Paneer Reshmi Chicken Handi Recipe

Paneer Reshmi Handi Recipe is an easy chicken curry with silky smooth gravy. You just need 30 minutes and 5 spices to make this white chicken cheese handi. Did I tell you it’s restaurant style and everyone loves it!

Paneer reshmi handi in a clay pot on the grey background. - 1

Updated: The post was updated with step collages and ingredients shot. The recipe is the same with a slight variation in steps to make it quicker and easier.

Paneer Reshmi Chicken Handi is a dairy-based Pakistan white boneless chicken curry that is served with naan. In this dish, cheddar cheese is used instead of paneer (cottage cheese) while cheddar cheese is never used in traditional South Asian cooking.

Why does this recipe taste so good?

The gravy is also inspired by Italian alfredo sauce. This Handi has very few spices, unlike other South Asian curries, and is made without tomatoes, unlike traditional red chicken handi.

Paneer is cottage cheese in Hindi and Urdu. Reshmi means silky, it refers to the silky smooth texture of the gravy. Handi means earthen pot. This curry is a merry fusion of East and West.

Why does this recipe taste so good?
Origin
Ingredients
How to make it?
Variation and Expert tips
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

Origin

Just like Chicken 65 , this Paneer reshmi handi originated in a famous restaurant. The restaurant is Kolachi located in Karachi, Pakistan. Then, it gradually made its place on the menu of all neighboring restaurants.I personally had it at 5 years ago and hubby also loved it. So, it’s a recent innovation to make chicken handi without tomatoes.

Ingredients

Unlike most South Asian curries that are laden with a number of spices, this white boneless chicken handi requires only five spices including salt.

The visual shot of paneer reshmi handi is clearly labelled so I won’t list all ingredients again. I will just list the once about which I want to suggest substitute.

Chicken : I used chicken breast pieces, as we will use velveting technique here so the breast pieces will stay juicy.
Ginger, garlic, green chili: I’m using paste of these spices, you can use roughly chopped or minced as well. Because we will eventually blend it.
Veggies : I’m using capsicum and onion slices which are authentically used in malai handi, you can add less or more of these or skip it too. Other veggie options are corn and green onions.
Onion : Do be confused to see onion twice in the ingredients list. We need two cuts of onions, one for gravy and another sliced cut for veggies in the gravy.
Cheese : I’ve tried using cheedar, cream cheese and mozzarella in this recipe. Cheddar has more sharp taste that I like. Mozzarella cheese would give those cheesy strands in the handi that many won’t like and some would die for.
Cream cheese give that super creamy taste. So it’s a personal choice. I’d suggest mix of cheddar and cream cheese. I used bare minimum cheese, the restaurants would add extra in this handi.
Yogurt : Full fat or skim yogurt both works for this handi. If using greek yogurt, just use less as it is very rich and thick compared to regular yogurt.
Cream : Use unsweetened full-fat cream, you can also use malai instead.
Cumin and white pepper are not in the visual and both are optional, if unavailable.

How to make it?

For Gravy

In a wok , take onion ginger, garlic, and green chilli paste. Mix well. Cover the pot and fry for 5 minutes on medium heat until onions are soft. Remove from heat.
When onions are soft add yogurt, this yogurt will also cool the gravy so we can process it easily.
Transfer onion-yogurt gravy to a food processor and blend for 2-3 minutes until silky smooth. Set this gravy aside until needed.
In a bowl mix cornflour, salt, and chicken. Mix well. ( This cornflour coating will keep chicken juicy and soft.)

In the same pot, stir-fry chicken in little butter.
When chicken changes its color and turns slightly golden add onion and capsicum.Saute for 3-4 minutes until soft. Also, add cumin powder .
Mix and add onion-yogurt gravy. Cover and simmer for 2 minutes on medium flame.
Finally add cream and cheese. Simmer on low heat for another 2 minutes until cheese melts. (Do not cook on high flame after adding cream.)
Add slices chilles. Cut butter in cubes and place all over the surface of gravy. Cover for 1 minutes until butter melt. Remove from heat and serve Paneer reshmi chicken handi with garlic naan.

Variation and Expert tips

A lot of the flavor of this chicken reshmi handi is derived from dairy ingredients that as yogurt cheese and cream (or malai).
Fewer spices let the cheesy creamy flavor shine .
Do not get tempted to add coriander powder or garam masala. The handi will taste like white karahi. NO!
Do not make white sauce or flour base, it will be even worse . The flour-free handi with cheese and cream is light a fluffy gravy.
The gravy is blended until smooth which makes the handi texture reshmi that is silky smooth.
Avoid too much cooking after adding cream as the gravy can curdle. You can also use malai instead of cream in this recipe. That’s why it is also called malai handi.
The coating of cornflour on chicken and stir-frying makes the chicken velvety soft.
One pot food: All the cooking takes place in just one pot which reduces cooking time and effort.
A handi is a clay cooking pot and handi should be made in a clay pot. To keep the recipe simple, I’m using a wok to make this handi. You can use a clay pot as well.

I’ve kept the recipe close to the original. But you can skip sauteed onion and capsicum if you don’t like it. This will keep the curry super smooth. You may add sweet corns or paneer pieces instead.

Serve the piping hot handi with garlic naan. If you like lightly spiced creamy curries, you might like Chicken Paprikash by Europedishes too.

Hungry for more recipe s?

White Chicken Korma
Chicken curry with cashew nuts
White Chicken Karahi
Chicken Malai Tikka

📖 Recipe

Ingredients

For gravy

▢ ¼ cup oil
▢ 1 onion , chopped
▢ 1½ to 2 tablespoon green chilli paste , less or more to taste
▢ ½ tablespoon ginger paste
▢ ½ tablespoon garlic paste
▢ ½ cup yogurt

Fry chicken

▢ 400 grams chicken cubes
▢ 1 tablespoon cornflour
▢ ½ teaspoon Salt
▢ 2 tablespoons butter
▢ ½ teaspoon cumin powder , optional
▢ 1 small capsicum , sliced
▢ 1 small onion , sliced

Other

▢ ½ cup shredded cheese , loosely packed, see notes
▢ ½ cup heavy cream
▢ 2 tablespoon butter , cut in 8 cubes.
▢ 3 medium chillies , deseeded and cut in julienne
▢ ¼-½ teaspoon white pepper , less or more to taste
▢ Salt , to taste

Instructions

For Gravy

In a pot, heat oil then add chopped onion, chilli, garlic and ginger paste. Mix well and cover the pot. Cook for 5 minutes on medium heat until onions are soft.
Switch off heat then add yogurt. Transfer gravy to a food processor and blend for 2-3 minutes until you have a very smooth this gravy. Set aside.
Remove veggies to a plate and set aside.

For Chicken and Assemble

In a bowl, mix chicken, salt and flour.
Again in same pot, heat butter on low flame. Add the chicken and cumin powder. Mix well and cook for 5 minutes until color changes.
Add sliced onion and capsicum, saute for 2 minutes until soft.
Now add yogurt gravy, cover the pot and cook for 2 minutes.
Now add cream and cheese to the chicken pot. Mix well and simmer for 2-3 minutes. (Add 2 tablespoons of water to thin out gravy if needed.) Protip: Do not cook on high heat after adding cream.
Add butter and chilies on the sides of the pot and simmer for 1 more minute until oil separates. Served with crispy garlic naan.

Notes

Chicken : I used chicken breast pieces, as we will use velveting technique here so the breast pieces will stay juicy.
Ginger, garlic, green chili: I’m using a paste of these spices, you can use roughly chopped or minced as well. Because we will eventually blend it.
Veggies : I’m using capsicum and onion slices which are authentically used in malai handi, you can add less or more of these or skip it too. Other veggie options are corn and green onions.
Onion : Do be confused to see onion twice in the ingredients list. We need two cuts of onions, one for gravy and another sliced cut for veggies in the gravy.
Cheese : I’ve tried using cheddar, cream cheese, and mozzarella in this recipe. Cheddar has a more sharp taste that I like. Mozzarella cheese would give those cheesy strands in the handi that many won’t like and some would die for. The cream cheese gives that super creamy taste. So it’s a personal choice. I’d suggest a mix of cheddar and mozzarella. I used bare minimum cheese, the restaurants would add extra in this handi.
Yogurt : Full fat or skim yogurt both works for this handi. If using greek yogurt, just use less of it as it is very rich and thick compared to regular yogurt.
Cream : Use unsweetened full-fat cream, you can also use malai instead.

Nutrition Information