Kadai paneer is one the popular dishes at many restaurants or hotels.
About Kadai Paneer Recipe
This Kadai Paneer is uniquely flavoured with freshly ground masala making it stand apart from the regular paneer dishes. This can be made 2 ways semi dry and gravy. Both the versions tastes great which I have already posted. This is a smoked version of kadai paneer as we taste in restaurants. This can be made in a number of ways. Here is an easy version I often make at home mostly for dinner which hubby and kids love it.
What is Kadai Paneer?
Kadai Paneer is a simple fragrant gravy made with paneer, capsicum and onion tomato base along with a freshly ground spice mix. The dish gets its name as it is made in a special indian wok called kadai. Kadai is one of the basic kitchen essential cookware in any Indian kitchen. Though you can cook kadai paneer is pans also kadai is the best option.
How to make Kadai Paneer?
To begin with first marinade paneer with the basic spice powders. Toast the paneer and set aside. Next add capsicum, onion, toast for 2 mins then set aside. First in a kadai dry roast coriander seeds with red chillies until its aromatic, remove then add onion, tomato saute until mushy. Add sauted onion, tomato along with coriander, red chillies and grind it to a fine paste along with required water. Heat oil – temper jeera, add ginger garlc paste saute for a minute then add the paste boil it along with salt. Boil for few mins then add roasted onion, capsicum and paneer. Mix it then add fresh, kasoori methi and coriander leaves. Place a bowl with smoked charcoal, add ghee to it and close tightly with lid. Open and your flavourful smoked kadai paneer is ready!
Kadai Paneer Recipe in 2 ways
Kadai Paneer Dry – Kadai Paneer dry is made by cooking onion, tomatoes and capsicum cubes. Kadai Paneer Gravy – To make Kadai Paneer Gravy, tomato puree is added and simmered along with paneer cubes, onion and capsicum.
Kadai Paneer Masala
Kadai masala is made by grinding a special spice mix which has red chillies and coriander. I used kashmiri red chillies to get a vibrant and appetizing color. Roasting and grinding the spices gives it a nice flavour and taste to the gravy. Usually coriander seeds and red chillies are grind seperately but this time I roasted and added it along with onion tomato, it was not only easy but the paste was smooth adding more taste to the gravy too. This masala is so flavourful that you need not add garama masala too.
More related recipes
Semi dry kadai paneer Kadai paneer gravy Kadai masala powder Vegetable kadai
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📖 Recipe Card
Kadai Paneer Recipe Step by Step
- To begin with first add salt, turmeric powder and red chilli powder to paneer cubes. 2.Toss well to mix. Set aside. 3.Heat oil in a pan -add paneer cubes toast until golden. Remove and set aside. 4.Now add onion, capsicum toast for 2 mins, remove and set aside. 5.To a kadai add coriander seeds and red chillies.Dry roast until aromatic.
- Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool. 7.Now add onion , tomato. 8.Saute until mushy and raw smell leaves.Remove and set aside to cool. 9.Transfer to the same bowl with roasted coriadner and red chillies. Cool down completely. 10.Grind it with little water to a fine paste.Set aside. 11.Now to the same kadai add more oil, temper jeera add ginger garlic paste saute for a minute. 12.Add grinded paste. 13.Let it boil for few mins.Adjust with water if its too thick. 14.Add toasted paneer, onion and capsicum. 15.Mix well then add fresh cream, kasoori methi(crush and add) and coriander leaves. 16.Now burn few charcoal pieces directly in flame. Be at a safe distance while doing this as it might splutter. Switch off. Skip steps 16-19 if you don’t want smoky flavour. 17.Remove from fire using a tong place it in a small bowl. 18.Now keep this bowl in the center of the gravy, immediately add a teaspoon of ghee to it. 19.Close tightly with lid. Leave it undisturbed for a minute atleast. 20.Open, remove the bowl and your smoked kadai paneer gravy is ready.
Serve with Roti.
Expert Tips
Toasting onion, capsicum and adding it at the final stage retains the crunch. Do not add and boil for more time then it will become soft and ruin the taste. Also add kashmiri red chillies for more bright color. Use tofu instead of paneer for a vegan option. Garnish with ginger julienne if you like the flavour. I added green capsicum, you can add a mix of color capsicum too as per your liking. Use tomatoes that are ripe.
Variations
You can replace paneer with mushrooms or any vegetable of your choice. Instead of adding with onion, tomato you can powder rooasted coriander seeds, red chillies seperately and add it too.
Serving & Storage
Serve kadai paneer wit h Nan, Roti or Chapathi or any Indian flatbread. Kadai paneer can be serve with mild pulao or plain basmati rice and dal too. This kadai paneer gravy keeps well for 1 day in room temperature and 2-3 days in fridge.
Kadai Paneer Recipe Dry
Kadai Paneer is a a spicy tomato based sidedish for chapathi or even rice.This is the easiest paneer recipe that I make when I want to make a quick fix for lunch or dinner.I am fond of trying out new paneer dishes because I’m bored of trying the same PB masala so this recipe is my latest addiction. PinI have updated the recipe and the pics with stepwise as few readers had requested for it long back.One fine lazy afternoon, googled to find out other paneer recipes and this kadai paneer caught my eye, and set out to try it. It turned out to be a hit at home. Paneer cooked in tomato coriander sauce simmed in a kadai – do u need any other tempting description?! More paneer recipes
PinIngredients
1 cup paneer 1 medium sized capsicum chopped 1 medium sized big onion chopped 1 small tomatoes 1 teaspoon red chilli powder 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder 3 tablespoon fresh cream 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder 1 teaspoon kasoori methi 2 teaspoon coriander leaves 3 teaspoon oil salt to taste
For grinding:
2 nos tomatoes 1 teaspoon coriander seeds 2 nos red chillies 2 teaspoon coriander seeds
Method
Tips
This is semidry kadai paneer.It is thick but not dry its saucy that it can pair with chapathi or even with rice. Kadai paneer can be made gravy kind too by adding 2 more tomatoes and switching off when the gravy consistency is reached. Dont skip the kasoori methi as it gives a nice and unique flavour to the gravy.
Kadai Paneer Gravy
Kadai Paneer Gravy is my most favorite, its absolutely delicious the juicy paneer with the crunchy onion and capsicum…yummmm. Most of the times when I am left to order for just myself at restaurants I would blindly go in for Naan and Kadai Paneer Masala yes that my most favorite combo. Rice, Dal, Phulka and Kadai Paneer Gravy fixed the special lunch for us.
Moer related recipes
Kadai paneer Vegetable Kadai Kadai masala powder
Ingredients
1 cup paneer 1/2 cup chopped capsicum I used colored 1/2 cup chopped big onion + 2 tablespoon cubed 2 medium sized tomatoes 3 tablespoon fresh cream 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder 1 teaspoon kasoori methi 2 teaspoon coriander leaves 3 teaspoon oil Salt to taste
To Roast & Grind:
3 nos red chillies 2 teaspoon coriander seeds
Method
Tips
This is medium spicy with the measurement I have given. You can adjust according to your taste buds. Adding cream gives a creamy and rich restaurant flavour.I used homemade fresh cream. The consistency should be flowing and creamy. You can add half and half milk and fresh cream. Toasting capsicum, onion and adding at the final stage gives a nice crunch as in restaurants. You can make the spice powder and store it but freshly ground spice mix gives great flavour. I used homemade paneer so it was very soft and absorbed the flavour well.
