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Kadai Paneer

Kadai Paneer

Name: Kadai Paneer
Total time: 1 min 26 s
Yield: 1
Ingredients: 2 units Cashewnut (2 Piece Split); 1 teaspoon Watermelon Seeds; 1.5 teaspoons Refined Oil; 1.5 teaspoons Ginger Garlic Paste; 0.5 cups Onion; 0.75 teaspoons Salt; 1 pinch Turmeric Powder; 1 pinch Red Chilli Powder (kashmiri); 0.25 cups Tomato; 0.5 unit Red Dry Chilli Bydagi; 1 pinch Coriander Seeds; 1 pinch Fennel Seeds; 0.5 teaspoons Cumin; 0.25 unit Cinnamon Sticks; 1 small piece Capsicum Green-regular; 1 small piece Capsicum Yellow (regular); 1 small piece Capsicum Red-regular; 1 unit Green Chillies; 1 piece Garlic; 1 pinch Garam Masala; 2 teaspoons Tomato Puree; 1 cup Paneer; 2 leafs Coriander Leaves

Time20 Min

DifficultyIntermediate

Serves1

Kadai Paneer is a versatile curry dish that is famous in North Indian cuisine. It involves cooking paneer in a Kadhai or wok and dressing it in thick and creamy gravy. Paneer cubes or diced cottage cheese are cooked together with bell peppers, spices, and garam masala which make it burst with flavours. It is then served with piping hot parathas and a side of raita or with rotis and naan. Kids some ... times prefer to eat it without any accompaniment for their evening snacks and parents love reducing the spiciness for the taste. Every restaurant-style Kadai paneer is never served the same. From changes in the colour and texture in one recipe to the next, the curry can be made naturally spicier or served on a sweeter note. The paneer cubes can be cooked with tomatoes, onions, dried mango, and cloves. The ingredients aren’t just limited to bell peppers when it comes to making the dish which is what makes it so versatile. It’s the perfect comfort food when you pair with a bowl of piping hot rice. You can make the flavours intense by dry roasting saffron in a microwave for 30 seconds and then grinding it into a powder. Add the powder to the gravy and you get a nice sunflower shade along with a hint of spiciness. It is often confused with Shahi Paneer. However, Kadai paneer makes use of more spices while Shahi Paneer uses a creamy tomato paste, making the two very different in taste. You can add this recipe to your menu for a filling meal, serve it to the kids during the evenings, or save it for special occasions like weddings and formal gatherings.

Ingredients

Dry Grocery

Cashewnut (2 Piece Split)

2 units

Watermelon Seeds

1 teaspoon

Refined Oil

1.5 teaspoons

Salt

0.75 teaspoons

Turmeric Powder

1 pinch

Red Chilli Powder (kashmiri)

1 pinch

Red Dry Chilli Bydagi

0.5 unit

Coriander Seeds

1 pinch

Fennel Seeds

1 pinch

Cumin

0.5 teaspoons

Cinnamon Sticks

0.25 unit

Garam Masala

1 pinch

Menu Item

Ginger Garlic Paste

1.5 teaspoons

Tomato Puree

2 teaspoons

Fruits & Vegetables

Onion

0.5 cups

Tomato

0.25 cups

Capsicum Green-regular

1 small piece

Capsicum Yellow (regular)

1 small piece

Capsicum Red-regular

1 small piece

Dairy

Paneer

1 cup

Other

Green Chillies

1 unit

Garlic

1 piece

Coriander Leaves

2 leafs

Directions

In a bowl, add Water, Cashew, Magaz and keep aside for 1 hr soaking.

In a heavy bottom vessels add Water, soaked Cashew, Magaz and bring to boil.

In a blender, add boiled Cashew, Magaz and make a fine puree.

Heat Oil in a pan. Add Ginger Garlic Paste and saute.

Add chopped Onion, Salt and Saute till brown.

Add Turmeric Powder, Red Chilli Powder and cook for one minute.

Add chopped Tomatoes and cook till mushy and gravy become thick. Remove to a bowl and keep aside.

Heat a pan, add Bydagi Chilli, Coriander Seeds, Fennel Seeds, Cumin Seeds, Cinnamon Stick and toss till fragrant.

In a blender, add above toss Bydagi Chilli, Coriander Seeds, Fennel Seeds, Cumin Seeds, Cinnamon Sticks and make a fine powder. Keep aside.

Heat Oil in a pan. Add diced shaped Onion, Red Pepper, Yellow Pepper, Green Pepper, Salt and saute for sometime and keep aside.

Heat Oil in a pan. Add Cumin Seed, chopped Garlic, Green Chilli, Ginger Garlic Paste and saute till golden.

Add Onion Tomato Masala, Garam Masala, Kadai Masala and cook for few mins.

Add Melon and Cashew Paste, Tomato Puree and cook.

Add diced Paneer, Sautéed Peppers, Onions and cook for some time.

Remove to a bowl garnish with chopped Coriander and serve hot.

Health Benefits of Kadai Paneer

The recipe can be made healthier when you use low-fat ghee or butter in the dish. When the rice is substituted with healthier varieties like black rice or red rice, the meal becomes savoury and more filling since it digests more slowly. Healthy Kadai paneer recipes make use of dehydrated fruits and nuts to reduce the spiciness but for those who are trying to reduce calories, adding spices over nuts is recommended. When you pair this recipe with basmati rice, it makes for a nutritionally sound meal. The low-carb and high-protein nature of paneer makes it an ideal recipe for those who are watching their weight or are diabetic. Vegetables like bell peppers and onions in the paneer are high in antioxidants that benefit heart health while the different spices like turmeric, saffron, or garam masala bring anti-inflammatory benefits. Interesting facts and tips The curry comes from the Northern part of India and the origin of Kadai paneer is unclear to this date. ● Colorful bell peppers are cooked in the gravy but some households prefer using onions and stir-fried vegetables with this dish. ● The dish can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3 days. ● Kadhai paneer can be served with a simple pulao too. Kadhai paneer has been refined as a recipe over the ages. Every household has its own way of making this delicious dish. Try out this delicious Kadhai paneer recipe for a satisfying weekday or weekend meal!

Success!

We hope you had fun making it! Enjoy the meal.

What is Kadai Paneer?

Enter any of the Indian restaurant or Dhaba and you would find one dish on the menu – Kadai Paneer! This lip-smacking paneer recipe always rules the Dhaba specialties with spicy masalas and crunchy vegetables. The Kadai Paneer dhaba style has a unique flavor, thanks to the freshly grounded spices like red chilies and coriander. The key ingredient is fresh Paneer or Cottage Cheese. This particular recipe is different from other paneer recipes you would have tried owing to the multiple flavors it contains. Now, coming to the name, this dish is made in a wok that is commonly called Kadai in Indian cooking. This is the reason this paneer dish is known as kadai paneer. Now, this doesn’t mean you cannot prepare it if you don’t have a wok. You can still make Kadai Paneer dhaba style in any other pan. Just gather the ingredients and follow the Kadai Paneer recipe video. We have also jotted down the step-by-step cooking instructions for Kadai Paneer recipe. Read on!

Kadai Paneer Step by Step Instructions:

Directions: Begin the Kadai Paneer recipe by soaking cashew and magaz for at least an hour. Now, put the soaked cashews, magaz, and some water in a heavy bottom vessel. Bring this mixture to a boil. When it is boiled, add the mixture into a blender and make a fine paste. Take a pan and heat oil in it. Sauté ginger garlic paste into it. Once the raw smell of the paste goes away, add the chopped onions and salt. Sauté the vegetable till it becomes brown. Add turmeric powder and red chili powder into the pan. After cooking for over a minute, add the chopped tomatoes. Cook the tomatoes till they are mushy and the gravy becomes thick. Remove this onion-tomato gravy to a bowl and keep it aside. Heat another pan and dry spices such as Bydagi chili, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, and cinnamon stick. Now, toss the spices till fragrant. Put the roasted spices into a blender and make a fine powder. Keep the powder aside. In another pan, heat some oil again. Add diced-shaped onion, red capsicum, yellow capsicum, green capsicum, and salt. Now sauté them for a while and again keep it aside. Heat oil in a pan and the dry spice paste. Sauté till golden. You can also check Kadai Paneer video to see how the roasted spice will look. Later, add onion-tomato masala along with garam masala and kadai masala. Now, cook for a while. Next, add melon, cashew paste, and tomato puree. Cook it for a while. Finally add the diced Paneer, sautéed peppers, onions, and cook for 5 minutes. Here we have used fresh paneer but you can also use baked paneer. For that, bake the paneer pieces till they turn light brown. Put the Karahi Paneer in a bowl and garnish with chopped coriander. Serve it hot with Garlic Naan or Jeera Rice

Variations of Kadai Paneer Recipe

Though Kadai Paneer recipe is the same everywhere, people do make a few variations in it. Try watching Kadai Paneer recipe video and you can find them. Some of the common Kadai Paneer recipe variations are as follows: Kadai Paneer Dry: To make this variation, just cook the Karahi Paneer masala as mentioned in the recipe but do not add water. Just add the vegetables and mix them properly. Kadhai Paneer dry is best suited for packing it in the tiffin with tawa paranthas. Kadai Paneer Gravy: For Kadai Paneer gravy recipe, you just have to follow the above-listed points till 11 and then add water and make the gravy. Vegan: Those who are vegan can also enjoy this new version. Just replace the Paneer with Tofu and avoid adding ghee to the recipe.

Pro Tips

Want to make the best Kadai Paneer without making any mistakes? Here are some of the tips scooped out from the culinary books of experts. Jot them down and follow when you make Kadai Paneer next time! The Kadai Masala: Now, this particular masala can make or break the whole recipe. The masala should contain the appropriate amount of dry spices combined in the right way. Also, follow the instructions in the Kadai Paneer video to get the best results. You can also find pre-made kadai masala from various brands in the market to get Kadai Paneer dhaba style. Ginger: Apart from the ginger-garlic paste, you can also add ginger at the end of the cooking to infuse a great aroma to the dish. Red chilles: The dried red chilies are what give your Kadai Paneer a smoky flavor. So, use good quality red chilies that are not too pungent or too spicy. You can use Kashmiri or Byadgi Chilli to get an amazing taste. Paneer: Finally a tip for the key ingredient of Kadai Paneer. Always use fresh and good quality paneer. You can also use Homemade Paneer for the recipe. If bringing from a store, keep the paneer in warm water for 15 minutes to make it soft. Drain the water completely and then use it in the recipe. Creamy Flavour: If you want a creamy version of Kadai Paneer, add a few tablespoons of the cream at the end of the recipe. Impressed with paneer? Here are some other paneer recipes you can also try: Paneer Korma Shahi Paneer Mattar Paneer Paneer Tikka Paneer Bhurji Paneer Masala You can find more such recipes on Cult.fit and prepare delicious meals just like any top restaurant.