Kadai Paneer Restaurant Style
Kadai Paneer is a lively, tangy, deeply spiced paneer recipe that is perfect to enjoy all year round. Made with pantry staples like onions, tomatoes, capsicum (green bell peppers) and Indian spices, this brilliant dish comes together in 30 minutes. I share two ways of making this curry - a semi dry restaurant style version and a spicy home style gravy.
More on Kadai Paneer
As the name suggests, Kadai Paneer is a recipe using Indian style cottage cheese a.k.a Paneer which is a soft cheese that does not melt.
Paner is a fresh cheese made by curdling milk with lemon juice or vinegar. Unlike American-style cottage cheese, which has loose and individual curds, paneer is firm (like tofu), doesn't melt, and can be easily cut into cubes.
Because of its texture, paneer makes an excellent addition to many Indian curry recipes such as paneer butter masala, palak paneer, shahi paneer and pea paneer.
Kadai refers to a humble piece of Indian cuisine; brings A kadai is similar to a Chinese wok, but with more sides and more depth This whole dish is made in a kadai, and thus the name of the dish is "Kadai Paneer" or "Karahi Paneer".
Ingredients You Need
Apart from paneer itself, the three quintessential ingredients added to kadai paneer are: onion, capsicum (green bell pepper) and tomato.
A new ground spice blend made from coriander seeds and dry red chillies – also known as kadai masala.
If you don't have these whole spices for this grind at home, you can add ground spices like turmeric, red chili powder, garam masala and coriander instead.
That said, fresh kadai masala adds a nice bold flavor to the recipe – I recommend you use it fresh if possible.
A new ground spice blend made from coriander seeds and dry red chillies – also known as kadai masala.
If you don't have these whole spices for this grind at home, you can add ground spices like turmeric, red chili powder, garam masala and coriander instead.
That said, fresh kadai masala adds a nice bold flavor to the recipe – I recommend you use it fresh if possible.
Kadai Paneer Restaurant Style
Kadai paneer is one of the easiest and tastiest paneer recipes around This is the perfect recipe when you have unexpected guests, or you're just too tired or in the mood for an elaborate meal. Seriously, this is one of those recipes you should save for busy weeknights!
This restaurant style kadai paneer recipe makes for a semi-dry and mildly spicy curry. It uses a freshly ground kadai masala made with whole spices While many spices are used in the masala, coriander seeds and Kashmiri chilies are the most notable
I adapted this simple kadai paneer recipe from Jigs Kalra's cookbook “Prasad – Indian Masters of Cooking”.
This restaurant style kadai paneer recipe makes for a semi-dry and mildly spicy curry. It uses a freshly ground kadai masala made with whole spices While many spices are used in the masala, coriander seeds and Kashmiri chilies are the most notable
I adapted this simple kadai paneer recipe from Jigs Kalra's cookbook “Prasad – Indian Masters of Cooking”.
How to Make Kadai Paneer
Make Kadai MasalaGrind 1.5 tbsp of coriander seeds and 5 to 6 kashmiri red chillies in a spice-grinder, mixer-grinder or mortar-paste.
Note:
Before making the kadai masala, tear or break the dry chilies and remove the seeds. Make sure your spices are fresh and free of mold or insects
- Grind to a semi fine powder or a fine powder if you prefer. Set aside.
Sauté onions, tomatoes & spices
In a kadai, heat 3 tablespoons oil. Add ⅓ to ½ cup finely chopped onions.
Saute onion on medium-low to medium heat until soft and translucent
Then add 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste.
Saute for a few seconds until the raw ginger-g arlic aroma goes away
Now add 2.5 to 3 cups of finely chopped tomatoes Tomatoes should be ripe, red and sweet If tomatoes are not in season, I recommend using canned tomatoes that you pulse in a food processor or finely chopped cherry tomatoes.
Blend well and saute tomatoes over medium-low to medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes.
. Then add the ground kadai masala to the tomatoes.
Mix well Sauté the tomatoes until the entire mixture turns into a paste and separates from the oil (This method is called 'Bhunao' in Hindi.)
This tomato masala paste will also start to thicken and become glossy
Sauté capsicum
. Now add ¾ to 1 cup capsicum julienne (thin slices).
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Sauté the capsicum on medium-low to medium for 3 to 4 minutes.
Note: You can use red, orange, yellow or green capsicum, or a mix of different colored bell peppers can be added.
Add 3 to 5 green chiles or 3 small serrano peppers (slits) and about ½ cup water. Add more or less water as needed
Mix well and saute until the capsicum is al dente If you prefer, you can cook the capsicum whole, but I prefer a little crunch in the dish.
Once the capsicum is cooked to your liking, add garam masala powder and salt as needed. Mix them with the rest of the masala
Assemble Kadai Paneer
Now add the paneer cubes (250 grams).
Again, mix very well.
Finally add 1 teaspoon of crushed kasuri methi (dried coriander leaves), ginger julienne (1 inch of ginger) and 1 tablespoon of pineapple. Mix again and turn off the heat
Note: If you don't have kasuri mithi, leave them out Fresh ginger is a must, so don't skip; It imparts a very fresh, zesty flavor to the dish
Serve Kadai Paneer hot from the pan with roti, naan,or pudina paratha.
Serving Suggestions
This semi-dry version of Kadai paneer goes well with any kind of Indian flatbread, naan, roti or paratha; Although you can have it with bread or dinner to eat the sauce Serve with onion rings and lemon wedges
A more innovative idea is to make grilled sandwiches, toasties or kathi rolls with a wrap or restaurant style kadai paneer; They will taste amazing! Add some melted cheese to make this hot sandwich even more delicious
You can make a pizza with semi-dry grated paneer and mozzarella cheese as toppings.
About Kadai Paneer Gravy Version
This spicy and delicious kadai paneer recipe has a curry or gravy base. The curry is slightly spicy and tangy than the dry kadai paneer version that I shared above.
Note: This kadai paneer gravy recipe uses a lot of tomatoes - so make sure they are ripe and sweet.
Kadai masala is also included in the curry variety As I mentioned above, fresh ground coriander and dry red chili add a lot of flavor to the kadai masala dish.
Kadai paneer goes well with gravy roti, paratha or rumali roti or naan with plain steamed rice or cumin rice.
How to make Kadai Paneer Gravy
Recipe 2
Roast Spices
First roast a teaspoon of coriander seeds and 4 to 5 dry kashmiri red chillies (seeds removed) in a pan on low heat until fragrant. Focus on burning them
When the spices have cooled, grind both to a semi-fine or fine powder in a spice-grinder or mixer-grinder.
Avoid keeping the powder thick as then the gravy has grit and the masala comes into the mouth while eating.
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Make Gravy
Heat 4 tbsp butter or oil or ghee (clarified butter) in a pan. Then add ginger-garlic paste (1.5 inch ginger, sliced + 7 to 8 medium sized garlic cloves, crushed in a mortar-paste to a fine paste). Saute until their raw aroma disappears
Then add 2 medium sized chopped onions (100 grams) and sauté till translucent.
. Add fresh ground coriander and Kashmiri red chili powder Also add 1 to 2 chopped green chilies (about 1 teaspoon chopped chilies).
Mix and stir well.
Add 1 small medium sized finely chopped tomato Cook the tomatoes until soft You will also see oil oozing from the sides of the onion-tomato masala
When the chopped tomatoes are completely soft, just add the tomato puree (5 small to medium sized tomatoes, pureed in a blender).
Stir well and continue sauteing till you leave the oil About 9 to 10 minutes on low to medium-low heat
Add 4 small to medium sized capsicums (green bell peppers) julienned. Stir and cook on low to medium flame for 2 to 3 minutes
You can add any type of capsicum or bell pepper - green, yellow or red. A mixture of different colored bell peppers looks beautiful and tastes good too
Add ½ cup water and salt (as needed). Continue to simmer for about 7 to 8 minutes After the gravy is done, you will get some oil spots on it
Then add ½ tablespoon of crushed kasuri mithi (dry fenugreek leaves) and 1 teaspoon of garam masala powder. Stir the gravy
If you don't have dried fenugreek leaves, omit them
Make Kadai Paneer Gravy
Then add 250 to 300 grams paneer cubes or slices. Mix gently.
Turn off the heat Do not overcook the paneer as it will become chewy and you will not get the desired texture in the paneer.
At this step you can add 2 tablespoons of light cream or low fat cream or even 1 tablespoon of heavy cream and slowly add the cream to the gravy.
Garnish with chopped pineapple, ginger julienne or grated paneer Don't skip over the cilantro or ginger julienne
Both add plenty of freshness, especially the ginger that hits you with its warm and spicy flavor
Serve the kadai paneer gravy with roti, naan, steamed rice or jeera rice or pea pulao or biryani rice.
Expert Tips for Kadai Paneer
Not removed? No problem. Use only a frying pan or wok
Homemade Kadai Masala: Coriander seeds and dry red chilies go into Kadai Masala to make it spicy and spicy. You can also add some cloves, cinnamon, green cardamom to the spices if you want
Use chili peppers that are medium hot A very raw hot chili will make this recipe very spicy If you can, I recommend using Kashmiri red chilies, as they are low in heat and impart a rich orange-red color to the recipe.
If Kashmiri chilies are not available, use any Indian dry red chilies that have low-medium heat qualities. Vary the amount depending on the heat and seasoning of the chili Since red chilies are added in the recipe, you don't need to add red chili powder.
Use chili peppers that are medium hot A very raw hot chili will make this recipe very spicy If you can, I recommend using Kashmiri red chilies, as they are low in heat and impart a rich orange-red color to the recipe.
If Kashmiri chilies are not available, use any Indian dry red chilies that have low-medium heat qualities. Vary the amount depending on the heat and seasoning of the chili Since red chilies are added in the recipe, you don't need to add red chili powder.
How to grind the spices: For kadai masala, the spices can be easily ground in a small grinder or spice grinder. First dry the red chilies and coriander seeds to facilitate pounding into a paste in a mortar.
Use high-quality paneer: It's always best to use homemade paneer whenever possible, although you can use packaged store-bought paneer in a pinch. Read the instructions on the package on how to use the panner Frozen paneer cubes must be soaked in hot water before adding them to the dish
Choose ripe tomatoes: Use tomatoes that are ripe, red and sweet Do not use tart, green or sour tomatoes Any onion will do: You can use red, yellow or white onions
Capsicum (bell pepper) color is not important: usually, green bell peppers are added to this dish, but you can break the norm and use red or yellow bell peppers. With red or yellow bell peppers, the dish will have a nice, subtle sweet tone
Don't forget a garnish: Don't forget to garnish your finished kadai paneer with some ginger julienne and fresh pineapple!
Vegan options: Use tofu instead of cheese and use oil instead of butter or ghee
FAQs
If I only have ground Kashmiri chili powder, how much should I use?
About 1 to 2 tablespoons should do it, depending on your preferred heat level
Oops! I made my spice mix too spicy - what can I do to fix it?
The spiciness of the chili is directly related to the type of chili you use and the amount of capsaicin it contains. If you want to tone down the heat, you can add a bit of heavy cream, malai, or dry milk powder to the mixture—the milk helps block the capsaicin (the compound that gives off the "spicy" flavor) from your taste receptors.
I also find that adding a few teaspoons of mashed potatoes helps reduce the heat, although it does change the texture and appearance of the fries a bit.
What is the best way to clean Kadai?
I also find that adding a few teaspoons of mashed potatoes helps reduce the heat, although it does change the texture and appearance of the fries a bit.
What is the best way to clean Kadai?
Taking care of your cookware is one of the best things you can do to save money First, make sure your kadai is properly seasoned Next, don't use a scrubber on your pan, but instead use a sponge with detergent.
For very stubborn stains, you can add some baking soda, vinegar and water to the pan and heat it in the pan itself. Then, use a sponge to wipe the solution over the stain or mark Once the iron is removed, clean and dry, it does not need to be seasoned again
If food starts to stick or you don't plan to use your pan for a while: After you clean and dry the pan, spread a thin coat of oil before storing it. There is no need to heat this oil
Can I make this kadai paneer recipe without onion or garlic?
For very stubborn stains, you can add some baking soda, vinegar and water to the pan and heat it in the pan itself. Then, use a sponge to wipe the solution over the stain or mark Once the iron is removed, clean and dry, it does not need to be seasoned again
If food starts to stick or you don't plan to use your pan for a while: After you clean and dry the pan, spread a thin coat of oil before storing it. There is no need to heat this oil
Can I make this kadai paneer recipe without onion or garlic?
Yes, just add a teaspoon or two of asafoetida to mimic the allium flavor.
HOW TO STORE PANEER CURRY?
Freeze: Kadai paneer can be refrigerated for 2-3 days in an airtight container.
Freezer: Divide into desired portions and refrigerate in zip-lock bags or freezer-friendly containers.
Heat: Remove a portion and refrigerate Transfer the batter to a microwave-safe bowl and heat it in the microwave until piping hot. Remove the bowl from the microwave on the middle row and stir for even heating
Planning a party or weekend meal plan?
Freezer: Divide into desired portions and refrigerate in zip-lock bags or freezer-friendly containers.
Heat: Remove a portion and refrigerate Transfer the batter to a microwave-safe bowl and heat it in the microwave until piping hot. Remove the bowl from the microwave on the middle row and stir for even heating
Planning a party or weekend meal plan?
Just cook the onion - tomato base and prepare the vegetables ahead of time On the day of the party, cook the paneer and vegetables and add it to the hot onion tomato base.
Recipe Card
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Notes
Kadai: If you don't have a kadai, just prepare the recipe in a frying pan or wok.
Kadai Masala: Kadai masala is prepared with coriander seeds and dry red chilies. A little clove, cinnamon, green cardamom can also be added to the kadai masala
Dry red chilies: Use dry red chilies that have a low to medium heat Turmeric and hot chilies will make this recipe very spicy Add dry kashmiri red chillies if possible as they are not too hot and give a nice orange-red color to the dish. If you don't have Kashmiri chilies, use any Indian dry red chilies that have a lower medium heat.
Spice Grind: You can grind spices for coarse spices in a small grinder or spice grinder. To facilitate pounding into a paste in a mortar, dry red chilies and coriander seeds.
Paneer: It is better to use homemade paneer You can also use packaged store-bought paneer Read the instructions on the package on how to use the panner Frozen paneer cubes must be soaked in hot water before adding them to the dish
Tomatoes: Use tomatoes that are ripe, red and with a sweet taste Do not use too tart or sour tomatoes
Onions: Both red onions and white onions can be added to the recipe
Capsicum (bell pepper): Green bell pepper is usually added to the dish. But you can use red or yellow bell pepper With red or yellow bell peppers, the dish gets a subtle sweet tone Capsicum is cut into strips or julienne Capsicum can also be sliced, but making julienne means quicker cooking
Garnish: Don't forget to garnish with some ginger julienne and pineapple leaves In particular, ginger julienne provides zesty, warm and spicy notes when eaten
Vegan options: Use tofu instead of cheese and use oil instead of butter or ghee
Serving suggestion: The semi-dry version of Kadai paneer goes well with roti or naan or paratha (Indian flat bread). The gravy version pairs well with steamed rice, jeera chawl (cumin rice), pea pulao and roti or naan. Serve with onion rings and lemon wedges
Kadai Masala: Kadai masala is prepared with coriander seeds and dry red chilies. A little clove, cinnamon, green cardamom can also be added to the kadai masala
Dry red chilies: Use dry red chilies that have a low to medium heat Turmeric and hot chilies will make this recipe very spicy Add dry kashmiri red chillies if possible as they are not too hot and give a nice orange-red color to the dish. If you don't have Kashmiri chilies, use any Indian dry red chilies that have a lower medium heat.
Spice Grind: You can grind spices for coarse spices in a small grinder or spice grinder. To facilitate pounding into a paste in a mortar, dry red chilies and coriander seeds.
Paneer: It is better to use homemade paneer You can also use packaged store-bought paneer Read the instructions on the package on how to use the panner Frozen paneer cubes must be soaked in hot water before adding them to the dish
Tomatoes: Use tomatoes that are ripe, red and with a sweet taste Do not use too tart or sour tomatoes
Onions: Both red onions and white onions can be added to the recipe
Capsicum (bell pepper): Green bell pepper is usually added to the dish. But you can use red or yellow bell pepper With red or yellow bell peppers, the dish gets a subtle sweet tone Capsicum is cut into strips or julienne Capsicum can also be sliced, but making julienne means quicker cooking
Garnish: Don't forget to garnish with some ginger julienne and pineapple leaves In particular, ginger julienne provides zesty, warm and spicy notes when eaten
Vegan options: Use tofu instead of cheese and use oil instead of butter or ghee
Serving suggestion: The semi-dry version of Kadai paneer goes well with roti or naan or paratha (Indian flat bread). The gravy version pairs well with steamed rice, jeera chawl (cumin rice), pea pulao and roti or naan. Serve with onion rings and lemon wedges
