Step-By-Step Recipe For Karwa Chauth’s Classic Paneer Curry

On Karwa Chauth, people fast throughout the day, without water and food, and one of the filling and nourishing recipes you can make is paneer gravy. Ahead is a step-by-step guide to make paneer makhani without onion and garlic.

prep time 00 Hour 30 Mins

cook time 45 Hour 00 Mins

chef Team Kitchen Diaries

Karwa Chauth is around the corner, to be celebrated on October 10, 2025, and couples are gearing up for an important festival of the year. Among Hindus, this special day holds a lot of significance. Women fast for their husbands, while abstaining from drinking water and eating anything throughout the day until the moon sighting. However, it’s not just women; today, men also fast for the longevity of their spouse.

The legends of this festival are associated with Princess Savitri, who saved her husband, Satyavan, from death. Another folklore talks about Karwa, a devoted wife who threatened Lord Yama with a curse to save her husband. There are also legends associated with the Mahabharata. Women get up before sunrise, take a bath, and eat something to keep their bodies energised the whole day, prepare food in the evening, and break the fast after they witness the moon and perform the rituals.

Since a person does not eat throughout the day, the dinner should be nourishing. Hence, it inclu

Since a person does not eat throughout the day, the dinner should be nourishing. Hence, it includes sweets, main course dishes that are rich in protein, for instance, paneer gravy, side dishes, and digestible beverages. Because people fast on Karwa Chauth, the feast is usually vegetarian, making the paneer gravy shine. Not only does it revitalise the body, but it also boosts vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and the count of other essential nutrients.

Paneer gravy satiates your hunger without weighing you down. The best part? You can make it without onion and garlic (if you wish) and pair it with steamed rice and matar pulao. If you are hosting people on Karwa Chauth, you can prepare the gravy with a cashew base, adding a royal touch to the festive spread. It will instantly energise your body and make you feel better after fasting, without food or water.

If you are thinking about the main course menu, add paneer gravy, blindfolded, because it is a crowd-pleaser and the safest choice. You don’t have to hassle much and can find several recipes on the internet. Depending on your spice tolerance card, you can tweak any cooking journal as per your liking and not spend a lot of time in the kitchen while trying to hold it all together – your health, chaos in the house, and the cooking space.

Avoid cooking fresh cream because it will curdle and make the dish slightly sour. Add it at the end to achieve a creamy texture and lighten the hue of the gravy.
Prepare a separate paneer makhani masala. You can add onion and garlic powder if you prefer eating it after fasting. Store the spice mix in an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator. You can use it later in other gravies to add a depth of flavour.
Don’t forget sugar, as it will balance the heat and spiciness. The same goes for kasuri methi powder if you want to achieve restaurant-style taste.

Step 1

Dry roast all the ingredients mentioned under paneer masala and keep them aside.

Step 2

Once they cool off, grind them into a smooth powder.

Step 3

In a saucepan, boil cashews, tomatoes, ginger, and a bay leaf.

Step 4

Once the mixture cools off, blend it into a smooth paste along with green chillies.

Step 5

Heat butter in a pan, and add cumin seeds and turmeric powder. Let the seeds crackle.

Step 6

Add the makhani blend and cook it until the gravy turns slightly thick and dark in colour.

Step 7

Sprinkle all the powdered spices along with paneer masala, and stir the base. Keep the flame low to roast the spices.

Step 8

Once the spices are done, the base will be darker, and butter will float on the surface.

Step 9

Pour water into the pan and let the ingredients come together. Once the gravy is thick – neither too thick nor runny – it is the perfect time to add paneer pieces.

Step 10

Sprinkle sugar, methi powder, and garam masala. Cook for another 2 minutes and pour the fresh cream.

Step 11

Turn off the heat and garnish the paneer gravy with coriander leaves. Keep it warm and serve it with steamed rice and puri.

Frequently Asked Questions

You can add depth to any gravy using ginger, pepper, and cumin seeds.

Instead of the onion base for the gravy, you can use cashews and a little bit of melon seeds. These ingredients thicken the base and make it rich.

You can use spices like cumin seeds, paprika, black pepper, coriander seeds, ginger, red chillies, thyme, turmeric, and fresh coriander or basil.

Calories 320 Kcal

Total Fat 26 g

Carbs 6 g

Protein 12 g

ESSENTIAL ITEMS

4 For Gravy: Tomatoes

1 tbsp Butter

200 gm Paneer

2 tbsp Light cream

0.5 tsp Ginger

1 Bay leaf

2 tbsp Cashew paste

1 tsp Kasuri methi

as per taste Salt

0.5 tsp Red chilli powder

0.5 tsp Sugar

1 tbsp Coriander leaves

1.5 tsp Coriander powder

0.5 tsp Garam masala

pinch Pepper

0.5 tsp Turmeric powder

2 Green chillies

1 tsp Paneer masala

1 tsp For Paneer Masala: Peppercorn

1 Bay leaf

1 Star anise

1.5 tsp Coriander seeds

1 tsp Fennel seeds

1 Green cardamom

0.5 Inch cinnamon

as per taste Salt

2 Red chillies

0.2 tsp Cumin seeds

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