a curry of paneer Kolhapuri in a serving plate

Paneer Kolhapuri No Onion No Garlic is spicy, full of flavors, and delicious. It consists of soft and tender paneer cubes in tomato gravy seasoned with homemade Kolhapuri masala. Serve Paneer Kolhapuri with Naan or Roti for a perfect meal.

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Flavorful Paneer Kolhapuri
Ingredients
How To Make Paneer Kolhapuri Step-by-Step
Serving Suggestions
Helpful Tips
Frequently Asked Questions
More Paneer Curries
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Flavorful Paneer Kolhapuri

Kolhapuri dishes are known for their spicy and robust flavors. I have never been to Kolhapur but always found Paneer Kolhapuri in the North-Indian restaurant menu.

I have made this dish with homemade Kolhapuri Masala Powder, and it makes the curry very flavorful. However, I have used Kashmiri red chilis, and hence the dish is not too spicy.

Ingredients

Kolhapuri Masala Powder: Making this spice blend is essential for this recipe. It adds authentic Kolhapuri flavors to the Paneer Kolhapuri No Onion No Garlic dish. I have included the masala recipe in this post, but if you want to make the Kolahapuri masala in a big batch, check out this Kolhapuri Masala Powder (No Onion No Garlic) recipe. I have also made Veg Kolhapuri No Onion No Garlic recipe using this masala powder.
Paneer: Using fresh and soft Paneer is essential for the success of the curry. I have used Homemade Paneer to make this curry. But if you are using a store-bought Paneer, make sure to bring it to room temperature before using it in the recipe. You can also Place the Paneer in a Ziploc bag or container and place it in hot water for at least 20 minutes to make the Paneer soft.
Tomatoes: Choose the tomatoes, which are ripe and pulpy. Ripe tomatoes will not be very sour. In this recipe, we are cooking tomatoes before blending. The cooking will remove the rawness of tomatoes.
Cashews: Makes the gravy smooth and creamy. I highly prefer cashews over a lot of heavy cream in my gravies. Sub the cashews with an equal amount of raw almonds. You can also use broken cashews as a cost-effective option.
Melon Seeds: Makes the gravy thick and creamy. If you don’t eat onion and garlic like us, make the melon seeds a staple ingredient in your pantry. It provides volume, balances the taste of tomatoes, and makes the gravy thicker.

How To Make Paneer Kolhapuri Step-by-Step

Making Kolhapuri Masala Powder

Heat a frying pan over low to medium heat and dry roast the dried red chilis, stirring continuously.
Roast them for about 3-4 minutes or until red chilis become darker in color.
Remove the red chilis from the pan and take them to the bowl or plate.

Note: I have made this Kolhapuri Masala in a big batch so that you will see more numbers of red chilis in the picture below.

In the same pan, roast the dry coconut on low heat until lightly golden brown.
Remove it from the pan and place it in the bowl or plate with red chilis.

Helpful Tip: Coconut will burn faster, so make sure to stir the coconut constantly and roast on low heat.

Note: I have made this Kolhapuri Masala in a big batch so that you will see more coconut in the picture below.

Now in the same pan, add all the spices except nutmeg powder and red chili powder.
Roast the spices on medium heat, stirring continuously, for few minutes until they are fragrant.

Note: I have made this Kolhapuri Masala in a big batch so that you will see more quantity of spices in the picture below.

Remove the spices from the pan and place them into the plate with roasted chilis and coconut.
Let them cool completely.

Take all the roasted ingredients into a blender jar, and add nutmeg powder and red chili powder.
Grind the spices into a powder.
Set the Kolhapuri Masala Powder aside.

Making Kolhapuri Paneer Gravy

Heat oil in a Kadai or pot or non-stick pan.
Add chopped ginger, and sauté for few seconds.

To this, add melon seeds and cashews.
Mix well and sauté everything for 2-3 minutes on medium heat.

Now add chopped tomatoes and mix well.
Let the mixture cook for few minutes until tomatoes are soft and mushy.
Once tomatoes are soft, turn off the heat and let the mixture cool down.

Once the tomato mixture is cool enough, take it into the blender.
Blend it into a fine and smooth puree. Set aside.

Making Paneer Kolhapuri No Onion No Garlic

In the same pan (in which you cook the tomato mixture), heat butter and oil.
Add bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Sauté for a minute.

Now add asafoetida and prepared gravy.
Bring the gravy to a boil and cook it for 2-3 minutes.

Then add prepared Kolhapuri Masala Powder, red chili powder, and mix well.
I have added Kashmiri red chili powder, so curry can not be too spicy. Also, Kashmiri red chili makes the curry bright in color.
You can skip adding red chili powder or add your choice of red chili powder.
Cook the gravy for 8-10 minutes, and until oil separates from the sides.

Add paneer cubes, salt to taste, and mix well.
Add water if required to adjust the consistency.
Cook the curry for 4-5 minutes.

Now add crushed Kasoori methi, yogurt or cream, chopped coriander leaves, and stir well.

Turn off the heat and transfer the curry into a serving bowl.
Serve Paneer Kolhapuri No Onion No Garlic with Roti, Paratha, Naan, Kulcha, or Rice.

Serving Suggestions

Serve Paneer Kolhapuri with Roti or Naan. It also goes well with this Whole Wheat Kulcha.
Having this curry with Jeera Rice makes a wholesome lunch or dinner.
You can also serve it with plain steamed rice.

Helpful Tips

Blend the puree into a fine and smooth paste for the restaurant-style textured dish. If your blender does not make the puree smooth, you can pass it through the strainer.
Make sure to cook the gravy thoroughly; otherwise, it will taste raw.
You can skip melon seeds if you do not have them and add 3-4 more cashews if you want.
For extra spicy Kolhapuri Masala Powder, use hot dried red chilis instead of Kashmiri red chilis.
Use fresh and soft Paneer for the best results.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Skip Cashews?

Cashews bring richness and creaminess to the curry. Also, it makes the gravy thicker. So I would not recommend skipping it, but if you don’t want to use cashews, try to replace it with other options.

Instead of cashews, use raw or blanched almonds (almonds without skin).
Replace with melon seeds; add an extra tablespoon of melon seeds instead of cashews.
Use heavy cream instead of cashews. Add cream to the final step of the recipe.
We can use Khus Khus (poppy seeds) in the recipe to replace cashews. Soak 1 tablespoon poppy seeds in hot water for 15 minutes, drain the water and blend poppy seeds with other gravy ingredients.

Why My Gravy Is Not Smooth?

The smooth textured gravy always tastes better. To blend the tomato mixture, use a high-power blender and grind it until the sauce is silky smooth. But if your blender does not make the gravy very smooth, make sure to strain it. So after blending, pour the sauce through the fine strainer. This way, any remaining pieces will be left out, and the gravy will be velvety smooth.

Can I Make Kolhapuri Masala In Advance?

Absolutely! In fact, I always make more of this masala and store it in the freezer, and use it as needed. I have an individual post for the Kolhapuri Masala Powder recipe. You can check out the detailed recipe post here, Kolhapuri Masala Powder (No Onion No Garlic).

Flavorful Paneer Kolhapuri

Ingredients