Here are 10 unconventional paneer dishes worth trying at home. Paneer has long moved beyond the familiar butter masala, tikka and palak preparations. Across India, the versatile cottage cheese has found its way into everything from street-food classics to regional gravies and fiery snack recipes. Some are vegetarian adaptations of meat or seafood dishes, while others give paneer an unexpected local twist. From bold regional flavours to inventive modern interpretations, these dishes showcase just how adaptable paneer can be.
Recipe: Heat 2 tbsp butter, sauté 1 chopped onion and ½ cup capsicum. Add ½ cup tomato puree, 1 tsp chilli powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, ½ tsp turmeric and salt. Add 2 tbsp cream and 1 cup shredded paneer. Cook for 2-3 minutes and garnish with coriander.
Inspired by the popular egg ghotala, this dish uses shredded paneer cooked in a rich mixture of tomatoes, onions, capsicum, butter and cream.
The result is creamy, nutty and pleasantly pungent. Recipe: Blend 2 tbsp mustard seeds, 2 tbsp poppy seeds, 2 green chillies, salt and 2 tbsp water into a paste. Mix with 200g paneer cubes and 3 tbsp yoghurt. Place in a covered bowl and steam for 12-15 minutes. Cook for 4-5 minutes and serve with butter-toasted pav. Paneer gets the fiery treatment usually associated with South Indian 65 preparations, with a crisp coating and spicy masala. Recipe: Marinate 250g paneer with ginger-garlic paste, Kashmiri chilli, pepper, coriander powder and salt for 15 minutes. Thecha, the fiery Maharashtrian chilli-garlic-peanut condiment, gives paneer a completely different personality. Recipe: Dry-roast ¼ cup peanuts, 3-4 green chillies and 4 garlic cloves. Recipe: Marinate 200g paneer with ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, Kashmiri chilli, turmeric and salt for 20 minutes.
This takes the Bengali love for mustard and posto and pairs the flavours with steamed paneer. Drizzle with mustard oil before serving. Recipe: Fry 250g paneer cubes lightly and crumble them. Sauté onion, ginger-garlic-green chilli paste and tomato puree in ghee. Add turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder and peas. Stir in paneer, a little water and kasuri methi. Coat in yoghurt, cornflour and a little maida. Deep-fry until crisp. Temper mustard seeds, curry leaves, chopped garlic and green chillies in oil, then toss in the fried paneer. Crush coarsely with salt and coriander. Coat 200g paneer cubes with the mixture and pan-fry until golden. Serve with lemon and onion. A vegetarian spin on Mumbai’s famous Koliwada-style fried seafood, this version coats paneer in a spiced besan batter before frying. Make a thick batter with ½ cup besan, ajwain, cumin, chaat masala and water. Coat the paneer and deep-fry until crisp. Serve hot with mint chutney, onions and lemon.