Date-Spiced Paneer
- 15m Prep Time
- 25m Cook Time
- 40m Ready In
Paneer fingers are pan-fried until golden, then simmered in a fragrant sauce made with dates, date molasses, and warm spices. Toasted almonds add crunch. This dish is sweet, savory, and richly spiced.
Ingredients
- 73.9 ml vegetable oil
- 600 g paneer cut into long fingers
- 1 onion halved and finely sliced
- 1 frozen crushed garlic
- 3 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 frozen crushed ginger
- 2 thumb-sized pieces fresh ginger peeled and grated
- 100 g dried dates finely chopped
- 2.46 ml ground cinnamon
- 2.46 ml ground turmeric
- 2.46 ml chilli flakes
- 2.46 ml ground cumin
- 44.4 ml date molasses
- 4.93 ml salt
- 50 g flaked/slivered almonds
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
Estimated based off 9 of 15 identified ingredients (per 100 g food data, scaled by amount).
Vitamins & minerals
- Calcium: 263 mg
- Iron: 2.79 mg
- Magnesium: 39.7 mg
- Phosphorus: 222 mg
- Potassium: 619 mg
- Zinc: 1.69 mg
Let's Prepare
Collect
Gather these ingredients — no prep needed yet.
- 73.9 ml vegetable oil
- 1 frozen crushed garlic
- 1 frozen crushed ginger
- 2.46 ml ground cinnamon
- 2.46 ml ground turmeric
- 2.46 ml chilli flakes
- 2.46 ml ground cumin
- 44.4 ml date molasses
- 4.93 ml salt
- 50 g flaked/slivered almonds
Prepare
- 600 g paneer, cut into long fingers
- 1 onion, halved and finely sliced
- Crush 3 garlic cloves
- 2 thumb-sized pieces fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 100 g dried dates, finely chopped
Let's Cook
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Step 1.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the paneer fingers and cook, turning occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until golden on all sides. Remove the paneer from the pan and set aside.
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Step 2.
While the paneer is cooking, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a separate frying pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onion, crushed garlic, and grated ginger. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes, until the onion is golden brown.
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Step 3.
Add the finely chopped dried dates, ground cinnamon, ground turmeric, chilli flakes, ground cumin, date molasses, salt, and 250ml (generous 1 cup) of boiling water to the onion mixture. Stir to combine, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 5–8 minutes, until the sauce is thick and glossy.
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Step 4.
Add the cooked paneer fingers to the sauce, stirring gently to coat without breaking the paneer. Simmer for 5 minutes.
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Step 5.
While the paneer simmers, return the first pan to medium heat and add the flaked almonds. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Then add the toasted almonds to the paneer and sauce, stirring briefly to combine. Serve hot.