Kadai Paneer Gravy Recipe

Kadai Paneer Recipe - slightly spicy and tangy recipe of cottage cheese cooked with tomatoes and freshly ground coriander and dry red chilies in a kadai.

Preparatoin time 20 min

Cooking time 20 min

Total time 40 min

Ingredients:

• 250 to 300 gm paneer/cottage cheese/0.55 to 0.66 lb of cottage cheese
• 1 small to medium capsicum/green bell pepper/0.22 lb bell pepper, julienned
• 1.5 inch ginger, chopped + 7-8 medium sized garlic, chopped, crushed in a mortar-pestle to a fine paste.
• 1 to 2 green chilies, chopped
• 2 medium sized onions, 100 gm/0.22 lb onions, finely chopped
• 7 medium to large tomatoes, 500 to 550 gm tomatoes/1.21 lb (2 tomatoes, finely chopped and 5 tomatoes, pureed in a blender)
• ¾ to 1 tsp garam masala powder
• ½ tbsp crushed kasuri methi/dry fenugreek leaves
• ½ to ¾ cup water
• 2 tbsp cream (optional)
• 2 to 3 tbsp oil or ghee or butter
• a few chopped coriander leaves for garnish
• salt as required

For the kadai masala:

• 5 tsp coriander seeds/sabut dhania
• 4 to 5 dry kashmiri red chilies, if using any other variety of dry red chilies, then reduce to 2 to 4 depending on the heat and pungency of the chilies.

How to make the recipe:

1. first roast the coriander and dry kashmiri red chilies in a pan on a low flame till aromatic.
2. when the spices cool, grind both of them in a grinder to a semi fine powder. keep aside.
3. finely chop the onions. julienne (cut into very thin strips) the capscium/green bell pepper.
4. finely chop 2 tomatoes. roughly chop 5 tomatoes and add them to the blender. make a puree of the tomatoes. keep the tomato puree aside.
5. crush the ginger-garlic to a fine paste in a mortar-pestle.
6. in a pan heat oil or ghee or butter. then add the ginger-garlic paste and saute till their raw aroma disappears.
7. then add the chopped onions and saute till transparent.
8. add the ground coriander and kashmiri red chili powder that we made. also add green chilies.
9. stir well and saute for few seconds. add the tomatoes and saute for 2 to 3 min. then add tomato puree.
10. stir well and continue to saute till you see oil leaving the sides. about 9 to 10 min on a low flame.
11. add the capsicum/green bell pepper julienne. stir and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes on a low to medium flame.
12. add water and salt and continue to simmer for some 7 to 8 minutes.
13. later add crushed kasuri methi/dry fenugreek leaves and garam masala powder and stir.
14. add the paneer cubes or slices. stir gently. cook the paneer for about 2 to 3 min.
15. you can also 2 tbsp of cream toward the end. just stir the cream gently in the gravy.garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve kadai paneer gravy with rotis, naan, steamed rice or jeera rice.

Step By Step kadai paneer gravy recipe:

1. first roast 5 tsp coriander seeds and 4 to 5 dry kashmiri red chilies in a pan on a low flame till aromatic.

2. when the spices cool, grind both of them in a grinder to a semi fine or fine powder. avoid keeping the powder coarse as then the gravy has grits and the masala comes in the mouth while eating.

3. in a pan heat 2-3 tbsp oil or ghee. then add the ginger garlic paste (1.5 inch ginger, chopped + 7-8 medium sized chopped garlic, crushed in a mortar-pestle to a fine paste). saute till their raw aroma disappears.

4. then add 2 medium sized chopped onions (100 grams) and saute till transparent.

5. add the freshly ground coriander and kashmiri red chili powder. also add 1-2 chopped green chillies.

6. stir well and saute for few seconds.

7. add 2 medium to large finely chopped tomatoes and saute for 2 to 3 mins. then add tomato puree (5 medium to large tomatoes, pureed in a blender).

8. stir well and continue to saute till you see oil leaving the sides… about 9 to 10 mins on a low flame.

9. add 1 small to medium sized capsicum/green bell pepper julienne. stir and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes on a low to medium flame.

10. add ½ to ¾ cup water and salt (as required). continue to simmer for some 7 to 8 minutes.

11. later add ½ tbsp crushed kasuri methi/dry fenugreek leaves and add (¾ to 1 tsp) garam masala powder and stir.

12. add 250 to 300 gms paneer cubes or slices. stir gently.
13. simmer till the paneer is cooked, for about 2 to 3 minutes. don’t over cook the paneer as then it will become hard and you won’t get the desired texture in the paneer.

14. garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve kadai paneer gravy with rotis, naan, steamed rice or jeera rice.