Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Easy Kadai Paneer ~Indian Cottage Cheese curry ~ With Stepwise pictures

Few people can seem to resist the taste of paneer (Indian cottage Cheese). Frankly I have yet to come across anyone who dislikes or hates paneer. In addition to be universally well liked, paneer also tends to be very versatile and can be used in a variety of savory and sweet dishes.

 Easy Kadai Paneer ~ Indian cottage cheese curry ~ With stepwise pictures


Kadai paneer is a classic North Indian curry that can be seen on the menu of most Indian restaurants around the world. The taste of this curry defies the simplicity of its preparation. This curry is quick to make, uses mostly regular pantry items and tastes fantastic. You could just as easily use this curry as a filling for a sandwich or a wrap as use it as a side dish with Indian flat breads like naan or chappathis.

If you are looking for recipes with paneer, you can also check out ~
Paneer Masala
Paneer Bhurji
Another version of kadai paneer

Easy Kadai Paneer ~ Indian cottage cheese curry ~ With Stepwise pictures

Click here for a printable view of this recipe

Ingredients and Method to make Kadhai Paneer
2 medium onions or 1 very large onion preferably red onions cut fine
2 medium bell peppers (capsicum/ koda molagai) deseeded and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 medium tomatoes blanched and cut fine
400 gms (14 oz) paneer (Indian cottage cheese) cut into 1/2 inch long pieces or cubes
My post on making paneer at home with stepwise pics can be found here 

1 tbsp oil/butter/ghee
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
3/4 tsp chilli powder (or to taste)
3/4 tsp garam masala (or to taste)
4 pinches kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
salt to taste
1/2 cup milk ( see notes)
handful cilantro (coriander leaves) for garnish

Blanch tomatoes, cut them into little pieces and keep aside. My post on blanching tomatoes with stepwise pictures can be found here

Heat oil in a medium to large heavy bottomed pan. Add cumin seeds to it.


When cumin seeds splutter, add onions and saute until onions turn transparent.


Add blanched and cut tomatoes and saute until they start to become soft and mushy.


Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, garam masala and kasuri methi in quick succession and stir for a few seconds.


Add bell pepper, stir well and place the lid on the pan to allow bell pepper to soften a little (about a couple of minutes)


Turn down the heat to low to medium low. Add cubed paneer, salt to taste and milk.



Cover the pan with a lid and allow the paneer to cook on low heat until it softens. Remove lid and allow the paneer to cook until most of the milk is absorbed. Stir gently so that paneer holds its shape.



Remove from heat, garnish with finely cut cilantro and serve hot with Indian flat bread or naan or use in sandwiches or in wraps as a filling.


Serves approximately 2-3

Notes:
Its not absolutely essential to add milk, I've seen many versions without milk. Have even made it a few times myself without milk :) , but I find that adding a little milk makes the paneer a little more softer with a better texture that I enjoy, especially when I use store bought paneer.

34 comments :

Preeti Kashyap said...

I loved the recipe..never tried adding milk ...but looks interesting!

LifenSpice said...

I am a paneer lover and I too haven't heard of anyone who doesn't like it. Nice recipe Usha

Unknown said...

Yes rightly said even I ahvent heard anyone hatin paneer. Have had this kadai paneer only in hotels, looks rich!

Rachana said...

The Paneer looks yumm...

Hayley said...

Hi

Kadai paneer looks mouthwatering..great pics..

cheers

http://joyofcooking247.blogspot.com

Mansi said...

Kadai Paneer is such an evergreen dish..you can try adding some Coriander powder..this looks tempting!

Chhaya said...

Thanks for visiting my blog, Usha ! Loved yours too ! Am exploring all your archives ...have immediately marked your flax seed powder chutney to try out !

KALVA said...

love the paneer curry!! looks yum

Priya Suresh said...

Beautiful and tempting kadhai paneer...makes me hungry..

Anupama said...

Very true, just like potatoes, paneer seems to be a well-liked item... The picture speaks for the quality of kadhai paneer that you have made :-). Awesome!

ruchikacooks said...

Cheers to Paneer! Would you give me some to have with my paratha?

Sara's Corner said...

Mouthwatering kadai paneer.

chef and her kitchen said...

I love kadai paneer..looks yummy

Parita said...

I totally agree with you, paneer truly is very versatile, kadai paneer looks yumm!

Unknown said...

love paneer in any spicy form..this one looks awesome..

Deepa G Joshi said...

Paneer..anytime..pls dish out some for me..i love thus dish..nice delicious click..

Unknown said...

The Kadhai Paneer looks delicious. Wish I could taste it! Lovely click...

Indhu said...

I would love to have paneer everyday... if only my waist would agree with me :)

Soma Pradhan said...

kadai paneer is really tempting

Ash said...

Looks perfect & yum!!!! Loved the way presented & captured....

Ash...
(http://asha-oceanichope.blogspot.com/)

Veggie Hut said...

I had made one just a few days back. Nice Recipe. I am a fan of paneer!

Cheers!

Jyoti

www.theveggiehut.blogspot.com

Chitra said...

Never tried this recipe..Sounds too good..Nice pics as usual :)

Devasena Hariharan said...

Sounds Goods. Adding milk.
You also like ginger tea like me. I have seen it in 2 of ur posts-:)

Finla said...

Delcious, would love to have with roties. My daughter loves paneer.

Valarmathi Sanjeev said...

Yummy curry, looks delicious.

Gita Jaishankar said...

Nice preparation Usha...adding milk is new to me...your version sounds delicious :)

The Print Lover said...

Wow Usha. I came online looking for a recipe to finish the paneer I have and here you have a paneer related recipe. Thank you!

lata raja said...

Paneer looks just well blended in the gravy yet in whole chunks in the picture. So restaurant style!

Cham said...

I never added milk for kadai paneer- looks tasty!

Mythreyi Dilip said...

I love paneer recipes and this one tempts me a lot dear. Yummy recipe!!!

Mahimaa's kitchen said...

love anything made of paneer. I usually make dry subji..looks yummy as usual.

Aparna said...

Thanks for the simple and great-tasting recipe. The milk definitely plays a big part in making this recipe special. I tried this for a potluck Friday night and I am pleased with the results. Thanks for a great website. This is a go-to page for healthy and easy recipes.

Anonymous said...

I like your recipe collection.. Thanks for sharing us.. Must visit my place when time persists..
Recipes passion

Anonymous said...

Looks very delicious.

Shobha

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