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?
 |
| 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.
Is it jeera powder, coriander pwoder, or jeera/coriander mix powder that you add – I can't tell which??
thanks
the ingredients list mentions them separately and so do the step by step pictures. i add them separately when making kadai paneer but you can follow whichever you want. Adjust the spices to your taste. We like our kadai paneer recipe a bit on the intense, spicy side.
it is so delicious and tasty, This is a simple Kadai Paneer recipe. Thanks for the wonderful recipe.
what abut salt?
Thanks for such a wonderful recipe and step by step pictorial depiction.i tried it and it came out very well,it was an instant hit and everybody loved it..
Thanks for the wonderful pictures. Since most of the websites dont have pictures, I am not sure how it is supposed to look. Now I can compare and cook 🙂
Can light boiled kaju and magaj (water melon seed)paste be added to make gravy more consistent and add little sweet taste and silky texture.
i haven't tried those additions in kadai paneer but i don't see why not
hi thanks for the wonderful recipe !! it came out really delicious:) yummy!!
Hi Nags,
I dont cook but wud luv to try this recipe. However got stuck on how to make the tomato paste and puree…. Please let me know…
tomato paste you can buy in a can. if you don't get that, just blend tomatoes in a blender or mixer to get pureed tomatoes
If you just cannot find tomato paste, add an extra tomato and puree it along with the other amount already mentioned. the end result will be less tomato-ey but will still be good 🙂
Thanks Nags for the quick reply. But you have asked us to use both the paste and the puree.
So as per your last, just the puree will still be enough to get the wonderful result all are talking about.
Wow!! I tried it out yesterday and our guests loved it!! thanks for the delicious and easy to make recipe…Thanks for the lovely pictures too…
Great step by step demonstration…being a boy it was quite difficult for me to make food by own (especially delicious one),,, & guesss??? this site hepled me out with good demonstration in easy and pictorial manner…
regards..
Rahul