How to make kadai paneer at home.
Kadai Paneer| How to make kadai paneer at home.
Kadai Paneer.

Kadai Paneer – paneer (Indian cottage cheese) and bell peppers cooked in a spicy masala. This restaurant style Kadai Paneer gets its unique flavor from freshly ground spices.

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This is one of the most popular restaurant served paneer dishes. Paneer lovers would love to order this in an Indian restaurant. It can be made dry or gravy.

What is Kadai ?

Its gets its name kadai paneer as it is made in a kadai or a metal wok. A kadhai is a thick, circular, and deep cooking utensil used in India. It’s very similar in shape to a chinese wok, usually it is made out of cast iron. I personally love to use these cast iron vessels.

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Kadai Paneer| How to make kadai paneer at home.

Secret behind Kadai Paneer.

I have a secret to tell you behind this recipe. The flavors in kadai paneer comes from freshly grounded spices and use of a lot of Coriander seeds. The main ingredients use for kadai masala is coriander, kashmiri chilli, black peppers and cumin seeds.

Kadai Paneer| How to make kadai paneer at home.

This can be made in various ways. This recipe is for the gravy version of kadai paneer. This dish gets its name from ‘kadai’, an Indian wok, which is essential for cooking Indian cuisines and used here to give smoky flavor to paneer.

In addition to the recipe I am attaching a video as well in the recipe tag.

Ingredients to make kadai paneer

For Kadai Masala

  • 2 tsp coriander seeds whole
  • 1 tsp cumin/jeera whole
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper whole
  • 2 nos kashmiri red chilli whole

For Onion Tomato Paste

  • 2 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 3 cloves garlic Finely chopped
  • 1 inch ginger chopped
  • 2 nos onions Chopped/ red onion
  • 2 nos tomatoes chopped
  • 5 nos cashew nuts

For Kadai Paneer Gravy

  • butter – 1 tbsp
  • bay leaf small – 1 nos
  • green chilli – 1 nos
  • kasuri methi dry fenugreek leaves – 1tsp
  • red onion diced – 1 nos
  • capsicum diced – 1 nos
  • tsp turmeric – 1/2 tsp
  • kashmiri red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
  • 1 cup water
  • paneer cheese cubed – 200 gms
  • 2 tbsp cream double cream
  • 1/4 tsp garam masala
  • 2 tbsp coriander leaves finely chopped

 

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Instructions to make Kadai Paneer

  1. Dry roast kadai masala ingredients in a pan for a minute.
  2. Blend coarsely and keep aside.

For Onion tomato paste

  1. Melt butter in a pan
  2. Add garlic, ginger and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
  3. Then add kashmiri red chilli powder, jeera powder and coriander and saute for a minute.
  4. Add red onion and saute until slightly brown.
  5. To the pan add the chopped tomatoes and cashew nuts.
  6. Cook until tomatoes are soft and mushy
  7. Add kadai masala and cook well.
  8. Cool the gravy mix and blend it to a smooth paste and keep aside
  9. Meanwhile deep fry the paneer until golden brown and soak in cold water for half an hour. This allows paneer not to break in the gravy and to make it very soft in texture.

Kadai Paneer Gravy

  1. Heat oil in a pan
  2. Add bay leaf, green chilli followed by red onion and capsicum.
  3. Then add in the blended gravy, once when the gravy started leaving oil add half cup water and salt to taste.
  4. Add paneer and cook well.
  5. Finish with cream and cook for few more minutes.
  6. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot

Kids love variety and there is nothing more fulfilling than tossing up a paneer recipe which is nutritious and fills your little ones tummy in minutes. Read for more kids friendly paneer recipes that you could try at home. These paneer recipes will make you and your family happy and a lifetime member of paneer lovers club in no time.

More Paneer recipes.

  1. Recipe for cabbage thoran
  2. Recipe for aloo methi
  3. How to make beetroot thoran
  4. Paneer cheese balls
  5. Coconut and raw mango chutney
Kadai Paneer recipe
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5 from 5 votes

Kadai Paneer

How to make kadai paneer at home.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Keyword Kadai paneer
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
5 minutes 5 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 280kcal
Author Sumith Babu
Cost £5

Equipment

  • Deep fryer

Ingredients

For Kadai Masala

  • 2 tsp coriander seeds whole
  • 1 tsp cumin/jeera whole
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper whole
  • 2 nos kashmiri red chilli whole

For Onion Tomato Paste

  • 2 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 3 cloves garlic Finely chopped
  • 1 inch ginger chopped
  • 2 nos onions Chopped/ red onion
  • 2 nos tomatoes chopped
  • 5 nos cashew nuts

For Kadai Paneer Gravy

  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 nos bay leaf small
  • 1 nos green chilli
  • 1 tsp kasuri methi dry fenugreek leaves
  • 1 nos red onion diced
  • 1 nos capsicum diced
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder
  • 1 cup water
  • 200 grms paneer cheese cubed
  • 2 tbsp cream double cream
  • 1/4 tsp garam masala
  • 2 tbsp coriander leaves finely chopped
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Instructions to make Kadai Paneer

  • Dry roast kadai masala ingredients in a pan for a minute.
  • Blend coarsely and keep aside.

For Onion tomato paste

  • Melt butter in a pan
  • Add garlic, ginger and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Add kashmiri red chilli powder, jeera powder and coriander and saute for a minute.
  • Add red onion and saute until slightly brown.
  • To the pan add the chopped tomatoes and cashew nuts.
  • Cook until tomatoes are soft and mushy
  • Add kadai masala and cook well.
  • Cool the gravy mix and blend it to a smooth paste and keep aside
  • Meanwhile deep fry the paneer until golden brown and soak in cold water for half an hour. This allows paneer not to break in the gravy and to make it very soft in texture.

Kadai Paneer Gravy

  • Heat oil in a pan
  • Add bay leaf, green chilli followed by red onion and capsicum.
  • Add in the blended gravy, once when the gravy started leaving oil add half cup water and salt to taste.
  • Add paneer and cook well.
  • Finish with cream and cook for few more minutes.
  • Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot

Video

Notes

Always roast dry spices before you blend. It gives a nice aroma to spices and easy to grind.

Nutrition

Calories: 280kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 59mg | Potassium: 40mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 449IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Vitamin E: 3mg | Calcium: 261mg | Iron: 1mg
  • I would like to hear from you, please feel free to share your feedback in the comments. You can also follow me on:
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  • Regards, Sumith.