Paneer Kolhapuri

I never saw any paneer Kolhapuri being served in Kolhapur. But paneer Kolhapuri is served in the menu of many North Indian restaurants in metro cities. Kolhapuri cuisine is best known for its spicy, hot and robust flavors. Another recipe that I have already shared from the Kolhapuri cuisine is Veg Kolhapuri. This recipe of paneer Kolhapuri has been adapted from the veg Kolhapuri recipe I had posted a few years back. Unlike the restaurant versions, this paneer Kolhapuri recipe is not very spicy nor there is too much of oil floating on the top of the gravy. I have used Kashmiri red chilies and not the Kolhapuri lavangi chilies to tone down the spice and heat factor. If you want a spicy hot taste, then you can use lavangi chilies. Otherwise add Kashmiri chilies or byadagi chilies. This spicy paneer curry tastes best with chapatis or pudina paratha or butter naan or tandoori rotis. You can also serve with Bajra roti or Jowar roti. Even steamed rice goes very well with it.

How to make Paneer Kolhapuri

Preparing Kolhapuri masala

1. Listed below are all the ingredients for the pictorial purpose only. Please note if you don’t have stone flower (patthar phool) and cobra’s saffron (nagkesar) then it’s fine. You can also skip poppy seeds (khus khus) as it’s not available in some countries.
2. Heat a pan and dry roast the spices first:

1 inch cinnamon 3 cloves 4 to 5 black peppers 2 teaspoons coriander seeds ½ teaspoon cumin seeds 1 small stone flower 1 medium sized tej patta 1 nagkesar (cobra’s saffron) 5 Kashmiri red chilies 1 pinch nutmeg powder 2 green cardamoms 1 black cardamom seeds 2 single strands of mace 4 to 5 fenugreek seeds

3. Dry roast till the spices become fragrant on low heat, stirring often.
4. Once the spices become fragrant, then add 1 teaspoon poppy seeds and 2 teaspoons of sesame seeds.
5. Then add ¼ cup desiccated coconut.
6. Stir continuously non stop and dry roast till the coconut gets golden on low heat. Remove the pan from the heat. Also remove the dry ingredients to another plate or tray.
7. In the same pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil and add ¾ cup of chopped onions. You can use any neutral tasting oil or even peanut oil.
8. Begin to saute the onions on low to medium heat stirring often.
9. Saute the onions till light brown or golden. I stopped at light brown as I was using a steel pan and the onions can get burnt by the time I add the other ingredients.
10. Then add 2 teaspoons chopped garlic and 1 teaspoon chopped ginger.
11. Sauté for a few seconds or till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away on low heat. 12. Then add ⅓ cup coriander leaves. 13. Mix very well and saute for half a minute. Then switch off the heat.
12. Remove the pan from the stovetop and let this onion mixture cool down.
13. First take the roasted whole spices in a grinder or blender jar.
14. Then add the sautéed onion mixture.
15. Add ½ to ¾ cup water and grind or blend to a fine and smooth paste without any chunks. Keep this Kolhapuri masala paste aside.

Making Paneer Kolhapuri

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in the same pan. Then add finely chopped tomatoes.
2. Stir and saute on low to medium heat till the tomatoes turn pulpy and soft. Oil should release from the sautéed tomatoes.
3. Now add the following spice powders:

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder a pinch of asafoetida (hing)

4. Stir and mix the spice powders very well with the tomatoes.
5. Now add the Kolhapuri masala.
6. Mix again very well with the tomatoes. 7. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes on a low heat.
7. Add 1 to 1.25 cups of water. Instead of adding water directly to the pan, add some water to the grinder jar and rinse it very well, so that the remaining masala gets mixed with water. Then add this masala mixed water to the pan.
8. Season with salt as required. Salt in this recipe has to be right. If less salt is added, you do not get the flavor of the spices.
9. Bring the gravy to a simmer on a low to medium heat for 7 to 8 minutes. In between do stir, so that the masala does not stick to the base of the pan.
10. You should see some specks of oil floating on the gravy. This means the gravy is done. Then add paneer cubes (200 grams). I recommend using soft and fresh homemade paneer.
11. Mix and then switch off the heat. Don’t cook the paneer for more time or else they become chewy and rubbery. Serve Paneer Kolhapuri hot or warm with chapati or phulka or paratha or naan or bhakri. Garnish with some coriander leaves while serving. Accompany the paneer Kolhapuri and roti combo with some sliced onions and lemon wedges. You can also serve it with steamed basmati rice or jeera rice. If you are looking for more Paneer recipes then do check:

Paneer butter masala Chilli paneer Matar paneer Palak paneer Paneer lababdar

Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter. This Paneer Kolhapuri post from the archives first published in Dec 2016 has been republished and updated on 28 June 2022.