If you like Indian pickles or achar, you will love our achari paneer recipe restaurant style.
Achari paneer is a delicious dish of soft paneer cubes in a smooth tangy gravy made with pickling spices that are typically used for making achars or pickles in India.
As the name suggests, achari dishes (achaar or achar means pickle in Hindi) like this achari paneer recipe are made with the same spices used to make Indian pickles. Achari dishes like achari chicken, achari gosht, and achari paneer are commonly featured in North Indian, and more specifically Punjabi, restaurant menus.
Picking spices—fennel seeds (saunf), fenugreek seeds (methi dana), nigella seeds (kalonji), cumin seeds (jeera), and mustard seeds (rai or sarson)—add a wonderful tangy, sour, and spicy punch to achari paneer. The tanginess is enhanced by the use of dry mango or amchur powder and yogurt as souring agents.
The taste and flavour profile of our easy achari paneer recipe is very different from those of typical North Indian paneer gravies like paneer makhana, matar paneer, paneer butter masala, and kadai paneer which are based on an onion–tomato gravy.
In achari paneer, the gravy is made of pickling spices (achar masala), which impart a unique taste to the dish. The gravy is mildly hot and spicy, hearty and robust, tart and tangy, intensely flavourful, and utterly delicious.
Follow our achari paneer recipe step by step to make the best achari paneer recipe at home with commonly found ingredients in your kitchen.
Our quick and easy restaurant-style paneer achari recipe shows you how to make achari paneer at home and satisfy the paneer cravings of all paneer lovers.
Tips on how to make Achari Paneer:
For best results, use homemade paneer, which is typically fresh and soft. If you use store-bought paneer, make sure it is fresh and soft. If using frozen paneer cubes, soak them in warm water to soften before using.
Use fresh yogurt, curd, or dahi that is at room temperature. Whisk well before adding it to the pan, reduce the heat and stir vigorously to preventing the yogurt from curdling in the achari paneer gravy.
Follow the achari paneer recipe carefully when adding the pickling spices, particularly fenugreek seeds and mustard seeds. Do not add more than the amount given in the recipe or you could end up with a bitter-tasting gravy.
For the proper achari flavour, make sure to use mustard oil. At a pinch, you can also use rice bran oil, sunflower oil, or ghee.
If using mustard oil, heat it on medium heat and allow it to smoke before adding the spices and aromatics. Once it smokes, turn off the heat and let the oil cool down. This helps to reduce the pungent taste of mustard oil. Thereafter, turn the heat back to medium and proceed with the recipe.
For any other oil or ghee, just lightly heat it.
You can add a dollop of fresh cream for a richer and smoother achari paneer curry.
Do not overcook achari paneer or leave it on the stove for too long, as it will make the paneer hard.
Garnish paneer achari with chopped coriander leaves (dhania patta) and chopped mint leaves (pudina patta).
Achari paneer goes very well with any Indian bread like phulka, chapati, tandoori roti, naan (plain or garlic), paratha (plain or lachcha), and missi roti. Plain basmati rice, jeera rice, ghee rice, or vegetable pulao also taste great with achari paneer.
For a weekend meal, serve achari paneer along with your favourite dal, boondi raita, and a salad.
Paneer achari with a thick gravy makes a delicious filling for a wrap.
Achari paneer can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for two days. When ready to reheat, remove the dish from the fridge, add ¼ cup water, mix everything, and cook in a pan on the stove for 5 minutes
Achari Paneer is a flavourful and healthy dish that is high in protein. Learn how to make the best Achari Paneer at home in your kitchen with all ingredients & cooking method Achari Paneer recipe video from Yummefy Recipes.
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