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Copyright © 2025 Foodies Only
Copyright © 2025 Foodies Only
5 min
21/01/2026
This article discusses various forms of Indian paneer recipes other than tikka masala alone, with examples given from five regions: Kashmir, Manipur, Gujarat, Bengal and Punjab. Each of the paneer recipes will demonstrate the use of ingredients dependent upon the geographical location.
When people think of Indian paneer recipes, most people think about restaurant-style dishes such as Paneer Tikka Masala or Shahi Paneer. However, around the country, there are many regional differences in how people prepare and use paneer. These regional differences often stem from how paneer is prepared, what type of fat is used when preparing menus, and how different spices might be affected by the various geographies of India. This article will highlight many of these regional differences through a culinary journey, with each picture of a recipe representing a unique regional identity of India, as well as the seasons and traditional preparation methods.
Chaman is a unique paneer recipe from Kashmir known for its simplicity. Chaman is not prepared using the classic Indian restaurant-style gravies using onions and tomatoes; Chaman is prepared with mustard oil, turmeric and fennel. The overall outcome is a very light yellow, highly aromatic, and extremely fragrant preparation of paneer in which the flavours are absorbed into the paneer and will not be overpowered by other ingredients. Chaman is an example of how, in colder climates, people place more emphasis on providing warmth and richness to dishes, as well as relying on using fat and warming spices instead of using a heavy, creamy gravy.
Sana Thongba offers a unique take on paneer recipes in the Northeastern part of India by using fresh local cheese that is similar to paneer but does not incorporate any of the heavy masalas found in traditional Indian cooking. Instead, this paneer recipe relies heavily on ginger, fresh herbs, and aromatic spices to create a dish that exemplifies the Northeastern approach to cooking with fresh ingredients and balance, rather than intense flavours.
On the other hand, Paneer Ghotala provides a completely different perspective on paneer recipes and is one of the most popular paneer dishes found at the street food stalls in Gujarat. In this recipe, instead of being presented as cubes of paneer simmered in gravy as you would traditionally find on the menu at your local Indian restaurant, paneer is scrambled and cooked with a generous amount of butter and a variety of spices, often with additions of fresh tomatoes, to attain greater textural appeal as well as richness. The textural components of this paneer recipe allow for easy consumption, as it is often served with pav or paratha.
Another example of paneer recipes would be found in the traditional Bengali dish, Chanar Dalna. In this paneer recipe, the eater will be able to appreciate the lighter touch of chenna, lightly fried with potatoes in a spiced gravy. In addition, the emphasis on the balance of sweetness and warmth of chanar dalna is achieved by the use of whole spices as opposed to the traditional heavy masala paste. The gentle layering of spices with a lighter overall sweetness is a testament to the adaptation of paneer recipes to Bengali cooking.
Traditional Punjabi Paneer Bhurji is a far cry from the restaurant versions of today. Punjabi paneer bhurji, like other dry paneer dishes, is a rustic style of cooking with minimal seasoning and prepared quickly for daily meals. It represents the way rural communities made use of ingredients in their homes to prepare quick, simple meals without any concern for presentation.
By exploring the styles of regional paneer dishes, you can learn more about the vastness and depth of the world of Indian vegetarian cooking. We can also see how paneer, being a versatile protein, can be tailored to many local styles of fats, spices, and cooking methods, as well as being a blank canvas for each region's unique culinary identity.
Indian paneer recipes are shaped by the local environment, climate, and culture of a particular region. The simple use of mustard oil to create Kashmiri chaman, herbal ingredients in Manipuri sana thongba, as well as the decadent Gujarati paneer ghotala, show that there are many ways to make a delicious paneer recipe.
