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A classic Kashmiri Pandit curry featuring golden-fried paneer cubes simmered in a fragrant, tangy tomato gravy. Spiced with fennel and ginger, it's a comforting dish best served with steamed rice.
For 4 servings
Fry the Paneer
Prepare the Tomato Base
Cook the Gravy
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A classic Kashmiri Pandit curry featuring golden-fried paneer cubes simmered in a fragrant, tangy tomato gravy. Spiced with fennel and ginger, it's a comforting dish best served with steamed rice.
This kashmiri recipe takes 45 minutes to prepare and yields 4 servings. At 461.51 calories per serving with 15.47g of protein, it's a moderately challenging recipe perfect for lunch or dinner.
Simmer the Curry
Finish and Serve
Replace paneer with firm, pressed tofu. Cube and fry the tofu as you would the paneer. Substitute ghee with a neutral vegetable oil or coconut oil.
For a richer, restaurant-style finish, stir in 2 tablespoons of fresh cream or cashew cream at the very end, after turning off the heat.
You can add boiled potatoes or green peas to the gravy along with the paneer for extra texture and nutrition.
Paneer is an excellent source of high-quality protein, which is essential for muscle building, tissue repair, and overall body function.
Cooked tomatoes are a fantastic source of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that helps protect cells from damage and supports heart health.
The traditional Kashmiri spices used, such as fennel (saunf) and ginger (sonth), are known for their digestive properties, helping to soothe the stomach and reduce bloating.
Tomato Chaman is moderately healthy. It's a good source of protein and calcium from paneer and antioxidants like lycopene from tomatoes. However, it can be high in fat due to the fried paneer and use of oil/ghee. To make it healthier, you can pan-sear the paneer with less oil instead of shallow-frying.
A single serving of Tomato Chaman (approximately 245g) contains around 350-400 calories. This can vary based on the amount of oil used and the fat content of the paneer.
The key difference is the spice profile and origin. Tomato Chaman is a Kashmiri Pandit dish characterized by the distinct flavors of fennel (saunf) and dry ginger (sonth) powder, and it traditionally does not use onions, garlic, or cream. Paneer Butter Masala is a North Indian (Punjabi) dish with a richer, creamier gravy made with onions, cashews, and cream.
Paneer can become hard if it's over-fried. Fry it only until it's light golden. Soaking the fried paneer in warm water for 10-15 minutes is a great trick to ensure it stays soft and spongy in the gravy.
Yes, you can easily make it vegan by replacing paneer with firm tofu (press it well to remove water before frying) and using a neutral oil instead of ghee.
Absolutely! The gravy can be prepared 1-2 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, simply reheat the gravy, add freshly fried paneer, and simmer for 5-7 minutes.