Kadhai Paneer is one of those other frequent dishes that Amma used to make often apart from Paneer Butter Masala. She used to mostly add capsicum and make it really sauteed to keep up to its name. When I read on net to see why and how it got its name, it wasn't clear but it kind of referred that it's a dry kadai recipe where the masala clings to the paneer cubes. Though Amma makes it differently, I wanted to try a new one.
Googling this took me to Sanjeev Kapoor's and then Tarla Dalal. I decided that I would mix both and arrive at my own dish that will suit us. So finally this adaption worked out well. As such there may not be an authentic origin for this dish but guess when you love how this tastes with rotis you really will not bother about it.
Kadai Paneer | Cottage cheese cooked in spicy kadai masala
Preparation Time : 10 mins
Cooking Time : 12 - 15 mins
Ingredients Needed
Paneer / Indian Cottage cheese - 300 grams
Cooking Oil - 1 tsp
Butter - 1 tsp
Whole dry red chillies - 2
Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp
Cloves - 2
Cinnamon one inch sticks - 2
Bay leaves - 2
Onion , finely chopped - 2 medium
Ginger Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 2 tsp
Tomatoes, puree - 2 medium
Salt to taste
Green chilies - 2 long
Fresh coriander leaves, chopped - 2 tbsp
Method to prepare:
Coarsely pulse the red chilies and coriander seeds, it should not become a fine powder.
I used homemade Paneer. Cube into 2 inch pieces.
Heat butter in Kadai, roast the paneer cubes until it turns golden in colour. Remove and keep it aside.
In the same kadai, heat oil, red chillies-coriander coarse powder, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves sauté for two minutes.
Then add the onions, silted green chilies stir. When it starts turning colour add ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder and mix well.
Continue to sauté for two minutes, add tomato puree, salt. Cover with lid and let the puree cook.
When the tomato puree is well cooked, add the roasted paneer, mix well. Finally add the coriander leaves and serve with rotis.
Recipe
Kadai Paneer | Cottage cheese cooked in spicy kadai masala
Ingredients
- 300 gms Paneer / Indian Cottage cheese
- 1 tsp Cooking Oil
- 1 tsp Butter
- 2 Dry Red Chilies whole
- 2 tbsp Coriander Seeds
- 2 Cloves
- 2 Cinnamon one inch sticks
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 2 medium Onion finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
- 2 tsp Red Chili Powder
- 2 medium Tomatoes puree
- Salt to taste
- 2 long Green Chilies
- 2 tbsp Coriander Leaves fresh, chopped
Instructions
- Coarsely pulse the red chilies and coriander seeds, it should not become a fine powder.
- I used homemade Paneer. Cube into 2 inch pieces.
- Heat butter in Kadai, roast the paneer cubes until it turns golden in colour. Remove and keep it aside.
- In the same kadai, heat oil, red chillies-coriander coarse powder, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves sauté for two minutes.
- Then add the onions, silted green chilies stir. When it starts turning colour add ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder and mix well.
- Continue to sauté for two minutes, add tomato puree, salt. Cover with lid and let the puree cook.
- When the tomato puree is well cooked, add the roasted paneer, mix well. Finally add the coriander leaves and serve with rotis.
divya says
Delicious and drool worthy..tempting a lot.
Rani acharyulu says
I love kadai paneer, looks perfect and yummy..
Ms.Chitchat says
Mmmmm, drooling over ur paneer. Loved the illustrative clicks.
Chitra says
love kadai paneer ur dish look very tempting.
Preety says
lovely paneer recipe...
Priya says
My all time fav, just drooling over that bowl rite now..
Divya Kudua says
No Capsicum?I have some Paneer as well as Capsicum at home--your recipe is bookmarked!
notyet100 says
platter looks yum,.
women-wisdom.com says
Love kadai paneer very much. appreciable step by step presentation.
Laxmi says
My favorite. Clearly explained ste by step. Thanks for sharing..
Jayashree says
Nice step-by-step pics, Valli...
Raksha says
Thanks for explaining step by step. Loved the entire post.
Priya (Yallapantula) Mitharwal says
Absolutely yum, I love it 🙂
dr.antony says
Yummy.I will try for sure.
Archana says
I love this one. Will try it out.
Hari Chandana says
Looks simply perfect and delicious.. awesome clicks !!
Alia Dalwai says
Nice recipe! Looks really yummy!
Anitha says
Hi Srivalli.
Firstly ...nice blog. This is the first time that I have seen your blog and I must admit that I am impressed.
I just went through your paneer recipes (paneer being my favourite...its obvious that I'd look at those recipes first). I do cook paneer at home but never fry them before I put them in a gravy (say for exaple paneer butter masala) Whenever I fry them, the texture gets spoiled. It kind of becomes as hard as rubber. Please suggest me some way out of this.
Thanks in advance.
Srivalli says
Anitha,
Thanks for dropping by and leaving your compliments.
When it is home made we never try them as it's not required.
We fry them only if it's store bought. Scrub the outer layer and wash well. then cut into small pieces. Shallow fry them in ghee. Then soak them in hot water for 5 mins and add to the gravy just before switching off. This way we found the paneer to get soft texture.
Also you should not fry them for long. Since it's a dairy product it tends to get rubbery when it comes in contact with heat.
Do try this method and let me know.