Delicious Kadai Paneer Recipe For The Best Restaurant-Style Taste

Spicy, tangy and comforting, kadhai paneer is a dish vibrant with the most intense flavours. The best kadhai paneer recipe is cooked with the most basic ingredients for kadai paneer, consisting of tomatoes, onions, bell peppers and a variety of Indian spices which make up the spicy and flavourful kadahi paneer masala. A dish that typically represents the flavours of the quintessential North Indian cuisine, kadhai paneer is a versatile and popular dish for vegetarians and a great source of protein. The best kind of recipes are formed when nutrition meets taste, and the kadai paneer recipe is the exact symbolism of the same. Try out this restaurant-style kadhai paneer recipe, with semi-dry gravy, best served alongside rotis, naans or jeera rice.

Where does kadhai paneer get its name from?

As the name of the recipe suggests, kadhai paneer is prepared from paneer, which is Indian style cottage cheese. However, the curry is called kadhai paneer because the dish is essentially cooked in a ‘kadai’, which is an Indian cookware similar to the Chinese wok, with steep sides and a thick bottom. Although, you do not always need a kadai to cook a kadai paneer recipe, but that is how the dish gets its name from.

Check out this step-by-step guide to prepare kadhai paneer at home

Kadhai paneer ingredients

You need the following ingredients for kadai paneer:

1. 250 grams of paneer
2. ⅓ to ½ cup finely chopped onions
3. ¾ to 1 cup capsicum, thinly sliced
4. 2.5 to 3 cups of finely chopped tomatoes
5. 1-inch ginger, cut into julienne
6. 1-2 green chillies, slit
7. 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
8. 5-6 Kashmiri red chillies
9. 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
10. 1 tsp kasuri methi, crushed
11. ½ tsp garam masala
12. 1.5 tbsp coriander seeds
13. ½ tsp garam masala
14. ½ cup water
15. Salt

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Recipe for kadhai paneer

Follow the given instructions to prepare the best kadai paneer recipe at home: 

1. First, to prepare the kadahi paneer masala, in a mixer-grinder add in the coriander seeds and red chillies. 
2. Grind these ingredients to make a fine powder for the kadahi paneer masala and set aside. 
3. To a pan, heat oil, and to it add in the onions and saute until they turn translucent.
4. Thereafter, add in the ginger-garlic paste, and saute for some time. 
5. Add the tomatoes, and again saute for about 3-4 minutes.
6. Now add the previously prepared kadhai paneer masala to the other ingredients for kadai paneer already there in the pan. 
7. Saute all these ingredients together until the tomatoes become soft and mushy, and the mixture in the pan begins to release oil. 
8. Then add in the capsicum to the kadai paneer recipe, and saute for about 3-4 minutes. 
9. Add in the green chillies and then add water. 
10. Mix all the ingredients well, and saute till the capsicum is half cooked.
11. Add in salt and garam masala powder, and mix well.
12. Thereafter add in the paneer cubes, and gently combine the paneer along with the sauteed kadahi paneer masala in the pan.
13. Add the crushed kasuri methi, along with the ginger cut in juliennes and chopped coriander leaves. Mix again, and serve hot.

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More paneer recipes you can try

If you enjoy a good kadai paneer recipe, we are sure you will also like some of these other paneer recipes:

1. Shahi paneer- A delicious creamy and rich paneer recipe, shahi paneer originates from the Mughlai cuisine. Prepared from paneer, yoghurt, nuts, onions and a number of spices, shahi paneer is a dish that tastes like luxury. 
2. Paneer butter masala- Among the most popular paneer dishes in India, paneer butter masala is tangy, creamy and delicious. A recipe, where the paneer is cooked in a sauce prepared from tomatoes, cashews and butter, paneer butter masala is absolutely delicious. With a sweet and tangy flavour, we are sure you would love a good paneer butter masala. 
3. Paneer lababdar- An extremely popular dish at almost all Indian restaurants, paneer lababdar is a rich and flavourful paneer recipe. Prepared from paneer cooked along with onions, tomatoes, cashews and a number of spices, paneer lababdar is the best dish to celebrate any occasion or festivities.

Pro tip: Make sure to use red, ripe tomatoes in the recipe for kadhai paneer that has a sweet taste. Avoid using sour tomatoes.