Peach paneer curry is the perfect way to use up all those late summer peaches. This pour and cook recipe calls for a 1 minute cook time in an instant pot!
This pour and cook peach paneer curry is sweet, savory, and simple to make. It calls for a 1 minute cook time in an instant pot! I’ve also included stovetop directions below.
What’s Peach Paneer Curry?
Peaches in an Indian recipe? Not a fruit you’d expect to find in a curry. Mango or coconut? Yes, definitely. But peaches? Nope.
Well, that’s about to change because it turns out that juicy ripe peaches pair beautifully with spices like fenugreek leaves, garam masala, and cayenne (or lal mirch)—a sweet and spicy combination.
I’m excited about these two main ingredients making their debut together. I love Indian food, and I also love eating seasonally, so it makes a lot of sense to me that peaches and paneer make a great pair.
How to Make Peach Paneer Curry:
The first step: blend ripe peaches!
Then pour the blended peach sauce into an instant pot, along with the rest of the cast: paneer, bell peppers, onion masala, and a handful of spices.
Once it’s done cooking, stir in some diced peaches and garnish the top of the curry with them too. They add a burst of fresh and juicy sweetness to each spoonful of curry!
I hope you get a chance to make this peach curry while we’re still in prime peach season.
Like fruit in curry? Try these recipes too!
Ingredients
- 1 pound peaches 3 medium or 2 large, pit removed
- 1 cup of water
- 1 14 ounce block paneer, cut into chunks
- 2 bell peppers chopped
- ½ cup frozen onion masala
- 1 tablespoon fenugreek leaves
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne to taste
Add later:
- ½ – 1 peach diced
- Cilantro garnish
Instructions
Instant Pot
- Add the peaches and water to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour this into an instant pot and add the remaining ingredients to the pot and mix well.
- Secure the lid, close the pressure valve, and cook for 1 minute at high pressure.
- Quick-release pressure.
- Mix well, garnish with cilantro and serve.
Stovetop:
- Add the peaches and water to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour this into a dutch oven over medium heat along with the onion masala and spices.
- Cover with a lid and cook for 5 minutes.
- Remove the lid, add the bell pepper and paneer, and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes or until the paneer is warmed through and the bell peppers are tender.
- Stir in the diced peaches and garnish with cilantro.
Freny Khambata says
Have made your cauliflower chickpea curry. Turned out very yummy and amazingly quick and easy. Thank you Ashley for your recipes.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Freny, so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Kiran says
I tried this recipe for the first time and was pleasantly surprised! It was very tasty and not as sweet as I thought it would turn out. I added the paneer after cooking the other ingredients in the instant pot and sautéed it until it was warmed through. Thank you Ashley for another tasty recipe
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Kiran, I’m so glad you liked it 🙂 Thanks for letting me know how it turned out!
Isha Roy says
Hi Ashley
I cooked this recipe per your instructions an do it yourself turned out good. The paneer was a bit chewy though: is it possible to cook this recipe with less time on the instant pot?
My Heart Beets says
Hi Isha, I’m really happy to hear that you liked this! You can try entering “0” minutes – the dish should cook just fine in the amount of time it takes to reach pressure. You can also always add the paneer after pressure cooking and just heat it until it warms through.
Arati says
This recipe was amazing. I will be making it regularly. I also threw in 1/2 cup of frozen peas and it worked well.
My Heart Beets says
Arati, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how the peach paneer turned out for you 🙂
Ritika Giju says
Has anyone tried this with chicken?
Geoffrey Schaller says
I was actually reading to see this myself – I am guessing one would need about 5 min of cooking to cook it all the way through, maybe less if it’s diced ahead of time. I may experiment and report back if this works.
Elyse Rosenthal Pahwa says
Ten stars. Everyone must make this. Was I supposed to use green or red peppers. I used greens, before looking at the photo again. Did you know I love methi. Quite possible the most incrediblE curry I’ve made. Thank you Ashley.
My Heart Beets says
Thank you, Elyse! I’m so happy to hear that you liked this so much! As for bell peppers – any color will work for this curry 🙂
Irene says
Sounds really good, Ashley! Peaches provide an aromatic and thickening agent at the same time! I wonder if I could use tofu instead of paneer – have you tried that?
My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Irene! I haven’t tried this with tofu – please let me know how it goes if you do!
Deepa Nadella says
Hi- if I am forgoing the onion masala, how do I replace it? Given I’ll be using onions and tomatoes etc but not the onion masala per say. Thank you! Excited to try this.
My Heart Beets says
Hi Deepa, you can try caramelizing an onion and cooking down two tomatoes. Someone from my facebook group (Instant Pot for Indian Food) mentioned they tried this and it worked well! Let me know how it goes!
Maneesha says
WOW! What a cool idea!! I’m definitely going to try this!
My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Maneesha! I can’t wait to hear what you think 🙂
Gore says
This sounds really interesting, a bit unusual, and something I must try! Do you peel the peaches before you blitz them, or just remove the stone then bung everything in?
My Heart Beets says
Hi Gore, I don’t peel the peaches – no need. Let me know what you think if you try this!