Paneer lababdar recipe - a popular restaurant style paneer dish. Paneer is simmered in rich, creamy, spicy tomato gravy.
I never knew the meaning of lababdar. So googled it and landed to a facebook page. It explains that "Lababdar" means a strong desire of something and complete surrender to it. Lababdar as a term is attached to this dish to signify complete surrender of one’s taste buds to that dish.
This paneer lababdar gravy is very easy to make. And tastes exactly like the restaurant one.
A dollop of butter is added at the end while making gravy. It gives rich flavor to the dish. If you want you can add some more butter on top at the time of serving as well.
This recipe is adapted from a cookbook. The original recipe was for lamb lababdar. Here I have substituted the mutton with paneer to make is vegetarian. Also adjusted amount of spices and other ingredients to suit our taste buds.
Check out other restaurant style paneer recipes
Paneer butter masala //  Paneer jalfrezi //  Paneer tikka masala //  Palak paneer
How to make Paneer Lababdar (Step by Step Recipe with Photos):
1) Soak cashew nuts in warm water for at least 15 minutes. While it soaking prep other ingredients like chopping onions, making ginger, garlic paste or grating it.
2) Then make smooth paste out it using grinder.
3) Take two medium tomatoes. wash it well and roughly chop it.
4) Blend it into the blender till you get smooth puree. Keep it aside.
5) Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add whole spices (black cardamom, green cardamom, cloves, mace, cinnamon stick and bay leaf). Saute for 30-40 seconds. Or till you get nice aroma of spices.
6) Then add chopped onions. Sprinkle little salt to speed up the process.
7) Cook till onions are soft and translucent. No need to brown them.
8) Then add ginger paste and garlic paste.
9) Saute for a minute. Or till the raw smell of garlic goes away.
10) Add prepared tomato puree and slit green chili.
11) Add remaining salt and mix. let it cook. If it splutters a lot then partially cover the pan. Do stir occasionally to make sure that puree is not sticking to the bottom of the pan.
12) Cook till all the moisture is evaporated and oil starts to ooze out.
13) Then add red chili powder and coriander powder.
14) Mix well and cook for a minute.
15) Then add prepared cashew nut paste.
16) Mix well and cook for a minute with stirring constantly.
17) Then add water.
18) Mix well and let it simmer on low for 4-5 minutes.
19) Then add sugar. The amount of sugar is depends on the taste of tomatoes. Or you can skip it.
20) Mix well.
21) Add garam masala powder
22) and kasoori methi. Do crush the kasoori methi between your palm before adding it.
23) Stir well.
24) Add paneer.
25) Mix gently and cook for 2-3 minutes. If gravy is too thick then you can some more water at this time and then simmer for 2 minutes.
26) Add butter and let it melt.
27) Add heavy cream.
28) Mix well and turn off the stove.
Paneer lababdar is ready to serve. If not serving right away then keep it covered so it stays warm.
Serving suggestion: Paneer lababdar can be served with naan, paratha or roti. It can be served with plain rice or jeera rice.
Paneer Lababdar Recipe
Ingredients
For cashew paste:
- 2 tablespoons Cashew nuts
- ¼ cup Warm water to soak cashews
For paneer lababdar recipe:
- 200 grams or 7 oz Paneer cut into cubes
- 2 medium or 1 cup Tomato pureed
- 2 tablespoons Oil
- 1 Black cardamom
- 2 Green cardamoms
- 2 Cloves
- 1 blade Mace (Javitri)
- ½ inch Cinnamon stick
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1/3 cup Red onion finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Ginger paste or freshly grated or crushed
- 1 teaspoon Garlic paste or freshly grated
- 1 Green chili slit
- Salt - to taste
- 2 teaspoons Red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
- 1 cup Water
- ½ teaspoon Sugar optional
- ½ teaspoon Garam masala
- 1 ½ teaspoons Kasoori methi (Dried fenugreek leaves) lightly crushed between your plam
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- 2-3 tablespoons Heavy whipping cream or fresh cream or malai
Instructions
Making cashew paste and tomato puree:
- Soak cashew nuts in warm water for at least 15 minutes. While it soaking prep other ingredients like chopping onions, making ginger, garlic paste or grating it.
- Then make smooth paste out it using grinder.
- Take two medium tomatoes. wash it well and roughly chop it.
- Blend it into the blender till you get smooth puree. Keep it aside.
Making paneer lababdar recipe:
- Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add whole spices. Saute for 30-40 seconds.
- Then add chopped onions. Sprinkle little salt. Cook till onions are soft and translucent. No need to brown them.
- Then add ginger paste and garlic paste. Saute for a minute.
- Add prepared tomato puree and slit green chili.
- Add remaining salt and mix. let it cook. If it splutters a lot then partially cover the pan. Do stir occasionally.
- Cook till all the moisture is evaporated and oil starts to ooze out.
- Then add red chili powder and coriander powder. Mix well and cook for a minute.
- Then add prepared cashew nut paste. Mix well and cook for a minute with stirring constantly.
- Then add water. Mix well and let it simmer on low for 4-5 minutes.
- Then add sugar. The amount of sugar is depends on the taste of tomatoes. Or you can skip it. Mix well.
- Add garam masala powder and kasoori methi. Do crush the kasoori methi between your palm before adding it. Stir well.
- Add paneer. Mix gently and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add butter and let it melt.
- Add heavy cream. Mix well
- turn off the stove.
Nice & awesome curry when I tried today. But I don't know the spices : mace, black cardamom.. Yet the other ingredients were sufficient.
Thanks.
Glad that curry came out good.
Again I made it for 6 people's, bumper, for me itself didn't get to eat 😀 . Made it for my dad and non.
Cooking came out superbly
Thanks
Very happy to know that it came out good.
Thank you for the review.