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Home » Recipes » Curry

Paneer Matar Makhana Curry

Sep 29, 2022. by Bhavana Patil. 2 Comments | This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Phool Makhana Paneer Matar Curry is a nutritious rich Indian curry recipe made with roasted foxnuts (Phool makhana), cottage cheese (paneer), green peas, and cashew nuts in onion tomato gravy. This makhana sabji recipe is gluten-free, vegetarian, and goes well with any Indian bread.

Here Paneer is Cottage Cheese, Matar is green peas and Makhana is foxnuts (also known as puffed lotus seeds). This Paneer Makhana sabzi recipe is also called Paneer Matar Makhana, Paneer Phool Makhane ki sabzi, Paneer Makhana Kaju curry recipe.

Paneer Matar Makhana Curry served in a copper bottom bowl ,lemon wedges and makhana on side

I have recently started using makhana at home, and everyone in my family loves it. It has so many health benefits and is also good for weight loss.

In India, Makhana is generally served during Hindu fasting as it contains all the required nutrients during fasting.

The first time I tasted this Phool Makhana Paneer Kaju Curry was at my friend's place during the auspicious occasion of Navratri, and due to festivities, there was no onion or garlic added to it. In spite of, it tasted great. So I followed the same recipe with the addition of onion and garlic tasted even more fabulous.

Paneer is a great source of protein and goes very well with this Matar Makhana curry. You can also replace paneer with mushrooms or tofu if you are a vegan, or simply skip paneer in this makhane ki sabji.

If you like Paneer, Checkout my other Paneer Recipes Paneer Biryani, Paneer Fingers, Palak Paneer Paratha, Paneer Bhurji Sandwich, Air Fryer Paneer Popcorn.

What is Makhana?

Makhanas are popularly known as lotus seeds, fox nuts, Euryale Ferox, gorgon nuts, and phool makhana. It’s actually the puffed lotus seeds or the puffed fox nuts that have high nutritional and medicinal values and are mostly grown in the state of Bihar in India.

Phool Makhana, Fox Nuts, or Lotus Seeds are loaded with nutrients and are a good source of protein, calcium, and iron. These are good healthy snacks for kids and adults.

How to Make Makhana Matar Paneer Curry

In a kadai/pan, heat 1 tablespoon of ghee or oil, add the cashews, and roast them till golden brown. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

In the same pan, add makhana and roast them on very low heat for 4-5 minutes until they are crisp, keep stirring them in between so that Makhana doesn't burn. Once done, transfer onto a plate and set it aside.

roasting cashews nuts and phool makhana in ghee

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in the same pan, add onion and saute till golden brown. Add ginger, garlic, green chili, tomato, and saute till the tomatoes are soft and mushy. Turn off the flame and allow it to cool slightly.

sauting onions ,ginger ,garlic ,tomatoes in a pan

Transfer the mixture into a blender jar with ¼ cup of water and blend to a smooth puree.

blend the onion tomato mixture into smooth paste for paneer makhana sabji recipe

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon ghee in the same pan, add cumin seeds let them sizzle.

Add red chili powder, mix well and saute for a few seconds on medium-low flame. Adding Kashmiri red chili powder at this stage gives a nice color to the dish.

add cumin seeds and red chilli powder in ghee

Add the prepared onion tomato puree and mix well. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes until the oil/ghee separates from the mixture.

cook the onion tomato puree till ghee separates for paneer makhana sabji recipe

Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, and salt. Mix well and saute for another minute.

Add paneer (cottage cheese), roasted makhanas, roasted cashews, green peas, 1 cup of water, stir well and simmer the curry over low heat for 5 – 6 minutes.

add ,dry spices ,makhana,peas,paneer ,roasted cashews and water

Lastly, sprinkle garam masala powder, Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), and fresh cream and mix well. Turn off the gas.

garnish phool makhana paneer matar curry with cream ,kasuri methi and garam masala

Garnish with coriander, squeeze some lime juice and serve hot with poori, parathas, or jeera rice.

paneer makhana sabji recipe served in a copper bowl

What to serve with Paneer Makhana Curry?

This Makhana Matar Paneer curry is a side dish that acts as a perfect complement to various delicacies like parotta, naan, roti, jeera rice, and ghee rice.

Tips

  • Roast the foxnut (makhana) till they are crisp before adding them to the makhana sabzi.
  • Add roasted foxnuts just a few minutes before serving the curry. This prevents the roasted Phool makhanas from turning soggy.
  • Homemade Paneer works the best. If you have store-bought paneer, then soak paneer in hot water for 15 minutes to keep them soft.
  • Adding Kasuri methi at the end gives a restaurant-style taste to this paneer dish.
  • I have added Kashmiri red chili powder to give nice red color to this dish. However, if you want to make it spicier, add extra red chili powder.
  • Always add the cream at the end of cooking else, it will curdle.

Variations

  • You can also add khoya/mawa and cream to give a rich texture and taste to make the Khoya Matar Makhana recipe.
  • You can also skip paneer and replace it with mushrooms or aloo (baby potato) in this makhana ki sabji recipe.
  • Adding sugar or honey balances the flavors and so you can add ½ teaspoon of sugar or 1 teaspoon of honey in the end.

Recipe FAQs

How to make No Onion No Garlic Paneer Makhana Curry?

Follow the same recipe and skip adding onions and garlic, instead, add extra ¼ cup cashews while blending to make the gravy thick, creamy, and rich.

Which cream to use for making Kaju Paneer Makhana?

I have used Amul cream (heavy cream) to make Phool makhana curry. You can use any whipping cream that is available in your nearest grocery store. You can also use homemade Malai (malai).

How to make Vegan Paneer Makhana Sabji?

To make Vegan Makhana Matar Paneer curry, you can replace paneer with tofu. Ghee with oil and fresh cream with cashew or coconut cream.

More Green Peas Recipes

  • Matar Paneer
  • Potato Peas Curry
  • Peas Pulao
  • Cabbage Peas Stir Fry
  • Green Peas Uttapam

More Phool Makhana Recipes

  • Makhana Chivda
  • Spicy Masala Makhana
  • Caramel Makhana
  • Makhana Kheer
  • Chocolate Makhana
  • Peri Peri Makhana
  • Mint Makhana

If you love Phool Makhana’s, Checkout my 12+ Makhana Recipes collection.

If you’ve tried this healthy Paneer Matar Makhana Curry recipe or any other recipe on Indianveggiedelight, then don’t forget to rate the recipe. You can also follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see the latest recipes!

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Paneer Matar Makhana Curry served in a copper bottom bowl

Paneer Matar Makhana Curry

Bhavana Patil
Paneer Matar Makhana Curry(Makhana Sabji) is a rich Indian curry recipe made with roasted fox-nuts, cottage cheese, green peas and cashews
5 from 8 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Servings: 4
Calories : 359
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Diet: Vegetarian
Method: Stovetop
Prep Time : 10 minutes
Cook Time : 20 minutes
Total Time : 30 minutes

Ingredients
  

Measuring cup used [1 cup = 250ml]

  • 4 tablespoons ghee or oil divided
  • ¼ cup cashews optional
  • 2 cups roasted makhana (phool makhana/lotus seeds)
  • 150 grams paneer (cottage cheese) cut into small cubes
  • ¼ cup green peas frozen
  • 1 medium onion finely chopped
  • 2 large tomato finely chopped
  • ½ inch ginger
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 green chili
  • 1 teaspoon cumin (jeera) seeds
  • salt to taste
  • 1 ¼ cups water divided
  • 1 tablespoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cream use coconut cream for vegan
  • 1 teaspoon lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons coriander leaves

Dry Spices

  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala

Instructions
 

  • In a kadai, heat 1 tablespoon of ghee or oil, add the cashews and roast them till golden brown. Transfer on to a plate and set aside.
  • In the same pan add makhana and roast them on very low heat for 4-5 minutes until they are crisp, keep stirring them in between so that Makhana doesn't burn. Once done transfer on to a plate and set it aside.
    roasting cashews nuts and phool makhana in ghee
  • Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in the same pan, add onion and saute till golden brown. Add ginger, garlic, green chili, tomato, and saute till the tomatoes are soft and mushy. Turn off the flame and allow it to cool slightly.
    sauting onions ,ginger ,garlic ,tomatoes in a pan
  • Transfer the mixture into a blender jar with ¼ cup of water and blend to a smooth puree.
    blend the onion tomato mixture into smooth paste
  • Heat remaining 1 tablespoon ghee in the same pan, add cumin seeds let them sizzle.
  • Add red chili powder, mix well and saute for a few seconds on medium-low flame. Adding Kashmiri red chili powder at this stage gives a nice color to the dish.
    add cumin seeds and red chilli powder in ghee
  • Add the prepared onion tomato puree and mix well. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes until the oil/ghee begins to separate from the mixture.
    cook the onion tomato puree till ghee separates
  • Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, salt and mix well and saute for another minute.
  • Add paneer (cottage cheese), roasted makhanas, roasted cashews, green peas, 1 cup of water, stir well and simmer the curry over low heat for 5 – 6 minutes.
    add ,dry spices ,makhana,peas,paneer ,roasted cashews and water
  • Lastly sprinkle garam masala powder, Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), and fresh cream and mix well. Turn off the gas.
    garnish phool makhana paneer matar curry with cream ,kasuri methi and garam masala
  • Garnish with coriander, squeeze some lime juice and serve hot with poori, parathas or jeera rice.
    Paneer Matar Makhana Curry served in a copper bottom bowl

Notes

Tips

  • Roast the foxnut (makhana) till they are crisp before adding to the makhana sabzi.
  • Add roasted foxnuts just a few minutes before serving the curry. This prevents the roasted Phool makhanas from turning soggy.
  • Homemade Paneer works the best. If you have store brought paneer, then soak paneer in hot water for 15 minutes to keep them soft.
  • Adding Kasuri methi at the end gives a restaurant-style taste to this paneer dish.
  • I have added Kashmiri red chili powder to give nice red color to this dish. However, if you want to make it spicier add extra red chili powder.
  • Always add the cream at the end of cooking else it will curdle.
 

Variations

  • You can also add khoya/mawa along with cream to give a rich texture and taste to make the Khoya Matar Makhana recipe.
  • You can also skip paneer and replace it with mushrooms or aloo (baby potato) in this makhana ki sabji recipe.
  • Adding sugar or honey balances the flavors and so you can add ½ teaspoon of sugar or 1 teaspoon of honey in the end.
 
Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition

Calories: 359kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 9gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 71mgPotassium: 383mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1107IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 223mgIron: 2mg
Keyword makhana paneer curry, matar makhana, phool makhana curry, phool makhana recipes
Tried this recipe?Share your photo and tag @indianveggiedelight or #indianveggiedelight

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Comments

  1. SelVJ says

    September 07, 2022 at 2:01 am

    5 stars
    It came out so delicious, thank you for the recipe

    Reply
    • Bhavana Patil says

      September 07, 2022 at 6:38 pm

      Glad you loved the recipe, Selvi 😊 Have a great day 😊

      Reply

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