Go Back
–+ servings
Hariyali paneer masala | paneer curry for rice, naan, roti, chapati, paratha. Green curry with tofu.
Print Recipe
5 from 14 votes

Hariyali Paneer Masala | Green Curry with Tofu

Hariyali Paneer is a simple and easy-to-make Indian curry recipe packed full of flavors. This green curry is prepared using paneer (Indian cottage cheese), green herbs like coriander and mint, and a few basic ingredients from your kitchen. Serve it with any Indian flatbread or rice.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Indian
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 209kcal
Author: Kushi

Equipment

Ingredients

For the green onion tomato masala

  • 2 tablespoon Vegetable oil
  • 1 medium Onion , roughly chopped
  • 8 to 10 cloves Garlic
  • 1 inch Ginger , grated
  • 8 to 10 Cashews
  • 1 Tomato , finely chopped
  • ⅓ cup Mint leaves or Pudina loosely packed (reduce the amount if you want a milder flavor)
  • 1 cup Cilantro or Coriander leaves, chopped, loosely packed
  • 2 to 3 Green chilies
  • 1 cup Water , approximate

Other ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon Vegetable oil
  • 1 small Onion , cut into cubes
  • 1 Tomato , cut into cubes

For the curry

  • ½ to 1 teaspoon Garam Masala or Curry Powder
  • 200 to 250 grams Paneer (tofu for vegan version)
  • 1 to 2 tablespoon Cream (use dairy-free version to make vegan or skip)
  • ½ teaspoon Sugar
  • Salt , to taste

Instructions

Make the green onion tomato paste

  • Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a pan. Add onion, ginger, garlic cloves and sauté till onion and garlic cloves becomes translucent on medium flame and rawness goes off completely.
    2 tablespoon Vegetable oil, 1 medium Onion, 8 to 10 cloves Garlic, 1 inch Ginger
  • To this, add cashews and finely chopped tomato, and cook till the tomato softens. Switch off the flame and allow the mixture to cool down. Check tips.
    8 to 10 Cashews, 1 Tomato
  • Note: To fasten up the process, you can blend using ice-cold water.
  • Transfer this onion-tomato mixture along with mint leaves, coriander leaves, green chilies, approximately 1 cup water, and blend it to a smooth paste.
    ⅓ cup Mint leaves, 1 cup Cilantro, 2 to 3 Green chilies, 1 cup Water

Making of paneer pudina curry

  • In the same pan, add 1 tablespoon oil and cubed onions. Sauté for 1 or 2 minutes on medium-high flame. Add the cubed tomatoes and sauté for another 1 minute.
    1 tablespoon Vegetable oil, 1 small Onion, 1 Tomato
  • Transfer this to a plate, and set it aside.
  • In the same pan, add the pureed green onion tomato paste, salt to taste, water for desired consistency (approximately  ½ cup), garam masala powder (start with ½ teaspoon and add more if required), and let the gravy come to a boil and thicken. Taste the gravy and add more salt or garam masala if required.
    Salt, ½ to 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
  • Once the gravy has thickened, add cream, sugar, paneer (or tofu), sauteed onion and tomato cubes, and mix. Cook for 2 minutes. Switch off the flame.
    1 to 2 tablespoon Cream, ½ teaspoon Sugar, 200 to 250 grams Paneer
  • Serve this curry with your favorite Indian bread or flatbread and enjoy.

Notes

  • If you are not a big fan of pudina or mint leaves, reduce the amount or sauté it with onion and tomatoes and then grind.
  • Cashews can be substituted with almonds, or feel free to use half cashews and half almonds or melon seeds. 
  • If you are preparing this dish for kids or can't tolerate the heat, deseed green chilies, reduce the number of chilies, or skip.
  • Most Indian dishes like tikka masala and butter masala use whole garam masala spices. If you like it, you may add 1 bay leaf, 1 cinnamon stick, and 2 cardamom pods while sautéing onions, and then remove the bay leaf and cinnamon sticks just before blending it to avoid the strong flavor.
  • I would not recommend reducing the number of garlic cloves as you are sautéing it in oil; it is only going to enhance the flavor of the dish and not give any pungent flavor. But make sure you saute it on medium flame till it turns golden in color.
  • Based on the brand you are using, vary the amount of garam masala powder.
  • You can substitute paneer with tofu for a vegan version, corn kernels, mushrooms, cauliflower, baby corn, potatoes, or soya chunks.
  • Fresh cream, heavy cream, whipping cream any of these go well. But if you want to skip cream altogether, increase the number of cashews.
  • You can use butter instead of oil for a richer version of this gravy.

Nutrition

Calories: 209kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.05g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 68mg | Potassium: 206mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 654IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 190mg | Iron: 1mg