Tawa Paneer Masala is a delicious, spicy, tangy, and flavorful dish. This recipe is made without onion and garlic, yet it tastes like street-style food, and is protein-rich, healthy, and nutritious.
This Tawa Paneer Masala is made with paneer, veggies, spices, and herbs. It is perfect as a side dish or an appetizer. The recipe is quick and straightforward to follow.
Flavorful Tawa Paneer Masala
As the name suggests, the entire dish is prepared on a single tawa. A tawa is a prevalent, concave-shaped, round pan in India, and numerous recipes are made entirely on a tawa. Some street foods, such as Tawa Bhaji or Tawa Pulao, cooked on a tawa, are exceptionally popular.
However, if you don’t own a tawa, that’s not a problem at all. Alternatively, you can also prepare this dish using a frying pan or skillet.
The recipe is pretty straightforward and highly customizable. It can be made with a choice of vegetables and spices according to your preferences.
This recipe is made without onion and garlic and is also suitable for a Jain diet. However, if you follow a strict Jain diet and do not consume ginger, you can skip it.
Tawa Paneer Masala is light but still very satisfying and filling. This no-onion, no-garlic paneer recipe is perfect for a side dish or as an appetizer. If you’re looking for ideas on what to make for a potluck party, appetizer, or side dish, this recipe will create a fantastic dish.
Why You Will Love This Dish
- Tawa Paneer Masala is a quick and easy recipe.
- It is flavorful, tempting, and delicious.
- This paneer dish is filling, comforting, and satisfying.
- It is loaded with paneer and vegetables.
- It is made without onion and garlic.
- Paneer Masala is perfect as an appetizer or a side dish.
Ingredients
- Butter: Instead of using only butter, you can use a combination of oil and butter.
- Cumin Seeds: Cumin seeds provide an earthy flavor to the dish.
- Ginger: You can add grated ginger or ginger paste to your taste.
- Asafoetida (Hing): Hing provides a flavor to the dish. However, it can be skipped if you want.
- Vegetables: I added chopped celery, green peppers, bell peppers, and tomatoes. You can add only green peppers or bell peppers. If you do not have celery, skip it. I added finely chopped tomatoes, but you can also add crushed tomatoes or tomato puree.
- Spices: I used only pantry staple spices: turmeric powder, cumin and coriander powder, red chili powder, and pav bhaji masala. Add red chili powder to taste, and if you don’t have pav bhaji masala, add garam masala instead.
- Paneer: A fresh and soft Paneer is essential for any Paneer recipe. I usually make Paneer at home, which guarantees a soft, fresh, and creamy block. Making Paneer at home is not difficult at all; you can check out this Homemade Paneer recipe.
- Kasoori Methi: Kasoori methi or dried fenugreek leaves add a pleasant flavor to the Tawa Paneer Masala.
- Cilantro: This street-style dish is incomplete without the addition of freshly chopped cilantro.
- Lime or Lemon Juice: Squeeze lime or lemon juice to taste. It brightens the flavors of the dish.
How To Make Tawa Paneer Masala without Onion and Garlic
- Heat the butter in a tawa, skillet, or frying pan.
- Add cumin seeds, and let them sizzle.
- Once the cumin seeds start to sizzle, add asafoetida and ginger.
- Saute for a few seconds and add chopped celery.
- Cook the celery for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add chopped green peppers and bell peppers.
- Mix well and continue cooking over medium to high heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add chopped tomatoes and mix well.
- Then, add salt, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, red chili powder, and pav bhaji masala.
- Mix everything well and continue cooking until tomatoes are soft and mushy, about 7-8 minutes.
- Now, mash the tomato mixture with a potato masher until everything is well combined and the mixture has a thick, gravy-like consistency.
- Add paneer cubes, gently mix with the tomato masala, and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Add Kasoori methi, chopped cilantro, lime or lemon juice, and salt to taste and mix well.
- Turn off the heat and transfer the Tawa Paneer Masala to a serving bowl or plate.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve Tawa Paneer Masala as an appetizer or side dish.
It can also make a filling and satisfying lunch to bring to school or the office.
If you are following a healthy diet, use a small amount of oil and skip the butter. And enjoy as a healthy lunch or dinner.
It is a Farali dish, which you can consume on fasting days.
If you want to serve Tawa Paneer Masala with Roti or Naan, add tomato puree instead of chopped tomatoes.
Helpful Tips For Tawa Paneer Masala
Tawa: If you don’t have a tawa, you can still make this delicious dish. Use a cast iron pan, frying pan, skillet, or Kadai.
Butter: You can use your choice of cooking oil instead of butter.
Vegetables: You can add more or fewer vegetables to suit your taste. Add other chopped vegetables, such as cabbage, carrots, or boiled green peas.
Paneer: For the best results, use Malai paneer. If you make paneer at home, use only full-fat or whole milk. However, if you are following a low-calorie diet, use low-fat paneer.
Spices: Add spices according to your preferred level of spiciness. You can also add chopped green chilis or chili paste and reduce the amount of red chili powder.
Pav Bhaji Masala: Pav bhaji masala adds a unique flavor to the dish, making it taste like authentic street food. However, if you don’t have pav bhaji masala, you can substitute it with garam masala.
More Paneer Dishes
Recipe Card
Tawa Paneer Masala (No Onion No Garlic)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon asafoetida
- 1 inch ginger peeled and grated (or ginger paste)
- ½ cup finely chopped celery
- ¼ cup finely chopped green pepper
- ¼ cup finely chopped yellow or orange bell pepper
- 3 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
- 350 g paneer cubes
- Salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder or to taste
- 1 teaspoon pav bhaji masala or to taste
- 1 teaspoon Kasoori methi
- 2 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
- Lime or lemon juice to taste
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a tawa, skillet, or frying pan. Add cumin seeds, and once they start to sizzle, add asafoetida and ginger.
- Saute for a few seconds and add chopped celery. Cook the celery for 2-3 minutes, and add chopped green peppers and bell peppers.
- Mix well and continue cooking over medium to high heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add chopped tomatoes and mix well. Then, add salt, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, red chili powder, and pav bhaji masala.
- Mix everything well and continue cooking until tomatoes are soft and mushy, about 7-8 minutes.
- Now, mash the tomato mixture with a potato masher until everything is well combined and the mixture has a thick, gravy-like consistency.
- Add paneer cubes, mix gently and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Add Kasoori methi, chopped cilantro, lime or lemon juice, and salt to taste and mix well.
- Turn off the heat and transfer the Tawa Paneer Masala to a serving bowl or plate.
Notes
- Tawa: If you don’t have a tawa, you can still make this delicious dish. Use a cast iron pan, frying pan, skillet, or Kadai.
- Butter: You can use your choice of cooking oil instead of butter.
- Vegetables: You can add more or fewer vegetables to suit your taste. Add other chopped vegetables, such as cabbage, carrots, or boiled green peas.
- Paneer: For the best results, use Malai paneer. If you make paneer at home, use only full-fat or whole milk. However, if you are following a low-calorie diet, use low-fat paneer.
- Spices: Add spices according to your preferred level of spiciness. You can also add chopped green chilis or chili paste and reduce the amount of red chili powder.
- Pav Bhaji Masala: Pav bhaji masala adds a unique flavor to the dish, making it taste like authentic street food. However, if you don’t have pav bhaji masala, you can substitute it with garam masala.
Arjuna priya says
This recipe was really awesome. I tried it and woah now I am making it for the second time.
Jigna says
Hi Arjuna, thank you so much for your feedback and I am glad you like it.
Sree says
is celery must? any substitute?
Jigna says
Hi, you do not need to add celery. You can skip it wihtout any substitution.