Learn how to make Kadai Paneer, an Indian restaurant style paneer (cottage cheese) recipe that’s a popular accompaniment to tawa nan or jeera rice. It is easy to make Kadai Paneer at home provided you have the ingredients ready in hand.
I really want to start this post by explaining what a kadai is (an Indian wok, btw) and what paneer is (erm.. Indian cottage cheese) but since I am just not in the mood, let’s get on quickly to the recipe, shall we?
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| Kadai Paneer |
I made Kadai Paneer with fresh homemade paneer which is why it looks very crumbly in the pics. But oh boy! It tasted so good!
I thought and thought but I still have no clue why I have never made kadai paneer before in my life. Seriously!
Kadai Paneer Recipe
Serves 2 – 4
Ingredients:
2 cups paneer, cubed
Half a capsicum / green bell pepper, cubed
1 large onion
2 green chillies
3-4 pods of garlic, crushed
1″ piece of ginger, crushed (or 1tsp ginger garlic paste)
1 tomato, pureed
1 tbsp tomato paste (or another pureed tomato)
A generous pinch of kasuri methi / dried fenugreek leaves
1 tsp red chilli powder
A pinch of turmeric powder
1/2 tsp jeera / cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander powder / dhania powder / malli podi (I add a little more than this)
2 tsp oil
Salt to taste
Chopped coriander leaves to garnish
How to make Kadai Paneer:
1. Grind the onion along with the green chillies. Heat oil and fry this paste for 2-3 mins.
2. Then add the chilli powder, turmeric, jeera, coriander powder and crushed ginger and garlic (or ginger garlic paste) and mix well, frying for another minute.
3. To this, add the tomato paste..
4. .. and pureed tomato. Fry for 4-5 minutes until the mixture comes together and the oil begins to separate.
5. Next add the capsicum..
6. .. and kasoori methi, with some salt. Fry for 2-3 mins, until the bell pepper is cooked but still crunchy.
7. Finally add the cubed paneer and mix gently until well combined. Simmer for 2 mins and remove from fire.
I didn’t fry the paneer in advance or do the whole dipping in water, squeezing and draining routine because I am very happy adding it as is at the end of this particular dish.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rotis/chapatis.
it was superrrrrrrrrr………….
and tastyyyyyyyyyyyyy…………
Hi Nags,
First of all, ur website is my top fav !
I was searching for a simple Kadai Paneer recipe and stumbled upon ur website. Tried it for lunch yesterday and OMG! it turned out so well, and my husband went "Yummmmmmmmmmm"…Kudos to you !
Pooja
Thank you so much Pooja 🙂 I love kadai paneer too. In fact, any paneer recipe or dish is always a YES 😀 You must try the paneer butter masala, restaurant style recipe I have posted. I am sure you would love that too.
so glad you liked the paneer recipes 🙂
Continuation of my comment on Chilli Paneer….success!! These both were amazing to taste and so easy to make, thank you for all the pictures Nags! 🙂 🙂
really good
Wow !! Recipe with images is so super cool n easy to understand ! Thanks a ton ya !!
Simple and yummmm recipe. I have many types of paneer, this is simply the best.
Good recipe,
I keep some whole basic masala items, cardamom,leaf initially.
If you fry capsicum bit with little oil before u add with gravy, the texture will be very rich..
Thanks.
Srinivas.
Thanks for the recipe. My kids loved it and it was really yummy.
so glad you liked the kadai paneer recipe 🙂