Achari Paneer Masala – Indian Vegetarian Curry with Yogurt, Paneer & Mango Pickles

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Try my recipe for Achari Paneer – a spicy vegetarian curry with paneer cheese in a creamy & tangy yogurt gravy, flavoured with hot mango pickles! The perfect recipe to enjoy authentic Indian cuisine in your own home.

a saucepan with Indian achari paneer masala in yogurt gravy with on a white tablecloth

A note about affiliate links in this post: some of these links will take you to Amazon where I may receive a small percentage of sales, at no extra cost to you.

Achari Paneer – the vegetarian Indian curry you have not tried yet, but should! 

Once in a while, it is time to introduce a new Indian curry into the dinner – repertoire, right? Having had a lot of butter chicken and Asian coconut-based curries lately, I was looking for something new, bold and authentic. Preferably meatless, as we are trying to cut down on the animal proteins.

Scanning the internet for vegetarian Indian curries, I came across a dish called achari paneer, which immediately got my attention. It had paneer cheese in it, which is my favorite meat replacement on earth, plus it listed mango pickles as one of the ingredients for the gravy.

overhead shot of a saucepan with Indian achari paneer masala in yogurt gravy

What are Indian mango pickles?

Indian mango pickles are not sweet, but more sour, spicy, salty and…well, powerful! I would not want to miss them in my kitchen.

Admittedly, I hardly ever use them in the proper context – meaning, for Indian dishes, but rather add a tbsp into my hummus or put them in grilled cheese.

Try it, it is life-changing stuff. Anyways, mango pickle-flavored yogurt gravy sounded like tangy and creamy curry perfection to me! And it really is!

This cheesy and creamy deliciousness called achari paneer is definitely a must for fans of vegetarian Indian curries.

a jar of Indian mango pickles

If you are a fan of authentic Indian food, you will love this easy vegetarian curry! The big cubes of soft paneer cheese in the tangy, creamy yogurt gravy served over fluffy basmati rice – a curry lover’s dream.

 The mango pickles are not dominating the flavor profile in achari paneer but rather kick in in the end with a bit of a spicy aftertaste.

side view of Indian achari paneer in yogurt gravy

How to make this authentic Achari Paneer recipe:

Authentic Indian cooking starts with the toasting and grinding of whole spices!

 We kick off the Indian kitchen magic by making our own spice mix and frying paste.

That includes the toasting and grinding of whole spices, using an Electric Coffee or Spice Grinder . I love this step as it makes the whole kitchen smell like an Indian restaurant! 

Next, we make put some onion, garlic, ginger and chilli into a blender to create a basic spicy frying paste.

Making a spice paste like this is actually easier than chopping all the ingredients. Plus, it will make for a smoother gravy in the end.

Achari Paneer Curry with paneer cheese and mango pickles gravy served with rice

Which spices do I need for this Achari Paneer recipe? 

The unique warming spice mix includes 

  • chilies,
  • fennel seeds,
  • cumin seeds, and
  • cardamom.

Combined with the heat from the mango pickles this makes this vegetarian achari paneer curry a healthy yet super warming dinner option for the cold season.

What I love most about achari paneer masala, is the perfect, thick-yet-pourable consistency of the gravy.

The secret is a mix of ground cashew nuts, thick, plain yogurt, cream or coconut cream, and chickpea flour as a binding agent. If you have nut allergies, you can leave them out, of course.

Vegetarian Achari Paneer Curry with Yogurt, Paneer Cheese and Mango Pickles

How to serve achari paneer:

Once the achari paneer is ready, simply transfer everything to a platter, add some chopped cilantro and serve hot.

You can serve this with bread / naan / roti / rice or cauliflower rice / quinoa , etc

Authentic Vegetarian Achari Paneer Curry with Paneer Cheese, yogurt & Mango Pickle

Storing Achari Paneer :

This Indian curry is yogurt based and should be stored in an air-tight box (I prefer a glass container to store curry as they don’t stain) in the fridge for 2 days.

Reheating the Paneer:

  • Once you are ready to reheat, just remove the container from fridge, add 1/4 cup coconut milk or milk or some broth and mix everything.
  • Set on Microwave for 2 minutes or cook in a stovetop pan for 5 minutes.

Vegetarian Achari Paneer Curry with Yogurt, Paneer and Mango Pickles

Variations:

  • You can up or lower the amount of pickles, according to your taste.
  • You can make this yogurt curry with tofu instead of paneer cheese.

My product recommendations:

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Disclaimer: A note about affiliate links in this post: some of these links will take you to Amazon where I may receive a small percentage of sales, at no extra cost to you.

Did you make and love this achari paneer recipe? Give it your review below! And make sure to share your creations by tagging me on Instagram!

5 from 1 vote
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Vegetarian Curry with Paneer, Yoghurt & Mango Pickles | Achari Paneer | Gluten-free & Clean

An easy, tangy and spicy vegetarian curry with paneer cheese, yoghurt gravy and mango pickles! Perfect for a gluten-free diet and clean eating! 

Course main
Cuisine Indian
Keyword achari paneer recipe, curry with mango pickles, curry with paneer cheese
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 2 portions
Calories 760 kcal
Author Kiki Johnson

Ingredients

  • 200 g basmati rice
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp brown mustard seeds
  • 2 pods green cardamom
  • 1/2 tsp nigella seeds
  • 10 cashew nuts
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 15 g ginger, fresh
  • 1 green chili, fresh
  • 1 Tomato
  • 1 dried red chili
  • 250 g plain yogurt I used Indian yogurt
  • 1/4 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tbsp mango pickles
  • 1,5 tbsp besan (chickpea) flour
  • 250 g paneer cheese
  • fresh mint or cilantro for decoration
  • 100 ml full-fat cream or coconut cream

Instructions

  1. Rinse the rice and soak in cold water for about 30 minutes. Drain in a sieve and put rice into a small to a medium-sized pot. Add 350 ml of water and 3/4 tsp of salt and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce temperature to the lowest setting, put the lid on and let boil for 11 minutes. Then, remove pot from heat without lifting the lid and let stand until the masala is done. 

  2. Add the first five spices to a small pan and toast without fat on medium heat until fragrant, for about 1 to 1,5 minutes. Let cool and grind spices in a coffee grinder or spice mill.

  3. Grind nuts into fine powder.

  4. Peel onion and garlic and chop coarsely. Cut ginger into small chunks. Halve the chili and scrape out the seeds. Chop it up coarsely. Put onion, garlic, ginger and chili into a blender and puree to a paste. Wash tomato and cut into small chunks. 

  5. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a medium pan over medium heat and add the dried chilli. Fry chilli until it begins to brown. Add onion-paste and let fry, stirring, for about 2 minutes, until the raw onion-smell evaporates.

  6. Add tomato, chilli powder, coriander and mango pickles to the pan and let fry for another 2 minutes. Add ground nuts and fry for 2 minutes more, then add the spice mix from above (step 2)

  7. Add besan flour and stir well, until all the flour is incorporated fully. Stir in the yogurt and add a cup of water. Keep on stirring until the curry thickens, then reduce the heat, add 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of sugar. Stir well and let simmer for about 5 minutes. 

  8. Cut the paneer cheese into cubes and add to the sauce. Let simmer in the sauce for about 2 minutes. In the meantime, chop fresh herbs and fluff up the rice, using a fork. 

  9. Stir fresh herbs and cream into the curry and serve with rice. Enjoy 

Recipe Notes

Recipe adapted from Recipes of India

 

Achari Paneer | Indian Vegetarian Curry with Paneer Cheese, Yoghurt and Mango Pickes | Gluten free and Clean Eating Recipe #indianrecipes #paneer

0 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    We had this for dinner last week, Kiki, and it was delicious! I veganized it by using cashew yogurt and pressed tofu. Thank you for the recipe!

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