Kadai Paneer
If you want to cook paneer (Indian cottage cheese) that is simple to make and incredible to taste, you have to try out this Kadai Paneer recipe.
By the way, here’s what you need to know about the recipe before you start cooking it.
Kadai Paneer is a popular North Indian vegetarian dish made with bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, and aromatic spices as the main ingredients.
The name comes from the kadai, a deep Indian wok in which it’s traditionally cooked. Its signature flavor usually comes from a freshly ground spice mix featuring coriander seeds and dried red chilies, often with cumin and other spices. In today’s recipe, we are gonna use a good amount of whole spices.
It can be made semi-dry or with a thicker tomato-based gravy. Unlike Masala paneer, Kadai Paneer is generally less creamy, more peppery, and more intensely spiced.
It’s commonly eaten with naan, roti, paratha, or rice.
Ingredients
For the Spice Mix
Coriander Seeds
Dried Red Chillies
Cumin Seeds
Cinnamon Stick
Cloves
Green Cardamom Pods
Black peppercorn
For the Gravy
Oil
Butter
Paneer
Onions (diced)
Tomatoes (diced)
Bell peppers (diced)
Ginger Garlic Paste (homemade)
Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
How To Make Kadai Paneer?
First, we are going to make the spice mix masala. So in a pan, just heat all the dry ingredients of the spice mix for 1-2 minutes before they release the aroma. Blend it into a fine spice mix. Keep it aside.
Note – No need to wash the blender jar. Just keep it aside. We need that later.
In a pan, add oil and butter. The quantity of the oil should be more than the butter. A single dollop of butter is enough.
Now, add the ginger-garlic paste and cook for a few minutes.
Follow this up with the veggies. Make sure that they are cooked properly. Add salt as required.
After the veggies have cooked properly, take a small amount of the cooked veggies and add it to the same blender jar that you used to make the spice mix. Blend it and add the paste to the pan. This is basically what will make the gravy even tastier.
Then add half a cup to one cup of water as required.
Follow this up by adding the already-prepared spice mix. Next, add a spoon of kashmiri red chilli powder and that would be all.
Add the paneer cubes and then, on a low flame, gently mix everything together so that the paneer gets coated well with the masala and gravy.
Cook for another 3–5 minutes on low heat. Avoid cooking the paneer for too long, as it can turn chewy. If the gravy looks too thick at this stage, you can add a small splash of water and adjust the consistency according to your preference.
Taste and adjust the salt and spice level if required. Once the paneer has absorbed the flavors and the gravy has thickened nicely, turn off the heat.
Let the Kadai Paneer rest for a couple of minutes before serving. This gives the freshly ground spices a little time to settle into the gravy.
And that’s it—your homemade Kadai Paneer is ready!
How To Serve?
Kadai Paneer tastes best when served hot and fresh, while the paneer is soft and the freshly ground spices are still aromatic.
Pair it with naan, butter naan, tandoori roti, chapati, or paratha for a classic North Indian meal. If you prefer rice, it also goes really well with jeera rice, steamed basmati rice, or pulao.
For a complete meal, serve it alongside some sliced onions or tomatoes, cucumber, lemon wedges, and a simple raita. You can also garnish the Kadai Paneer with a little fresh coriander or ginger juliennes just before serving.
Since the dish is already quite flavorful and spicy, a cooling side such as plain curd or cucumber raita makes an excellent accompaniment.
Kadai Paneer
Ingredients
For The Kadai Spice Mix
- 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
- 3 dried red chillies
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 3 cloves
- 3 green cardamom pods
- ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
For The Kadai Paneer
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 250 grams paneer , cut into cubes
- 2 medium onions , diced
- 3 medium tomatoes , diced
- 1 medium bell pepper , diced
- 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
- Salt , to taste
- 1 cup water
Optional Garnish
- Fresh coriander chopped
- Ginger juliennes
Instructions
- Prepare the spice mix first. Add the coriander seeds, dried red chillies, cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves, green cardamom, and black peppercorns to a dry pan.
- Roast the whole spices over low to medium heat for 1–2 minutes, or until they become aromatic. Avoid burning them.
- Allow the spices to cool slightly, then transfer them to a blender or spice grinder and grind into a fine spice mix. Set aside.
- Do not wash the blender jar, as it will be used again later in the recipe.
- Heat the oil and butter in a pan or kadai. Use more oil than butter; one small dollop of butter is enough to add richness.
- Add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté for 1–2 minutes, or until the raw aroma disappears.
- Add the diced onions, tomatoes, and bell pepper. Season with salt and cook until the vegetables soften and are properly cooked.
- Take a small portion of the cooked vegetable mixture and transfer it to the same blender jar used for the spice mix.
- Blend the vegetables into a smooth or slightly coarse paste.
- Add the blended vegetable paste back to the kadai and mix well. This helps create a thicker, more flavorful gravy.
- Add ½ cup water and mix. Add additional water as required depending on how thick or saucy you want the Kadai Paneer.
- Add the prepared kadai spice mix and Kashmiri red chilli powder. Stir well and cook briefly so the spices combine with the gravy.
- Add the paneer cubes.
- Reduce the heat to low and gently mix until the paneer is evenly coated with the masala and gravy.
- Cook for another 3–5 minutes on low heat. Do not overcook the paneer, as it may become chewy.
- If the gravy becomes too thick, add a small splash of water until it reaches your preferred consistency.
- Taste and adjust the salt or spice level as required.
- Once the gravy has thickened and the paneer has absorbed the flavors, turn off the heat.
- Let the Kadai Paneer rest for about 2 minutes before serving so the freshly ground spices can settle into the gravy.
- Garnish with chopped fresh coriander or ginger juliennes, if desired, and serve hot.
Notes
- For the best flavor, freshly roast and grind the whole spices rather than using a ready-made kadai masala. Do not over-roast, as they can become bitter.
- The vegetable paste helps naturally thicken the gravy without adding cream.
- For a semi-dry Kadai Paneer, use less water. That’s what I have done. For a gravy-style Kadai Paneer, use closer to 1 cup of water or more if required.
- Add paneer toward the end and cook it only briefly to keep it soft.
- Kashmiri red chilli powder provides a vibrant red color with relatively mild heat. Adjust according to taste.