 medium size onion
- 3-4 spicy green chilli
- 8-9 garlic cloves
- 1 inch ginger
- 1 cup coriander leaves
- ¼ cup mint leaves
- 15-20 boiled palak leaves
- ½ cup curd
- Salt to taste
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp red chilli powder
- 1 tbsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp kitchen king masala
- 4-5 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 3 cloves
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 2 cardamoms
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ cup hot water or as required
- ¼ cup fresh malai
- 100 grms grated paneer
- 1 tbsp kashuri methi
- Some coriander leaves
For tadka
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder
For kulcha
- 2 cup maida
- 2 tbsp milk powder - optional
- Salt to taste
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ¼ cup curd
- 1 tsp eno
- ½ cup water or as required
- Ghee for roasting
Instructions
Making Paneer Hyderabadi
- Cut 200 grams of paneer into medium-sized pieces.
- In a pan, add 1 tsp oil and 1 tsp butter. Add the paneer pieces and roast them on medium flame until golden brown on both sides.
- Add the roasted paneer pieces into water and keep them aside.
- In a mixing bowl, add ½ cup curd, ½ tsp turmeric powder, 1 tbsp red chilli powder, 1 tbsp coriander powder, 1 tsp cumin powder, and 1 tsp kitchen king masala. Mix well and keep it aside.
- In a pan, add 1 tbsp oil. Add 3 spicy green chillies, 8–9 garlic cloves, 1-inch ginger, and 3 medium-sized onion pieces. Sauté until slightly golden brown. Remove onto a plate and let it cool.
- Add the sautéed masala into a mixer jar. Add 1 cup coriander leaves, ¼ cup mint leaves, and 15–20 boiled spinach (palak) leaves. Add ¼ cup water and grind to a paste. The green paste is ready; keep it aside.
- In a pan, add 4–5 tbsp oil. Add 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 bay leaf, 1-inch cinnamon stick, 2 cardamoms, and 3 cloves. Sauté them.
- Add the ground green paste and sauté until the oil releases from the sides.
- Switch off the gas for a while and allow the gravy to cool slightly. Then add the curd masala mixture and sauté until the oil releases from the sides.
- Add ½ cup hot water, mix well, cover, and cook the gravy until the oil separates from the sides.
- Add ¼ cup malai (fresh cream) and mix well.
- Grate 100 grams of paneer and add it to the gravy. Mix well.
- Add the roasted paneer cubes and mix gently. Cover and cook the sabzi for 5–7 minutes.
- Add 1 tbsp kasuri methi and some chopped coriander leaves. Mix well.
- In a small tadka pan, heat 1 tbsp oil, add 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder, and mix well.
- Pour the tadka over the sabzi and serve Paneer Hyderabadi hot with kulcha or rice.
Making Kulcha
- In a mixing bowl, add maida, sugar, salt, and milk powder. Mix well and make a well in the centre.
- Add ¼ cup curd and 1 packet of eno. Mix well and add ½ cup water to knead a soft dough.
- Cover and rest the dough for 30 minutes or more.
- Pinch a ball-sized portion of the dough and flatten it.
- Sprinkle some black sesame seeds and coriander leaves on top.
- Gently roll into an oval or round-shaped kulcha using a rolling pin.
- Heat a tawa, place the kulcha on it, and sprinkle some water around the sides. Cover and cook the kulcha on high flame for 5 minutes.
- Once the water evaporates, reduce the flame to medium and continue cooking.
- After 2 minutes, flip the kulcha, apply some ghee, and roast it from both sides until golden.
- Finally, serve the hot plain kulcha with Paneer Hyderabadi.
Notes
For paneer Hyderabadi
- Roast the paneer on a medium flame until it becomes slightly golden brown on both sides. This enhances its flavor and helps it retain its shape in the gravy.Add the roasted paneer into water to make it soft.
- Dahi (yogurt) enhances the flavor and gives a creamy, thick texture to the gravy.
- Adding coriander leaves, palak (spinach), and pudina (mint) enhances the color and taste of the gravy. You can skip palak and pudina if they are not available.
- Fresh malai (cream) gives a creamy texture to the gravy. You can also add fresh cream or a paste of cashews and melon seeds instead.
- Grated paneer gives a coarse texture to the gravy.
- After adding paneer to the sabzi, cook it on a low flame so the gravy flavor is absorbed well.
- Paneer Hyderabadi taste great when it prepared spicy and serve hot.
- Knead a soft dough for the kulcha and knead it for 2–3 minutes more so it becomes slightly starchy.
- Roll the kulcha to a medium thickness.
- After placing the kulcha on the heated pan, sprinkle some water on the pan and cover it immediately so the kulcha puffs up.
- Roast the kulcha on a medium flame.
Subscribe to our Youtube ChannelClick here to subscribe our Youtube Channel and stay updated with our latest video recipes