Kadai Paneer

Kadai Paneer is a preparation of paneer in a thick medium spicy gravy. Its a mouthwatering recipe that can be eaten up with rice, roti, naan, paratha or tortilla.
This recipe is one of the best options as one meal dish or when you are hosting a party this can be served to your guests.

Kadai Paneer

Ingredients

• 250 gms paneer
• 3 tsp yogurt or curd
• 2 onions
• 1 tomato
• 3-4 cloves
• 3-4 pepper corns
• 2 bay leaves
• Half tsp cumin seeds
• Half tsp kauri methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
• 1/4th tsp black pepper powder
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
• Half tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• Half tsp cumin powder
• Half tsp coriander powder
• 3 tsp clarified butter (ghee)
• Half cup water
• Salt as per taste

Recipe

Roughly chop onions and tomato.

Take chopped onions and tomato in a grinding jar. Add cloves and pepper corns to it and grind all of them to a smooth paste.

Heat 2 tsp of ghee or clarified butter in a wok and add bay leaves and cumin seeds to it. Let the cumin seeds crackle and add the onion tomato paste to it. Cook the onion tomato paste till you see oil oozing out of it and you see color changing. Now add kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) to it and mix well.

Lower the heat and add yogurt or curd to the paste. Mix well and cook for 5 minutes stirring in between. 

Now add the dry spices red chili powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, cumin powder, black pepper powder and coriander powder and mix well. Cook the masalas for 30 seconds and add little water to it. Let it boil for 2 minutes. 

Cut the paneer into rectangular shape.

Crumble 2-3 paneer cubes or mash them and keep aside.

Add this rectangular shaped paneer to the gravy. Add crumbled paneer. Add salt as per you taste and remaining water to it. Mix well and let it cook for 3-4 minutes on lower heat.

Serve hot with rice, roti, paratha, naan or tortilla. 

Tastes even better if you sprinkle a dash of lemon juice over it and eat.

*Note - You can also add slit green chili to the recipe to add more spice to it.

*Note - If the yogurt or curd you are using is sour in taste then reduce the quantity of it depending upon its sourness.

*Note - You can increase the red chili powder to improve spicy taste. I like bit spicy so I added 1 and half tsp of red chili powder.

*Note - Adding crumbled paneer makes your gravy thick and improves taste of your dish.