Out of the many kadai preparations that are popular in North Indian restaurants across the globe, Kadai Paneer is one of the most loved vegetarian variants. Kadai Paneer recipe is a tangy, deeply spiced dish that is perfect for enjoying all year round. Made with pantry staples like onions, tomatoes, capsicum (green bell peppers) and Indian spices, this paneer dish comes together in 30 minutes. Here, I have shared a semi-dry restaurant style version.
About Kadai Paneer
As I have mentioned above, Kadai Paneer is a North Indian/Punjabi dish featuring soft paneer cubes cooked in a spicy, aromatic tomato-based gravy with sautéed onions and capsicum, infused with freshly ground kadai masala.
As the name suggests, Kadai Paneer is made with Indian cottage cheese, a.k.a paneer – a soft cheese that does not melt. Apart from being prepared in a kadai, a special kadai masala also adds to the unique rustic flavor of this dish.
The word ‘kadai’ or ‘karahi’ refers to a humble piece of Indian cookware, similar to a Chinese wok but with steeper sides, greater depth, and more thickness. Since the entire dish is typically made in a kadai, it is aptly named Kadai Paneer.
Paneer is a fresh cheese made by curdling milk with an acidic food ingredient like lemon juice or vinegar. Unlike American-style cottage cheese, which is loose and made of individual curds, paneer is firm (like tofu), non-melting, and can be easily cut into cubes – making it the perfect choice for this Kadai Paneer recipe.
Due to its texture and firmness, paneer makes an excellent addition in other Indian curry recipes like Paneer Butter Masala, Palak Paneer, Shahi Paneer and Matar Paneer as well as various sabjis, stir-fries, and salads.
Kadai Paneer is one of the easiest and most delicious paneer recipes you can make.
Why This Recipe Works
This restaurant style Kadai Paneer recipe makes for a semi-dry and mildly spiced dish. It uses a freshly ground spice mixture or kadai masala that is made with whole spices.
While there may be many spices that are used in this masala, coriander seeds and Kashmiri dried red chiles are the most notable.
If you do not have these whole spices to grind at home, you can simply add spice powders like turmeric powder, kashmiri red chili powder, garam masala powder and coriander powder instead.
That said, the freshly pounded kadai masala does lend a beautiful bold flavor to this recipe of Kadai Paneer. So, if possible, I recommend you to make it fresh.
Also, in addition to the paneer, the 3 other quintessential ingredients added to a classic Kadai Paneer recipe are onions, capsicum (green bell peppers) and tomatoes and a few more herbs and spices.
I have adapted this simple recipe from the cookbook ‘Prashad – Cooking with Indian Masters’ by Jiggs Kalra.
Step-by-Step Guide
How to make Kadai Paneer
Make Kadai Masala
1. In a spice-grinder, mixer-grinder or mortar-pestle, take 1.5 tablespoons coriander seeds and 5 to 6 Kashmiri dried red chilies.
Tip: Tear or break the dried chilies and remove the seeds before you make the kadai masala. Also, ensure that your spices are fresh and without any molds or insects.
2. Grind to a semi fine powder or a fine powder if you prefer. Set the ground kadai masala aside.
Sauté Onions, Tomatoes & Spices
3. In a kadai or wok or a sauté pan, heat 3 tablespoons oil. Add ⅓ to ½ cup finely chopped onions.
4. Sauté onions on medium-low to medium heat until they soften and turn translucent.
5. Then, add 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste.
6. Sauté for a few seconds or till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.
7. Next, add 2.5 to 3 cups finely chopped tomatoes.
The tomatoes have to be ripe, red and sweet. If tomatoes are not in season, I recommend using canned tomatoes that you pulse in a food processor.
8. Mix well and sauté tomatoes on medium-low to medium heat 3 to 4 minutes.
9. Then, add the prepared kadai masala to the tomatoes.
10. Mix well. Sauté till the entire mixture turns into a paste and starts separating from the oil. (This method is called ‘bhunao‘ in Hindi.)
This onion-tomato masala will also begin to thicken and become glossy.
Sauté Capsicum
11. Add ¾ to 1 cup capsicum juliennes (thin slices).
12. Sauté the capsicum on medium-low to medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes.
Note: You can use red, orange, yellow or green colored capsicum, or a mix of various colored bell peppers.
13. Add 1 to 2 slit green chilies (or 1 small serrano pepper) and about ½ cup water.
Note: Add about 1 cup water, or as needed, to get a pouring consistency. You can make the dish dry or with some gravy by adding less or more water.
14. Mix very well and sauté until the capsicum is al dente.
Note: If you like, you can cook the capsicum until soft, but I prefer keeping a slight crunch in the dish.
15. Once the capsicum is cooked to your liking, add ½ teaspoon garam masala powder and salt as required. Mix these with the rest of the masala.
Make Kadai Paneer
16. Next, add 250 grams cubed paneer.
17. Again, mix very well.
18. Lastly, add 1 teaspoon crushed dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi), ginger juliennes (from 1 inch ginger) and 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves. Mix again and switch off the heat.
Note: If you do not have kasuri methi, then simply omit them. Fresh ginger is a must, so do not skip. It imparts a fresh, zesty flavor to the dish.
19. Serve Kadai Paneer hot with chapati, naan or Paratha
Serving Suggestions
This semi-dry Kadai Paneer tastes good with any kind of Indian flatbreads like Naan, paratha or Roti. It also pairs nicely with Pudina Paratha or Roomali Roti.
You can also have it with bread or dinner rolls (Pav), it’ll just taste as good as it does with the flatbreads. Make sure to serve with a side of onion rings and lemon wedges.
A more innovative idea would be to make grilled sandwiches, toasties, wrap or Kathi Roll with this restaurant style Kadai Paneer recipe; they simply taste incredible. Add some melting cheese to make these warm dishes even more tasty.
You can also make a Pizza with this semi-dry Kadai Paneer and mozzarella cheese as toppings.
Expert Tips
- Paneer: It is best to use homemade paneer, whenever possible. Although you can also use packaged store-bought paneer. Read the instructions on the package on how to use the paneer. Frozen paneer cubes need to be soaked in hot water before adding in the dish.
- Tomato: Use red, ripe and sweet tomatoes. Avoid using tart, green or sour tomatoes.
- Onion: You can use either red, yellow or white onions. All work well in this dish.
- Capsicum (bell pepper): Green bell pepper/capsicum is essentially added in this dish. But you can break the norm and use red or yellow bell pepper too. With red or yellow bell pepper, the dish will have subtle sweet tones.
- Homemade kadai masala: Coriander seeds and dried red chillies go in the kadai masala, making it aromatic and pungent. You can also add a bit of cloves, cinnamon, green cardamom in the masala, if you like.
- Dried red chillies: If Kashmiri chillies are unavailable, use any Indian dried red chilies with a low-medium heat quality. Highly pungent hot chillies will make the recipe too spicy. Change the quantity depending on the spiciness of the chillies. Since red chilies are added in the recipe, you do not need to add red chili powder.
- How to grind the spices: The spices for kadai masala can be easily ground in a small grinder or a spice grinder. To make the pounding easier in a mortar pestle, dry roast the red chilies and coriander seeds first.
- Cooking in a pan: No kadai? No problem. Simply use a frying pan or a sauté pan or a wok.
- Garnish: Do not forget to garnish the dish with some ginger juliennes and fresh coriander leaves (cilantro).
- Vegan option: Use tofu, instead of paneer and use oil, instead of butter or ghee (clarified butter).
FAQs
About 2 to 3 teaspoons should be good, depending on your preferred level of heat.
The spiciness of the masala is directly related to the type of chili you use and the amount of capsaicin it contains. If you want to mellow out the heat, you can add a bit of heavy cream, malai or dried milk powder to the mix.
Dairy helps to block capsaicin (the compound that tastes ‘spicy’) from your taste receptors. I’ve also found that adding a few spoonfuls of mashed potatoes can help to mitigate the heat. However, it’ll change the texture and appearance of the curry a bit.
Caring for your cookware is one of the best things you can do to save money. First, make sure your kadai is properly seasoned. Next, don’t use a scrubber on your kadai, rather use a sponge with detergent.
For very stubborn stains, you can mix some baking soda, vinegar and water and heat this solution in the pan itself. Then, using a sponge, wipe the solution over stains or marks. Once the iron kadai is clean and dry, there should be no need to re-season it.
In case food starts sticking or you don’t plan on using your kadai for a while, then, after you have cleaned and dried the kadai, spread a thin layer of oil prior to storing it. There is no need to heat this oil.
Yes, simply add a pinch or two of asafoetida (hing) to mimic the allium flavors.
More Paneer Recipes To Try!
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Kadai Paneer Recipe (Paneer Bell Pepper Curry)
Kadai Paneer is a North Indian dish featuring soft paneer cubes cooked in a spicy, aromatic tomato-based gravy with sautéed onions and capsicum, infused with freshly ground kadai masala. Traditionally prepared in a thick-bottomed wok (kadai), this dish boasts bold flavors with a smoky, rustic touch, making it a popular choice in Indian restaurants and home kitchens alike.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Prevent your screen from going dark while making the recipe
Making kadai paneer
In a kadai or frying pan, heat oil. Add finely chopped onions and sauté them till they turn translucent.
Then add ginger-garlic paste. Saute till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.
Now add the finely chopped tomatoes. Saute tomatoes for 3 to 4 mins.
Then add the ground kadai masala to the tomatoes.
Saute the tomatoes till the whole mixture become like a paste and starts to leave oil. The mixture will also look glossy and you will see oil releasing from the sides.
Now add the capsicum julienne. Saute the capsicum for about 3 to 4 minutes.
Then add green chilies and water.
Mix very well and saute till the capsicum is half-cooked.
Add salt and garam masala powder. Mix these well.
Next add the paneer cubes and gently stir to combine with the sautéed masala base.
Lastly add crushed frenugreek leaves, ginger julienne and coriander leaves. Mix again.
Serving Suggestions
Serve kadai paneer, hot or warm with Indian flat breads – roti, paratha or naan. You can also serve it with a soft bread or fluffy dinner rolls. Remember to serve with a side of thinly sliced onions and lemon wedges.
You can make grilled sandwiches, toasties or a wrap or roll with the dry kadai paneer. Add some melting cheese when making these warm sandwiches or rolls.
Another idea is to make a pizza with the semi-dry kadai paneer and mozzarella cheese as toppings.
- No Kadai: If you do not have a kadai, simply make the recipe in a frying pan or a wok.
- Kadai Masala: The kadai masala is made with coriander seeds and dried red chillies. A bit of cloves, cinnamon, green cardamom can also be added in the kadai masala.
- Dry Red Chillies: Use dry red chillies which have low to medium heat. Pungent and hot chillies will make the recipe too spicy. If possible add dry kashmiri red chillies since they are not very hot and give a nice orange-red color to the dish. If you do not have Kashmiri chilies, then use any Indian dry red chillies which have a low to medium heat quality.
- Grinding the spices: You can grind the spices for kadai masala in a small grinder or a spice grinder. To make the pounding easier in a mortar pestle, dry roast the red chilies and coriander seeds.
- Paneer: It is better to use homemade paneer. You can even use packaged store-bought paneer. Read the instructions on the package on how to use the paneer. Frozen paneer cubes need to be soaked in hot water before adding them in the dish.
- Tomatoes: Use tomatoes which are ripe, red and with a sweet taste. Do not use very tart or sour tomatoes.
- Onions: Both red onions and white onions can be added in the recipe.
- Capsicum (Bell Pepper): Usually green bell pepper is added in the dish. But you can use red or yellow bell pepper. With red or yellow bell pepper, the dish get nice subtle sweet tones. The capsicum are cut in strips or julienne. The capsicum can also be diced, but making julienne means faster cooking.
- Garnish: Do not forget to garnish with some ginger julienne and coriander leaves. Especially, the ginger julienne impart zesty, warm and pungent notes while eating.
- Vegan Option: Use tofu instead of paneer and use oil instead of butter or ghee.
- Serving Suggestions: The semi dry version of Kadai paneer tastes good with roti or naan or paratha (Indian flat breads). The gravy version pairs well with steamed rice, jeera rice (cumin rice), peas pulao and even roti or naan. Serve with a side of onion rings and lemon wedges.
Nutrition Facts
Kadai Paneer Recipe (Paneer Bell Pepper Curry)
Amount Per Serving (4 g)
Calories 321 Calories from Fat 243
% Daily Value*
Fat 27g42%
Saturated Fat 10g63%
Cholesterol 41mg14%
Sodium 428mg19%
Potassium 325mg9%
Carbohydrates 12g4%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 10g20%
Vitamin A 1058IU21%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg67%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg59%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 1mg5%
Vitamin B6 1mg50%
Vitamin C 41mg50%
Vitamin E 5mg33%
Vitamin K 11µg10%
Calcium 328mg33%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 19µg5%
Iron 1mg6%
Magnesium 21mg5%
Phosphorus 39mg4%
Zinc 1mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Kadai Paneer recipe from the archives was first published on September 2009.
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