Kadai Paneer

5 from 27 votes

Kadai paneer is a flavorful Indian dish made with paneer (cottage cheese), bell peppers, onions, and freshly ground spices. The paneer and vegetables are cooked in a kadai (deep pan) and cooked with the rich flavors of the spices. The recipe I am sharing is the dry version of the kadhai paneer. This versatile dish can be enjoyed with naan, roti, and rice, or as a filling in wraps.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Diabetic, Gluten Free, Hindu, Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 419kcal

Author: Shilpa Kerur

Equipment

Kadhai

Ingredients

3 cups paneer cut into long fingers
2 teaspoon coriander seeds
3 dried red chili
3 tablespoon ghee (use store-bought or homemade ghee)
1 large onion cut into thick slices
1 medium bell pepper cut into long fingers
½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi)
4-5 cloves garlic roughly chopped
1 teaspoon ginger paste
1-2 green chili or as per taste
1 cup tomatoes chopped
Salt to taste
2 tablespoon cilantro chopped

Instructions

Dry roast the coriander seeds and dry red chili in a frying pan. Cool and pound them in a mortar pestle. Set it aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee in a kadhai or fry pan. Saute onion and bell peppers until they are slightly charred. Set them aside.
In the same pan, heat 2 tablespoons of ghee. Add methi and garlic. Fry until the garlic is golden.
Add the pounded spice powder and cook for a minute.
Add ginger paste and green chili.
Add the tomatoes and salt. Mix well and cook until the tomatoes are cooked completely and the oil starts to separate (about 5-6 minutes).
Add the fried onion and bell peppers. Cook for a further 3-4 minutes.
Add the paneer. Mix gently and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.

Notes

Soft and fresh paneer will provide a creamy texture to the dish. I have added fresh paneer directly to the dish; however, you can lightly sauté or shallow fry the paneer until it turns golden brown. Add the paneer towards the end of cooking and mix the paneer gently, as it tends to break easily.

Prepare the kadai masala by dry roasting whole coriander seeds and dried red chilies. Once roasted, grind them into a coarse powder. Do not grind the roasted spices into a fine powder. Just pound them coarsely.

Saute the onion and bell peppers and let them char slightly. Red onions work best; however, yellow onions can also be used. Choose colorful bell peppers such as red, yellow, and green to add vibrancy and a variety of flavors to the dish.

Nutrition