Best Kadai Paneer Recipes

KADAI PANEER

Steps:

• To a small kadai or pan, dry roast the spices for kadai masala for 3 to 4 minutes on medium heat until fragrant. Add more red chilies for a spicier masala.
• Remove kadai from heat and transfer the roasted spices to a spice grinder.
• Let it cool down a bit and then grind to a fine powder. Set aside. You can also make this kadai masala in advance and store it.
• In a large kadai or any other pan, now melt butter with oil on medium heat.
• Add the chopped onion and saute for 3 minutes until softened. Then add the sliced green chili and ginger garlic paste and saute for another 1 to 2 minutes.
• Then add the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste. Mix and cook for around 6 minutes until tomatoes are really soft.
• Then add 3 to 4 teaspoons of the kadai masala that you prepared earlier (or add the whole thing if you like it spicy). Also add the garam masala, kashmiri red chili powder.
• Add half of the ginger julienne. Stir the spices and cook for 30 seconds.
• Then add 1/2 cup water and stir.
• Add cream, salt and sugar and mix. Cook for one minute.
• Add in the paneer and bell peppers (capsicum) and mix. Cover the pan or kadai with a lid and cook for 5 to 6 minutes on medium heat until bell peppers are slightly softened. You only want them half cooked here.
• Crush kasuri methi and add to the pan.
• Garnish with remaining ginger julienne and cilantro. Serve kadai paneer with naan or paratha.

KADAI PANEER RECIPE (RESTAURANT STYLE)

Steps:

• In a spice-grinder or mixer-grinder or mortar-pestle take the coriander seeds and red chilies.
• Grind to a semi-fine powder or fine powder and set aside.
• In a kadai or frying pan, heat oil. Add finely chopped onions and sauté them till they turn translucent.
• Then add ginger-garlic paste. Saute till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.
• Now add the finely chopped tomatoes. Saute tomatoes for 3 to 4 mins.
• Then add the ground kadai masala to the tomatoes.
• Saute the tomatoes till the whole mixture become like a paste and starts to leave oil. The mixture will also look glossy and you will see oil releasing from the sides.
• Now add the capsicum julienne. Saute the capsicum for about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Then add green chilies and water.
• Mix very well and saute till the capsicum is half-cooked.
• Add salt and garam masala powder. Mix these well.
• Next add the paneer cubes and gently stir to combine with the sautéed masala base.
• Lastly add crushed frenugreek leaves, ginger julienne and coriander leaves. Mix again.
• Serve kadai paneer, hot or warm with Indian flat breads - roti, paratha or naan. You can also serve it with a soft bread or fluffy dinner rolls. Remember to serve with a side of thinly sliced onions and lemon wedges.
• You can make grilled sandwiches, toasties or a wrap or roll with the dry kadai paneer. Add some melting cheese when making these warm sandwiches or rolls.
• Another idea is to make a pizza with the semi-dry kadai paneer and mozzarella cheese as toppings.