Kadai Paneer Recipe with Homemade Kadai Masala | Easy Kadai Paneer Recipe
Kadai Paneer easy and flavourful North Indian Style Paneer Curry. Kadai Paneer is one of the most popular recipes from the menu of Indian Restaurants and Dhabas. Kadai Paneer gets cooked using Kadai, which is well known for most cooking in India.
What makes Kadai Paneer so delicious? – Gravy cooked in an iron wok with desi ghee, freshly roasted Kadai masala, melt in mouth malai paneer with crunchy capsicum. So basically, this recipe is divided into three parts. Preparation of onion-tomato gravy, grinding of Kadai masala, and preparation of fresh paneer or use store-bought paneer. Prepare the Kadai masala and Paneer a day before. So this weekend, do try this Easy Kadai Paneer Recipe with my whole wheat kulcha or whole wheat naan.
Cooking is a concept. There are different ways of Kadai paneer procedure that have been mentioned over the years. I tried multiple preparations over the year, and this version of Kadai Paneer is loved the most. So this is the trial-and-tested recipe of the Kadai Paneer from my kitchen!
What is Kadai Masala? Kadai Masala is coarsely pounded masala made with basic roasted Indian spices. I have used red chilies, black pepper, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, and cumin seeds. Slowly roasted them in an iron pan until releasing the aroma. Later on, I coarsely ground them. If you can hand pound the spices, then that will be the authentic way !! You can make it in bulk and store it well for further use. Increase and decrease the quantity of the spices based on your liking. There isn’t any hard and fast rule! Transform the recipes into your taste.
I always make the paneer at home from the full-cream cow milk. Prepare the homemade paneer a day before and use it in this Kadai Paneer Recipe. Click here for How to make paneer at home. In this recipe, I have mentioned all the tips and tricks in detail.
The preparation of gravy is the heart of any Indian-style paneer curry recipe. To prepare the delicious onion-tomato gravy follow these steps. Take heavy bottom Kadai- iron Kadai is preferable. Roast onion and tomatoes on the slow flame. Add hand-pounded ginger-garlic paste based on the liking into the gravy. Once the oil starts to separate, add all spices and roast them nicely. Finish the gravy preparation with a spoon of fresh cream and aromatic Kasuri methi. Before serving, add lightly roasted onion cubes, capsicum, tomatoes, and paneer. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve warm.
Things to keep in mind while preparing Kadai Paneer at home :
- Always add onion when oil is hot, else the onion won’t release the oil.
- Chopped onion gives nice thick and crunchy gravy. If you like silky smooth gravy make a paste of cooked onion and then add tomato paste.
- Always add ginger and garlic once the onion turns brown perfectly. Because there are chances of sticking ginger and garlic at the bottom if added before.
- You can add finely chopped tomatoes too. Add salt along with tomato paste. Salt will help to cook tomatoes.
- Add a splash of water while cooking masalas in gravy to prevent sticking at the bottom.
- At each step, wait until the oil separates, and then add the next ingredient.
- If using iron Kadai, as soon as you turn off the flame, transfer it to the serving pot.
- Increase or decrease the vegetables as per your liking. You can cook the paneer and vegetables directly into gravy too.
- Do not overcook the vegetables, else lose the crunch.
Here is the video recipe of the Kadai Paneer Recipe :
Serve warm Kadai Paneer with :
- Whole Wheat Naan on Tawa without Yeast or
- Wheat Kulcha on Tawa | Whole Wheat Flour Kulcha Recipe
- Paneer Pulao | Indian Cottage Cheese Rice Dish
- Sliced Onion, roasted papad, and Punjabi Mango Pickle
You may also like to try more Indian Curry Recipe :
- Aloo Bhindi | Bhinda Bataka Recipe | Okra Potato Stir Fry
- Green Tomato Sabji | Hare Tamatar ki Sabji Recipe
- Maharashtrian Stuffed Brinjal ( Bharli Vangi )
- For more such recipes click here.
Do try this Kadai Paneer recipe, and let me know how it turned out in the comments section. If you like this Easy Kadai Paneer Recipe, then share it with your friends and family and rate the recipe card. Don’t forget to follow me on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest to catch my latest updates. Stay healthy and Safe. Happy Cooking!!!
Here is the Recipe Card of the Kadai Paneer Recipe :
- Onion - 2, finely chopped
- Tomatoes - 2, paste
- Ginger - 1 inch
- Garlic - 6-8 cloves
- Green chili - 1, optional
- Coriander seeds - ½ tsp, broken into half
- Cumin seeds - ¼ tsp
- Turmeric Powder - ¼ tsp
- Red chili powder - 1 tsp, as per taste
- Coriander powder - 1 tsp
- Homemade Kadai Masala - 2 tsp, or as per taste
- Kasuri methi - 1 tsp
- Fresh cream - 2-3 tsp