In a recent conversation with Curly Tales, the Bollywood actor Malaika Arora shared her love for Paneer Thecha. Maharashtrians love spicy food and Paneer Thecha is incomplete without raw green chillies. The star ingredient adds a much-needed taste to the bland cottage cheese or tofu. Thecha means ‘to pound’ or ‘crushing’. So, it’s a spicy, coarsely crushed chutney. The Maharashtrian-style Paneer Thecha follows a traditional method of crushing the ingredients in a grinding stone (silbatta). However, much to the disdain of Sanya Malhotra’s father-in-law in Mrs, you can use a blender to make Thecha.

Paneer Thecha is great for people seeking low-calorie, nutrient-rich foods as it is loaded with protein. The dish also includes peanuts and garlic which regulate blood sugar levels, fight off infections and improve heart health. To make Paneer Thecha more healthy and nutritious, you can avoid the oil and simply dry roast the ingredients. Similarly, you can dry roast or air fry the paneer. Additionally, you can reduce the spice content according to your tolerance.

Are you ready to spice up your plate with a bold twist? Follow this easy recipe to make delish Paneer Thecha at home.

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Total time: 40-60 minutes

Ingredients:

250 gm paneer

6 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup peeled peanuts

10-15 garlic cloves

8-10 green chillies

150 gm coriander leaves with stem

Salt to taste

1 tbsp lemon juice

Method:

Start by slicing the paneer into small cube-like pieces. Heat a pan on a medium flame and add olive oil to it. Once the oil starts to heat, add peanuts, green chillies and garlic to it. Roast the ingredients until golden brown. Now, add coriander to the pan and roast it for 2-3 minutes on low flame. Turn off the heat and carefully transfer the roasted ingredients to the silbatta. Add some salt and lemon juice to the ingredients. Now, crush the mixture to make a coarse Thecha paste. Take the sliced cubes of paneer and coat them with Thecha. Make sure all the slices are properly covered with the paste.

Now, take a non-stick pan. Add 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil and heat on a medium flame. Place the Thecha-coated paneer slices in the pan and fry them on all sides until golden brown. Turn off the heat and the spicy Paneer Thecha is ready to be served with mint chutney and sliced onions.

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