Inspired by the flavours of Bengali Niramish Aloo Dum, this Niramish Paneer has become one of my favourite special occasion curries. It is rich, creamy and luxurious, but made without onion or garlic. Instead, the gravy gets its body from cashews, white poppy seeds and tomatoes, with whole spices and lightly caramelised sugar adding another layer of flavour.
Recipe Summary: Niramish Paneer
- ✅ Recipe Name: Niramish Paneer
- 🕒 Ready In: 40 minutes
- 👪 Serves: 8 (easy to scale)
- 🍽 Calories: 296 per serving
- 🥣 Main Ingredients: Paneer, cashews, white poppy seeds, tomatoes, whole spices
- 📖 Dietary Info: Vegetarian, no-onion garlic
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: It is mild, creamy and special without being complicated. The golden paneer tastes rich, the gravy coats every piece beautifully, and it proves you can make a deeply flavourful paneer curry without onion or garlic.
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I adapted the idea for paneer because I wanted something that felt a little more indulgent than potatoes. Paneer works so beautifully here because it soaks up the mild, creamy gravy while still holding its shape.
I once made this for guests and everyone was practically licking their plates clean! I'll take that as good feedback!
Let's Talk Ingredients
Find the full ingredients list with measurements in the recipe card below.
Paneer
I like to lightly fry the paneer until it is just golden. You are not trying to make it crispy. The aim is to add a little colour and flavour while keeping the centre soft.
If your shop-bought paneer feels firm, soak the cubes in hot water for 5–10 minutes first, then drain and use.
White poppy seeds
White poppy seeds, also called khus khus, are one of the ingredients that make this gravy feel special.
They add a subtle nutty, slightly sweet flavour and help make the sauce creamy without using dairy cream.
I also use white poppy seeds in my paneer vegetable dum biryani because they give such a lovely richness to the gravy.
If you cannot find them, use extra cashews instead. Melon seeds can also work beautifully, although they are not always easier to find. I use them in my paneer veg makhanwala that's also made without onion and garlic.
Cashews
Cashews give the gravy its smooth, rich texture.
Soak them with the poppy seeds before blending. This helps them break down properly and stops the gravy tasting gritty.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are important here because they balance the richness of the cashews and poppy seeds.
They also give the gravy a brighter flavour and better colour. I like using passata or crushed tinned tomatoes because they give a much richer and thicker gravy that cannot be achieved with fresh tomatoes alone. If you only have fresh tomatoes, use those.
Sugar
The sugar is not there to make the curry sweet. It is lightly caramelised in the oil before adding the whole spices. This deepens the flavour and gives the gravy a more rounded taste.
Work quickly at this stage because sugar can go from golden to burnt very fast!
Whole spices
Bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom add gentle warmth.
They should flavour the oil without overpowering the creamy gravy.
Green peas
Green peas are optional, but I really like them in this recipe.
They bring a little sweetness and freshness against the creamy paneer and rich gravy.
Why This Recipe Works Without Onion and Garlic
A lot of Indian curries use onion and garlic to build flavour and body.
This one works differently.
The white poppy seeds and cashews thicken the sauce and give it richness. The tomatoes balance that richness and stop the gravy feeling too heavy. The sugar is lightly caramelised before the spices go in, which gives the curry a deeper flavour.
So even without onion and garlic, it still tastes full and complete. You can browse through my other Indian curries without onion and garlic too.
Let's Make Niramish Paneer Step by Step
- Blend soaked cashews and poppy seeds: Soak the cashews and white poppy seeds in warm water. This helps them soften so the gravy blends smoothly. Then blend until completely smooth. This paste gives the curry its creamy body without onion, garlic or cream.
- Season the paneer: Toss the paneer cubes with salt, turmeric, red chilli powder and a little oil. Let them sit while you start the gravy.
Don't skip this!
You want to blend the cashews and poppy seeds and also the tomatoes until completely smooth. This curry relies on that silky paste to create body in the gravy.
- Lightly fry the paneer: Fry the paneer until just golden, then remove it from the pan. You only want colour and flavour, not crisp or chewy paneer.
- Caramelise the sugar: Add the sugar to the same pan and let it turn lightly golden. Work quickly here because sugar can burn fast.
- Bloom the whole spices: Add the whole spices straight into the caramelised sugar and oil. This deepens the flavour before the gravy paste goes in.
- Cook the cashew and poppy seed paste: Add the smooth paste and cook until oil lightly appears on the edges.
- Complete the base: Add the crushed tomatoes and green chillies and ginger. Add the spice powders except for garam masala. Cook until it thickens and the oil or ghee starts to leave the edges. Then optionally, tip in the peas.
- Simmer the paneer in the gravy: Return the paneer to the pan. Simmer gently until the gravy coats the paneer well, then finish with garam masala, fennel powder and kasuri methi.
Suggested Pairings
These are some of my favourite sides to serve with niramish paneer.
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📖 Recipe
Niramish Paneer
Ingredients
For the paneer
- 500 gram paneer cut into cubes
- 1 tablespoon oil
- salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
For the cashew and poppy seed paste
- 3 tablespoons cashew nuts
- 1 tablespoon white poppy seeds khus khus
For the curry
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon whole spices in total - bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves and green cardamom
- 1 inch fresh ginger crushed
- 3 green chillies crushed
- 2 tomatoes crushed
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin and coriander
- 3 tablespoons green peas optional
- ½ tablespoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon ground fennel variyali powder
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Soak 3 tablespoons cashew nuts and 1 tablespoon white poppy seeds in warm water for 15–20 minutes. Drain well.
- Place 500 gram paneer cubes in a bowl and season with salt, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder and 1 teaspoon turmeric powder. Add 1 tablespoon oil, toss gently to coat and set aside.
- Blend the soaked cashew nuts and poppy seeds to make a smooth paste.
- Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a heavy-based pan or kadai over medium heat. Fry the marinated paneer until lightly golden. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add 1 teaspoon sugar to the same pan and stir briefly, then add 1 tablespoon whole spices. Saute until the whole spices begin to sizzle.
- Add the cashew paste, crushed 3 green chillies and 1 inch fresh ginger. Reduce the heat and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring regularly. Then add in crushed 2 tomatoes.
- Add 1 teaspoon red chilli powder½ teaspoon turmeric powder, along with 1 tablespoon ground cumin and coriander. Season with salt. Cook for a further 3–4 minutes.
- Add 3 tablespoons green peas, if using, followed by enough water to reach your preferred curry consistency. Bring to a gentle boil and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the fried paneer and simmer for 3–4 minutes.
- Stir in ½ tablespoon garam masala, ½ teaspoon ground fennel and 1 teaspoon kasuri methi. Cook for 1 minute, then remove from the heat.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
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[…] It is great for lunch as part of a Gujarati thali or after a spicy meal with gujarati rotlis and Niramish Paneer […]