Chana paneer recipe - boiled chickpeas and paneer cubes are simmered in slightly creamy, spicy punjabi gravy which is made from onion, tomato and few spices. It is also called Punjabi chole paneer masala.
If you are a regular reader, by now you know that we are chole lover family. We like it so much that I end up making chole recipe at least once a week. Also I don’t want to get bored of having same chole masala every week, so I do make many different versions.
The gravy made is almost similar to other punjabi chole recipe. The only extra additions are kasoori methi and heavy cream. These two you will find in almost all paneer gravies. That’s why I decided to add them here too. It makes it more delicious and slightly different tasting from usual chana masala recipe.
Check out other paneer recipes
Kadai Paneer // Tawa paneer // Matar paneer
Step By Step Photo Instructions:
1) Wash chana under running cold water till water runs clear.
2) Soak them in enough water for at least 8 hours of overnight. After the soaking time, they will get doubled in size. Drain the water and discard that soaking water.
3) Take those soaked chana into pressure cooker, add fresh 1 ½ cups of water. Also add cinnamon stick, cloves, black cardamom and green cardamoms. If you want you can add a tea bag too, it will give dark colored chana. Here I have not used.
4) Cover the cooker with the lid, put the weight on and turn the heat on high. Pressure cook it for 2 whistles on HIGH + 15 minutes on low heat. Or cook till chana are soft and cooked. Let the pressure go down by itself, then open the lid. Discard the spices and tea bag (if using).
5) Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add chopped onions, sprinkle little salt to speed up the process. Mix and cook.
6) Cook till onions become translucent or pink and soft.
7) Now add ginger paste and garlic paste.
8) Mix and saute for a minute or till the raw smell of ginger garlic goes away.
9) Now add prepared tomato puree and slit green chili.
10) Mix well.
11) Bring it to a simmer.
12) If it splutters a lot, you can partially cover it. Continue cooking and do stir occasionally to make sure that it is not sticking to the pan.
13) Once it stops spluttering, you can remove the lid, cook till all the moisture is evaporated and oil is oozing out from the sides.
14) Now add remaining salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder and cumin powder.
15) Mix well and cook for a minute.
16) Now add cooked chole with its water.
17) Mix well, if needed you can add extra water to make gravy consistency. Here I have added ½ cup of extra water.
18) Let it simmer for 5-6 minutes.
19) Now add amchur powder, garam masala and crushed kasoori methi.
20) Stir well.
21) Now add paneer cubes.
22) Gently mix well and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
23) Now add heavy cream.
24) Cook for a minute and then turn off the stove.
25) Lastly add chopped coriander leaves.
26) Mix well
Chole paneer or chana paneer is ready to serve. If not serving right away then keep it covered so it stays warm.
Serving suggestion: Serve chole paneer masala or chana paneer with bhatura or puri or paratha. It can be served with naan or kulcha too. You can also have it with plain rice or jeera rice.
Did you try this chole paneer recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a review in the comment section below.
📋 Recipe Card
Chana Paneer (Chole Paneer)
Ingredients
- ½ cup Dried white chickpeas (Chole or kabuli chana or safed chana)
- 1 ½ cups Water
- 1 inch Cinnamon stick
- 2 Cloves
- 1 Black cardamom
- 2 Green cardamoms
- 1 Tea bags optional (I have skipped it)
- 100 grams or 3.5 oz or ¾ cup Paneer cut into small cubes
- 2 tablespoons Oil
- ½ cup Red onion finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Ginger paste or freshly grated or crushed
- 1 teaspoon Garlic paste or freshly grated
- 2 small or 1 cup Tomato pureed
- 1 Green chili slit
- Salt - to taste
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon Cumin powder
- ½ cup Water
- 1 teaspoon Amchur powder (Dried mango powder)
- 2 teaspoons Kasoori methi (Dried fenugreek leaves)
- ½ teaspoon Garam masala
- 1-2 tablespoon Heavy whipping cream or fresh cream or malai
- 1 tablespoon Cilantro or coriander leaves finely chopped
Instructions
- Wash chana under running cold water till water runs clear.
- Soak them in enough water for at least 8 hours of overnight.
- After the soaking time, drain the water and discard that soaking water.
- Take those soaked chana into pressure cooker, add fresh 1 ½ cups of water. Also add cinnamon stick, cloves, black cardamom and green cardamoms. If you want you can add a tea bag too, it will give dark colored chana. Here I have not used.
- Cover the cooker with the lid, put the weight on and turn the heat on high.
- Pressure cook it for 2 whistles on HIGH + 15 minutes on low heat. Or cook till chana are soft and cooked.
- Let the pressure go down by itself, then open the lid. Discard the spices and tea bag (if using).
- Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat.
- Once hot add chopped onions, sprinkle little salt and cook till onions become translucent or pink and soft.
- Now add ginger paste and garlic paste. saute for a minute
- Now add prepared tomato puree and slit green chili. Mix well.
- Bring it to a simmer. If it splutters a lot, you can partially cover it. Continue cooking and do stir occasionally to make sure that it is not sticking to the pan.
- Once it stops spluttering, you can remove the lid, cook till all the moisture is evaporated and oil is oozing out from the sides.
- Now add remaining salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder and cumin powder. Mix well and cook for a minute.
- Now add cooked chole with its water.
- Mix well, if needed you can add extra water to make gravy consistency. Here I have added ½ cup of extra water.
- Let it simmer for 5-6 minutes.
- Now add amchur powder, garam masala and crushed kasoori methi. Stir well.
- Now add paneer cubes. Gently mix well and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Now add heavy cream. Cook for a minute then turn off the stove.
- Lastly add chopped coriander leaves. Mix well.
Mirandamom
Excellent dish. There’s a little something special in this gravy— maybe it’s the black cardamom..?
Kanan Patel
could be black cardamom. It has unique smokey aroma.