Paneer with Vegetables|Mixed Paneer

About the recipe

Paneer or cottage cheese is the most loved food among all ages. In India, all celebrations are incomplete without paneer recipes. Paneer is the only vegetarian meal showstopper at such parties. The paneer mixed veg is prepared by marinating veggies and paneer in oil infused with spices and then cooked in tomato puree. This paneer with vegetables tastes super yummy, with all the flavourful spices infused. The red tomatoes give this savory dish a beautiful, vibrant reddish-brown color that is so appealing.

It is a perfect, meat-free paneer recipe for weeknight meals when you want to try something unique with your vegetarian friends. If you are searching for such recipes, check out the white lentils, potato curry, and jelly cake.

Reasons to 💖 this recipe:

• Of course, a kid-friendly recipe as this is a low-spice paneer recipe.
• The best and simple meatless Indian-inspired feast paneer recipes.
• This paneer recipe is a fail-proof and crowd-pleaser. So get ready for the compliments from your guests.
• The best part of this mixed veg paneer recipe is the flavor of the dish improved the other day.
• No need to worry about the leftovers, as you can use them as filling later on. Check leftover suggestions

Ingredients

To make paneer with mixed veggies, you need the following items:

• Onions - Chop onions as you like. I have white onions available. Use any.
• Tomatoes- I blend them to make their puree. Use bright red tomatoes to give this veg mix a vibrant red colour.
• Chillies- optional
• Paneer (cottage cheese)- I use fried frozen paneer cubes in most of my preparations, as I like its taste and texture after cooking. You can use a fresh one but fry it slightly to a light brown. It will prevent paneer from crumbling while cooking with veggies.
• Vegetables:
  • Cauliflower- Thoroughly washed in salted water and cut into slightly big chunks.
  • Peas - Frozen. No need to thaw them. Use directly from the fridge.
  • Carrot - Orange. Peeled and cut into long slices.
  • Potato - peeled and cut into long slices.
• Oil for marinade and cooking.
• Spices:
  • Salt
  • Turmeric
  • Red chilli powder
  • Garam masala

See the recipe card for quantities.

Preparation

• Wash and chop all vegetables as you like.
• Cut cauliflower into slightly big chunks to avoid being mushy after cooking. For potatoes and carrots, cut them into long thin slices. Grate ginger and garlic using a coarse grater side.

Marinate paneer with vegetables

• Prepare marinade by combining oil, salt, red chilli, and garam masala in a large bowl. Mix well.
• Coat all vegetables and paneer cubes with this marinade. Keep this aside for about 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, cook onions and ginger garlic with tomatoes (next step).

Cooking method

• Heat oil in a large non-stick pan. Add cumin seeds and turn them aromatic.
• Next, cook onions for 8 minutes on low heat or until slightly softened. Add ginger and garlic and turn them slightly brown.
• Stir in bay leaves, salt, turmeric, chilli, and garam masala and cook for a minute. (image below)

Cover with a lid and cook until the veggies are done. Don’t forget to toss them occasionally. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Serve hot with roti, bread, or rice.

Enjoy this super yummy vegetarian delight with your special ones!!

Substitutions

• If frozen paneer is unavailable, substitute it with a fresh one. Don’t forget to fry it if you are marinating it, like in this recipe. If you don’t want to fry paneer cubes, add them in the last when all vegetables are cooked.
• Note- Fry paneer cubes until slightly browned on low heat only.
• Substitute cottage cheese with tofu for vegan options.
• Yes, you are free to replace frozen peas with fresh ones. (I prefer a frozen one as an easy option as I am so lazy! Right?)

Variations

Love adaptations try these:

• Add a tablespoon of schezwan sauce to try a fiery spicy.
• Squeeze a fresh lemon into the finished dish for a tangy lemony flavor.
• Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
• Add cumin powder and coriander powder into a marinade for an additional flavor.
• Sprinkle a handful of crumbled dried fenugreek leaves to give a unique exotic flavor to the dish.

Leftover Suggestions

Don’t worry about leftover mixed paneer, as there are several ways to use them like:

1. Serve this with plain paratha or bread for breakfast. It tastes super delicious.
2. Smash the paneer veggies using a smasher and use them as fillings for parathas, sandwiches, wraps, etc.
3. Use these paneer veggies for making quiche.
4. Add cucumber, onions, and lettuce to them. Squeeze a lemon to it, and you are ready with a bowl of yummy salad.
5. Reserve it for the next day’s lunch to serve with rice.
6. Make a pie with them and serve hot.
7. Prepare delicious pasta noodles by tossing them in these spice-flavoured cooked veggies.
8. Give these veggies a new life by adding a beaten egg, and enjoy a new scrambled egg veggies recipe.