Hariyali Paneer (Green Masala Paneer) 

By Zainab Shah

Updated May 12, 2026

  • Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
Media 1 of 1
Ready In
40 min
Rating
5(50)
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That bunch of cilantro or mint threatening to wilt in the fridge is ideal for this vegetal, herby, luxurious paneer dinner—even better if the herbs are fresh. Bright, peppery cilantro blended with refreshing mint makes the perfect backdrop for mild, milky paneer, while green chiles bring a complementary edge that’s fortified with heat from red chile powder. Cumin seeds add texture and earthiness, and zesty lemon juice ties it all together.  Unlike the tomato-based curries typical in the northern parts of India and Pakistan, green (or hara) curries like this one rely on crushed-up nuts for richness. This recipe calls for a formidable shortcut: cashew butter. For even more creaminess, don’t skip the yogurt. 

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 1½ cups fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems

  • 1½ cups fresh mint leaves

  • 1 cup water, divided, plus more as needed

  • 2 tablespoons ghee or neutral oil, divided 

  • 1 pound paneer, cubed into ½-inch pieces (see Tip) 

  • 1 small Spanish or white onion, thinly sliced 

  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated garlic or garlic paste

  • 4 Thai green chiles, chopped

  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 

  • ¾ teaspoon Kashmiri or other red chile powder 

  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt 

  • 2 tablespoons cashew or other nut butter 

  • ½ cup water, plus more as needed

  • 2 tablespoons Greek or coconut yogurt (optional)

  • Juice of 1 lemon (2 to 3 tablespoons) 

  • Basmati rice or naan, for serving (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Blend the cilantro, mint and ½ cup of water in a blender on medium for 10 to 45 seconds, until it forms a smooth, loose paste similar to a green chutney.

  2. Step 2

    Heat 1 tablespoon ghee on medium heat in a frying pan or pot large enough to hold the paneer in a single layer. Once the ghee has thinned out, about 30 seconds, add the paneer in a single layer and let it cook, undisturbed, for 2 minutes, until the surface in contact with the frying pan turns golden brown. Remove the paneer from the pan and set aside. 

  3. Step 3

    Add the remaining ghee to the pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion turns translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the green chiles, cumin seeds, chile powder and salt. Add the cashew butter and blended herb mixture and stir until everything is evenly mixed together. Add ½ cup water to thin out the sauce. 

  4. Step 4

    Add the seared paneer and stir until the paneer is coated. If a looser sauce is desired, gradually add up to another ½ cup water until the desired thickness is reached. Stir in the yogurt if using, along with the lemon juice. Taste and season with salt if desired. Serve the saucy paneer with rice or roti. 

Tip

  • If store-bought paneer seems dry and rubbery, soak the cubed pieces in warm water for 10 minutes to soften. Drain before cooking.

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Comments

Avery L

Fantastic recipe - super doable for a weeknight! I admit I did partake in a decent amount of subbing, but either way this recipe was a perfect base for riffing. I used parsley instead of cilantro (I have the soap thing), added tofu for extra protein, and used peanut butter instead of cashew because that’s all I had (I was worried, but it worked totally fine)! Sprinkled with cashews and ate over short grain brown rice. Excited for its “day 2” flavor profile tomorrow.

Tricia J

@Val in the NYT Cooking app you can tap on the ruler icon above the ingredients list, switch to metric, and you'll see a weight. (I don't think that's available on the website though.) It reveals 30 grams for cilantro and 25 for mint, but doesn't give a weight for "small onion" or the garlic.

Val

How much is 1 1/2 c (loosely packed? tightly packed?) fresh cilantro by weight? Ditto fresh mint. I do not understand why you don't just tell me "3 ounces of fresh cilantro" or whatever.

GDM

The flavor of this masala was great. I didn’t have enough mint or cilantro so I supplemented with a bit of parsley and baby spinach. Just a warning that if you are sensitive to spice, cut back on the green chilies! I used 4 as per the recipe and I thought it was spicy and my husband who is sensitive to spice was sweating.

erina

@Avery L ah excellent pointers! i would also probably just chop the herbs as to not dirty up blender. yes, i am that lazy 😅 really

Ellie

Question : I suppose you could sub paneer with feta or hamoumi ? Any ideas ?

Bart

We substitute tofu for paneer in several dishes and it works well.

Colette

@Elliei I was wondering about subbing tofu.

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