Restaurant Style Kadai Paneer
Kadai Paneer Recipe – A staple dish in every restaurant menu, this Paneer dish is prepared at home on special occasion, festivals or dinner parties. It takes about 30 minutes or less to cook it perfectly and with simple ingredients that are available at home. Best enjoyed with roti, naan, paratha or rice.
Watch the Video tutorial of – How to Make Kadai Paneer At Home
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What is Kadai Paneer?
Kadai Paneer is the quintessential paneer specialty that can be always found on a restaurant menu and dinner parties! The name “Kadai Paneer” or “Karahi Paneer” comes from the way of cooking this recipe which is in a ‘kadai’ or wok. This delicious, luscious and rich Paneer dish is made with some soft paneer cubes, bell peppers (capsicum), a host of spices and very flavourful and spicy onion-tomato based gravy.
This paneer recipe can be made dry, semi dry or in a gravy version. I am sharing here is a semi dry kadai paneer recipe that can be served as a main dish at a dinner party or on festivals and some special occasions as well, along with a simple plain roti, paratha or rice.
Ingredients in Kadai Paneer Recipe
The fresh ground kadai masala powder is the key ingredient. This kadai paneer recipe gets its unique flavors from this masala powder.
If you want to know how to make this Kadai masala powder at home check this my video tutorial of Kadai Masala Powder.
Watch – How to Make Kadai Masala Powder (Video Tutorial)
Aside from the paneer itself, the other quintessential ingredients added to kadai paneer are: onions, capsicum (green bell peppers) and tomatoes.
Other spices are turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, kasoori methi and fresh cream.
What kind of paneer should I use for Kadai Paneer?
The smooth and spicy flavours of this kadai paneer gravy are a delicious carrier for homemade paneer. The soft cubes simply melt in your mouth.
How to make Homemade Paneer at home
The Best Homemade Paneer (Softest-Ever Cubes!)
If you think Paneer from the market is good, just wait until you make it from scratch. This creamy and soft homemade paneer tastes so much better than store bought. If you love paneer than Learn How to make Paneer at home with this fail-proof step-by-step recipe (with video). This is the ultimate guide to homemade paneer.
Having said this, if time isn’t something you have, you can certainly use market-bought paneer. I recommend you cut the paneer and soak it in boiling water for 10 minutes before draining, patting dry and use.
Tips For the Best Restaurant Style Kadai Paneer Recipe At Home
- It is always better to use Homemade Paneer whenever possible, though you can use packaged store-bought paneer in a pinch.
- If using store-bought paneer, first cube it and soak the pieces in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain, pat dry and use as they are or pan fry for the softest paneer curry.
- Use tomatoes which are ripe, red and sweet. Do not use tart, green or sour tomatoes.
- Do not forget to garnish your finished kadai paneer with some ginger julienne and fresh coriander leaves and Kadai Masala Powder!
- If gravy becomes sour by any chance, add a little amount of sugar to balance the flavor.
- Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Re-heat thoroughly before serving.
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Kadai Paneer Recipe - A staple dish in every restaurant menu, this Paneer dish is prepared at home on special occasion, festivals or dinner parties. It takes about 30 minutes or less to cook it perfectly and with simple ingredients that are available at home. Best enjoyed with roti, naan, paratha or rice.
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Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large kadai / pan.
Add the whole spices (cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon, green cardamom and bay leaf).
Allow to sizzle for 20-30 seconds and then add the chopped garlic and onions and cook until onions are soft and light pink or translucent in colour.
Now add turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder and salt and again cook for few seconds.
Add chopped tomatoes and mix and cook for around 1 minute until tomatoes are really soft.
Once done turn off the flame and remove in a bowl and keep aside. Remove the bay leaf, green cardamom and cinnamon stick and discard (optional).
Take a mixer jar and add blanched tomatoes, cashews, red chillies and javitri and make a smooth paste and keep it aside.
In the same pan, heat up the butter with little oil until melted and bubbling. Add broken red chilli, roughly crushed coriander seeds, chopped green chilli and sauté for few seconds.
Add cubed onion, cubed green capsicum and paneer cubes. Fry for 1 minute on the highest flame and season with turmeric powder, salt, chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and 1 tbsp kadai masala powder and stir fry for a minute.
Stir well and add prepared onion tomato masala which we prepared earlier.
Mix everything well and add tomato paste and again give it a good mix.
Simmer on a low heat for half minute until everything is mix and cooked well.
Switch the heat off and stir in the cream, kasoori methi, chopped coriander leaves, and julienned ginger.
Serve hot, garnished with optional cream, chopped coriander leaves, chopped green chilies and julienned ginger.
Ingredients
Directions
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large kadai / pan.
Add the whole spices (cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon, green cardamom and bay leaf).
Allow to sizzle for 20-30 seconds and then add the chopped garlic and onions and cook until onions are soft and light pink or translucent in colour.
Now add turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder and salt and again cook for few seconds.
Add chopped tomatoes and mix and cook for around 1 minute until tomatoes are really soft.
Once done turn off the flame and remove in a bowl and keep aside. Remove the bay leaf, green cardamom and cinnamon stick and discard (optional).
Take a mixer jar and add blanched tomatoes, cashews, red chillies and javitri and make a smooth paste and keep it aside.
In the same pan, heat up the butter with little oil until melted and bubbling. Add broken red chilli, roughly crushed coriander seeds, chopped green chilli and sauté for few seconds.
Add cubed onion, cubed green capsicum and paneer cubes. Fry for 1 minute on the highest flame and season with turmeric powder, salt, chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and 1 tbsp kadai masala powder and stir fry for a minute.
Stir well and add prepared onion tomato masala which we prepared earlier.
Mix everything well and add tomato paste and again give it a good mix.
Simmer on a low heat for half minute until everything is mix and cooked well.
Switch the heat off and stir in the cream, kasoori methi, chopped coriander leaves, and julienned ginger.
Serve hot, garnished with optional cream, chopped coriander leaves, chopped green chilies and julienned ginger.
If you make this Kadai Paneer Recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram and Facebook!
Hashtag them #StoryOfSpices
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