6

Restaurant-style Paneer Recipes

Perfect For Your Dinner Guests

When a chef at home has to cook dinner for their vegetarian guests, paneer is the first thing that comes to their mind and rightly so; there is something truly special about this milky and soft cheese. What makes it even more special is its versatility: from paneer tikka to paneer lababdar, it is used to make a variety of paneer recipes. However, if you also want to prepare delicious, finger-licking paneer dishes for your lovely guests, you can easily make these recipes at home. 

Paneer Tikka is the best starter to serve your guests while you prepare your main courses. Simply marinate the paneer chunks in a spiced yoghurt slurry and grill them in a tandoor. Serve it with a mint chutney or coriander chutney. A skewer of paneer tikka provides a burst of tandoori flavours, just like a wedding-style meal. Don't limit paneer tikka recipe to special occasions only; try making it at home today.

The paneer lababdar recipe has lababdar in its name itself, meaning the desire to indulge in. It is a creamy and flavoursome recipe; mostly found on the menu of North Indian restaurants. This dish requires pantry-staple ingredients whose aromas will entice your guests. Its gravy is made from a blend of tomato paste, spices and sautéed onions, giving the recipe a perfect balance of sweetness, tanginess, and spiciness. You can serve it with butter naan, rice, roti or phulka for a comforting main meal. 

Popular street food from Kolkata, the paneer roll is a mess-free dinner party appetiser.

This recipe only needs assembling a flaky wheat paratha, marinated paneer, chutneys of choice and fresh vegetables. If there are kids on your guest list, you should definitely add this recipe to your dinner menu. This paneer roll recipe is filling, handy and requires no utensils. Tomato ketchup and vegetable salad go best on the side of this roll. 

It is raining outside, and sudden guests arrive; that’s a perfect excuse to make paneer pakoda recipe. Although many types of pakoras can be made, these cheese fritters are the most addictive. This recipe is quick to make and requires no hard preparation or chopping; simply add the paneer chunks to a spicy besan slurry and deep-fry until golden. A warm cup of tea and some green chutney alongside these crunchy paneer pakoras is all you need to delight your guests. 

Paneer chilli dry is a popular vegetarian appetiser known for its Chinese flavours. It is made by tossing fried paneer chunks in a spicy, tangy, and slightly sweet sauce. Green chillies and garlic give this dish a pungent aroma, and sauces like soya sauce and vinegar make it a favourite among Chinese food lovers. Its smoky aroma is enough to elevate any starter platter. You can even add this recipe to the main menu and pair it with fried rice. 

Paneer kofta is a vegetarian meatball dish from Punjabi cuisine. In this recipe, fried paneer koftas are simmered in a thick, creamy, tomato- and onion-based spicy gravy. You can add dry fruits like cashews or raisins to enhance the flavour of the kofta. As koftas have royal roots, this recipe, when served with naan or roti, is sure to make your guests feel extra special when they come for dinner. 

Your dinner party is over, and you have some food left over. Do not worry, there are creative ways to repurpose them. For example, you can crumble the paneer tikka, stuff it in wraps or sandwiches and enjoy it for breakfast. You can try making paneer pakora chaat and top it with yoghurt and chutneys. Additionally, the leftover paneer gravy can be mixed with rice to make a delicious paneer biryani.