Garlic Paneer Gravy has everything that you desire in a paneer recipe. Moreover, this uniquely flavoured lehsuni paneer curry is a combo of taste, texture & aroma.


How Much Garlicky is the Garlic Paneer Gravy?

Garlic is the base flavour of this recipe’s taste profile. There are three different processes where we will add garlic. First, it will go into the marination, the paste & the final tadka.

Raw garlic has a strong, pungent taste & odour. Further, when garlic is cooked with spice & masala powders, it becomes soft, sweet & buttery. You will be pretty surprised by the taste if you eat it for the first time.

In short, this garlic paneer gravy is too garlicky. But, on the other hand, I am pretty sure that you will love it. Thus, let’s see what we need.

Why Marinate Paneer?

Marination is a crucial step toward making delicious garlic paneer curry. Here curd is the base of our marination. Add beaten curd or beat the curd before adding. Further, to make the paneer tender, we have red chilli & turmeric powder with garam masala, salt & Kasuri methi.

We will also need the default marination items like ginger-garlic paste & lemon juice. A little cooking oil to make a smooth masala paste. Little means up to 1 tsp.

The Last & final ingredient for marination is the paneer itself. Use either homemade paneer or packaged store-bought. This recipe calls for using 200 grams of paneer to give 4 to 5 servings.

Tip: Making Thicker Paste with Cashew (Kaju)

We will require four whole spices viz black pepper, cinnamon, clove & cardamom. Further, we need whole ginger & garlic. To integrate thickness into the gravy, we will add whole cashews. You can opt for cashew pieces (Kaju tukda) also if available. Both of them are good to go.

Add chopped onion & tomatoes because, in the end, we are going to grind them all. To saute the paste items, we will use regular cooking oil. However, butter or ghee can be a flavourful substitute if you wish to use it.

The key here is to saute everything perfectly. Doing this will eliminate the raw taste of individual items.

Why Double Onions in the Gravy?

First thing first, the gravy will be in butter. However, you can replace it with cooking oil. Next, we will need whole spices like cumin & bay leaf. Finally, masala powders like coriander, Kashmiri red chilli, turmeric & garam masala will set the basic taste of the gravy.

Another critical point is onion. It is the second time we have added chopped onions. The first batch of chopped onions goes into the paste. After that, we have heavy cream to set the thickness of the gravy.

Not to mention, salt is as per taste. Last but not least, 1 tbsp finely chopped coriander will also go into the gravy. All in all, there is a total of eleven ingredients to cook the garlic paneer gravy. Each one of them is readily available.

Add Tadka akaTempering

The garlic paneer gravy will end with the lehsun tadka on top. We need cooking oil, chopped garlic & red chilli powder. This particular tempering is the show stopper, the final task to accomplish. Okay, here, you can increase the garlic quantity as per your taste. In short, there are three items in total.

Now you know why I said we need a long list of ingredients. But worry not because the result is worth all the efforts. Detailed recipe steps with images are given below. Read thoroughly before your start cooking.

Now it’s time for some helpful tips.

TR’s Extra Shots

  • Cooking Oil – Use adequate cooking oil. Don’t saute the items dry. There’s no problem with a little more oil in the pan. Doing this will help the paste come out nice & smooth.
  • Dry Mango Powder – Add 1/2 tsp amchur powder to give your garlic paneer curry a tangy taste. You can add it either while marinating the paneer or in the gravy.
  • Desi Ghee – Replace cooking oil/butter with desi ghee if you want a smooth aroma & taste. There’s no problem cooking this recipe in desi ghee, butter or oil. Make a choice based on your personal preference.
  • Tomato-Onion-Cashew Paste – It is necessary to cook the tomato-onion-cashew paste thoroughly. Doing this will eliminate the raw taste if any. We have only sauteed the items in a bit of cooking oil before grinding.
  • Curd – It will make a base for the curry. Since we already have curd in the marinated paneer, there’s no need to add extra curd to the gravy. Besides, don’t skip curd while marinating paneer.
  • Garlic – If you want a strong garlic flavour, add 4 to 5 chopped garlic while making the curry. You keep the the flame low; otherwise, garlic pieces will over fry or burn. Burnt garlic will release a bitter taste.
  • Tadka – If available, use butter in the final tadka. Butter seems to work excellently in the tempering process.
  • Cooking Cream – You can skip cream if that’s too heavy for you. Instead, we have curd, cashews & other items to make gravy smooth & flavourful.
  • Cover after Pouring Tadka – To include the लहसुनि महक & स्वाद it is essential to cover immediately after adding tadka. Simply pouring the tadka won’t make any difference. You will have to cover & set it for at least 10 minutes.

Garlic Paneer Gravy FAQs

Here’s a list of frequently asked questions & relevant answers. If your query is still unsolved, then post a comment. We will get back to you.

Will my gravy have only garlic flavour?

No. Your gravy will have a garlicky aroma & a spicy taste. Also, if garlic in the recipe is not cooked well, it will release a pungent smell.

Is it necessary to marinate the paneer?

Marinating will make paneer flavourful. Moreover, the paneer will remain tender for a longer time. If you skip marination, the steps ahead won’t serve the purpose. Therefore, don’t skip the process.

Can I add tomato puree instead of tomatoes?

Yes, you can add tomato puree instead of chopped tomato. Adding puree is not a problem, but you will have to grind everything. So there’s no point in making tomato puree.

Can I make the gravy in ghee instead of oil?

Yes, you can. But make sure the quantity is well measured; otherwise, the dish will be too heavy. Then, a step further, take ghee proportionate with the other items. Then, keep a little on standby in case you need it.

Why not add garam masala while making gravy?

The recipe is designed so that garam masala is not to be cooked. However, in hot gravy, it will cook & release intense flavours. It could further change the taste & texture of the entire dish.

Can I skip heavy cream?

Yes, you can. There’s no need to add a substitute item for the cream. However, if you still want to replace cream, then add milk.

Why my garlic paneer gravy has a pungent aroma?

It is because you might have added extra garlic both times. The recipe calls for adding garlic twice. Another reason might be the quality of garlic that you have used. If the raw garlic is smelly & rotten, then it will influence the aroma.

Can I use green garlic?

We need the dry garlic cloves, not the fresh green garlic. Using green garlic with paneer is a different recipe & process.

That was all with our garlic paneer gravy. Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

I love garlic. Not only this, but my love for garlic is adamant from the list below. Yup, all these are garlic recipes. Trust me; you will love all of them if you are a Garlic lover.