Tawa Paneer Masala recipes with step-wise pictures – one of the easiest and quickest paneer side dishes that is so delicious and packed with flavors. This paneer masala is semi-dry and goes really well with rotis or any kind of Indian bread.
It’s been a long time since I posted a Paneer recipe and here is something that can be made in a jiffy – nothing elaborate or not much preparation needed. Tawa Paneer Masala gets its name due to the fact that it is made on a Tawa – a flat pan usually used to make rotis. This is very similar to the Tawa Pulao recipe, where cooked rice is mixed with spicy masala roasted on a tawa.
These kinds of tawa based recipes are popular street foods, as it can be catered to based on the demand, hot off the stove. When I made my Tawa Pulao recipe, I didn’t have an iron tawa – so I used my regular kadai to make it. Since then, I have been on a shopping spree and own a couple of iron pans right now, one specifically to make these quick tawa recipes. As an iron tawa heats up slowly and retains heat for a longer time, it was breeze making this Tawa Paneer Masala – it took less than 15 mins to cook and totally 30 mins including the preparation time.
Tawa Paneer Masala is different from other Paneer based curries – in that it uses Pav Bhaji masala as the main spice. This again is an influence from how this usually is a street food choice. The crunch of the green capsicum and the spicy hit of the masala along with soft, melt in mouth paneer makes this curry really delicious. I served it with some phulkas and pickled onions – it was a big hit. We liked it so much that I made it twice since the first time 🙂
How to make Tawa Paneer Masala
📖 Recipe
Tawa Paneer Masala
MEASUREMENT
1 cup = 250ml, 1 tablespoon = 15ml, 1 teaspoon = 5ml
Ingredients
- 200 gms Paneer/Cottage Cheese
- ½ cup Finely Chopped Onions
- 2 Small Tomatoes Pureed
- ¼ cup Finely Chopped Capsicum
- 1 teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- 1 teaspoon Shahi Jeera
- 1 Green Chilli
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Chilli Powder
- 1 teaspoon Pav Bhaji Masala
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
- Salt as needed
- Water as needed
- Few Fresh Coriander Leaves
Instructions
- Heat butter on the flat tawa/pan. Add shahi jeera and let it crackle.
- Add finely chopped onions and green chillies – fry them on low flame until translucent.
- Add ginger garlic paste and let it cook for a couple of minutes.
- Next add pureed tomatoes and cook until the raw smell goes off, most of the water is evaporated.
- Add all the spice powders – turmeric powder, red chilli powder, pav bhaji masala and coriander powder. Cook for a couple of minutes until the raw smell goes off.
- As the spice powders are cooked, oil begins to ooze out from the edges. Add finely chopped capsicum.
- Add salt and fry the masala for 3-4 mins on low flame.
- If required add some water and mix well – cook for couple of minutes.
- Add paneer cubes and mix everything together so that the paneer is coated with masala.
- Cook again for 3-4mins on low flame, add fresh coriander on top. Remove from heat.
- Serve hot with any kind of roti, naan or phulka.
Detailed step-wise picture recipe of making Tawa Paneer Masala
1. Heat butter on the flat tawa/pan. Add shahi jeera and let it crackle.
2. Add finely chopped onions and green chillies – fry them on low flame until translucent.
3. Add ginger garlic paste and let it cook for a couple of minutes.
4. Next add pureed tomatoes and cook until the raw smell goes off, most of the water is evaporated.
5. Add all the spice powders – turmeric powder, red chilli powder, pav bhaji masala and coriander powder. Cook for a couple of minutes until the raw smell goes off.
6. As the spice powders are cooked, oil begins to ooze out from the edges. Add finely chopped capsicum.
7. Add salt and fry the masala for 3-4 mins on low flame.
8. If required add some water and mix well – cook for couple of minutes.
9. Add paneer cubes and mix everything together so that the paneer is coated with masala.
10. Cook again for 3-4mins on low flame, add fresh coriander on top. Remove from heat.
11. Serve hot with any kind of roti, naan or phulka.
Recipe Notes
- Adjust spices as per preference.
- It is not mandatory to make this on an iron tawa – use any kind of pan as per convenience.
- Add more or less water depending on the consistency of the gravy needed.
I would be delighted to know if you have tried this recipe, don’t forget to share your feedback and comments below. If you have any questions, you can e-mail me! I am also available on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter 🙂
chefjulianna
Oh Ramya! I can just smell the fragrance of this beautiful dish wafting through my kitchen! Your photos are lovely and you even make me think that I could recreate this on my own!
Thanks so much for sharing this with us today at Fiesta Friday. I want a big helping right now. Yum!
chcooks
Thanks so much for your kind words, Julianna 🙂 I am sure you would love this, do give it a try 🙂
Zeba@Food For The Soul
Lovely dish and I really like your step by step instructions, the phots are really nice!
chcooks
Thanks so much Zeba 🙂
The Girl Next Door
Wow! This looks so, so, so good!
Love your little tawa. May I ask where you got it from?
chcooks
Thank you so much TGND! This is not a mini tawa, a regular dosa kal 🙂
petra08
What a wonderful sounding dish! The spices, the colours, delicious 🙂
chcooks
Thanks Petra 🙂
puja bajaj
Hi… .greetings from mexico city…. just wanted to ask u if i can substitute paneer with tofu instead …my son being lactose intolerant ..wud appreciate ur reply as want to make it for lunch tom ..many thx
chcooks
Hi Puja, yes you can replace paneer with tofu. Happy cooking 🙂