Okay, let me walk you through how I tackled making a quick paneer gravy the other day. It’s something I find myself needing often, especially on busy weeknights.
My Go-To Quick Paneer Method
So, the situation was typical: got home late, everyone was hungry, and I needed something substantial but fast. Paneer is usually a good bet. I remembered seeing loads of ‘quick’ recipes, so I decided to put the idea to the test myself, using what I generally keep on hand.
First things first, I grabbed the essentials:
- A block of paneer (about 200-250g)
- One large onion
- Two medium tomatoes (or a shortcut: half a can of crushed tomatoes)
- Ginger-garlic paste (store-bought is my friend here for speed)
- Basic spices: turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin seeds
- A bit of cream or full-fat yogurt (optional, but nice)
- Oil, salt, and some water
- Fresh coriander for garnish, if I have it.
Getting Started: The Prep
I didn’t waste time with fancy chopping. I roughly diced the onion. Sometimes, if I’m really rushing, I’ll just grate it, which helps it cook down super fast. For the tomatoes, I often just blitz them quickly in the blender to make a rough puree. Saves chopping time and gives a smoother gravy base. I also cubed the paneer while the pan was heating up.
Cooking Process – Keep it Moving!
I got my trusty pan on medium heat, added a splash of oil. Once it was warm, I tossed in the cumin seeds. Let them sizzle for just a few seconds until fragrant – you don’t want them to burn.
Immediately added the chopped (or grated) onion. Stirred it around pretty constantly. The goal here isn’t deep browning, just softening them up, which takes maybe 3-4 minutes. Then, I added a spoonful of ginger-garlic paste and cooked that for about 30 seconds, just until the raw smell disappeared.
Next, in went the tomato puree (or the canned tomatoes). Stirred it all together. This is where I add the powdered spices: turmeric, chili powder (adjust to your heat preference), and coriander powder. Also, salt goes in now. I gave it a good mix and let it cook for another 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want the oil to start separating slightly at the edges; that tells you the base is cooked well.
Bringing it Together
Once the base looked right, I added about half a cup of water to form the gravy. Stirred it well and brought it to a gentle simmer. If I’m using cream or yogurt, this is when I’d stir it in – maybe 2 tablespoons? Yogurt needs to be whisked well first, and keep the heat low so it doesn’t split.
Finally, I gently added the paneer cubes. You don’t want to cook paneer for too long, or it gets tough and rubbery. So, I just let it simmer in the gravy for about 2-3 minutes, just enough to heat through and soak up some flavor. Checked the salt, adjusted if needed.
The Finish Line
Turned off the heat. If I had fresh coriander, I chopped some and sprinkled it over the top. Done.
Honestly, from start to finish, this usually takes me around 20 minutes, maybe 25 if I’m slow. It’s not the most complex paneer dish ever, obviously, but it hits the spot. It’s savory, satisfying, and most importantly, genuinely quick and easy for a real home-cooking situation. Served it with some ready-made roti or just plain rice. Job done.