Kadai Paneer

‘Kadai Paneer’ is a very popular North Indian dish. Paneer is Indian cottage cheese and kadai is an utensil in which it is cooked. It is cooked with onion, capsicum, tomato and certain other spices. It can be served with roti, naan, paratha, puri or even with steamed /jeera rice and dal fry.

Serves: 2 to 3

Ingredients:

1. Paneer cubes – 250 gm
2. Onion (chopped) – 1 big
3. Capsicum (diced) – 1 medium
4. Ripe tomato (chopped) – 2 medium
5. Tomato puree (packet) – 3 to 4 tbsp
6. Fresh cream – 3 tbsp
7. Ginger paste – 1/2 tsp
8. Garlic paste – 1 tsp
9. Green chilly (chopped) – 1 
10. Bayleaf – 1
11. Corriander seeds – 1 to 1 1/2 tsp
12. Garam masala – 1 tsp
13. Kashmiri mirchi powder – 1 1/2 tsp
14. Kasuri methi – 1/2 tsp
15. Corriander – leaves for garnishing
16. Oil – 2 to 3 tbsp
17. Ghee – 1 tsp
18. Sugar – 1/3 tsp
19. Salt to taste

Procedure:

• Heat a non stick frying pan and apply ghee, fry paneer till golden brown. it doesn’t require much ghee for frying as it gets fried in its own fats content. Sprinkle little salt over it and keep aside.
• Slightly dry roast corriander seeds and powder them with the help of mortar and pestle. Keep aside.
• Heat oil in a kadai and bayleaf.
• Add onion, fry till it turns translucent.
• Add green chilly, ginger and garlic paste, stir fry for 30 seconds.
• Add roasted corriander powder and red chilly powder.
• Add tomatoes and capsicum, stir fry till tomatoes turn mushy.
• Add garam masala and kasuri methi, stir fry for 30 seconds.
• Add tomato puree and stir well.
• Add 3/4 cup water and simmer it covered for 2 to 3 mins.
• Add salt, sugar and fresh cream. Stir well and check the taste. Adjust the amount of water to get desired consistency.
• Add paneer and stir well. Simmer for 2 min.
• Garnish with corriander leaves.
• Serve hot with roti, naan, paratha, puri or with steamed /jeera rice and dal fry.