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# Kadai Paneer Recipe
## About Kadai Paneer
It is basically a premium paneer semi-dry curry made with paneer cubes, in a tomato onion gravy with a blend of spices. In other words, the **Kadai paneer** is an extension of any paneer gravy with a special mix added to the gravy. It can be a perfect gravy curry served especially with the typical Indian flatbreads, but can also be a wonderful side dish for flavored rice.
There are myriad ways of preparing the traditional **Karai paneer recipe**. The most common way to make it is as a semi-dry curry, but then it can be completely dry or gravy based. The dry variant is purpose-based and can be limited to a few types of bread. However, the gravy-based can be used for any type of bread and even rice. In short, it is up to the individual and the preference for the type of curry to be prepared and served with any choice of meal.
## Why this recipe works
There are several prominent & significant reasons why this paneer curry is preferred. To name a few –
1. **Use of Paneer –** With Indian or Punjabi cuisine, any curry recipe prepared with paneer is an instant hit. It is an obvious popular choice with vegetarians, but very well embraced even with meat eaters too.
2. **Spice Mix Blend –** Unlike any other popular paneer curries, Kadai Paneer, is made with a unique blend of spices known as kadai masala. This blend of spices adds a unique spice edge compared to other paneer curries.
3. **Combination of Flavors –** The combination of paneer, tomato, onion, and the specially made blend of spices makes it full of flavors. Particularly the roasted and caramelized onions and capsicum add ice on the caking.
4. **Versatility –** The uniqueness of this recipe is its adaptability. This recipe can be made dry, semi-dry, and even gravy-based curry. Moreover, it can also be varied with the type of spice level based on individual preferences.
## Step-by-step
Firstly, to prepare kadai masala, in a pan take 2 tbsp coriander seeds, 2 tsp cumin, 2 tsp fennel, 3 dried red chilli, 3 dried red chilli and 2 tsp pepper.
Dry roast on low flame until the spices turn aromatic.
Cool completely, and grind to a coarse powder. kadai masala is ready.
To prepare the sabzi, in a kadai heat 2 tbsp oil, 2 tsp ghee and saute 1 tsp cumin until it turns aromatic.
Now add 5 cloves garlic, 1 inch ginger, 2 onion and saute until the onions turn golden brown.
Further keeping the flame low, add ½ tsp turmeric, 1 tsp chilli powder, 1 tbsp kadai masala, 1 tsp salt.
Saute on low flame until the spices turn aromatic.
Now add 3 tomato and saute until the tomato turn soft and mushy.
Continue to cook until the oil separates from the sides.
Further, in a pan take 2 tsp oil. add onion, capsicum, tomato, paneer and 1 tsp garam masala.
Stir fry on high flame until the vegetables turn crunchy.
Transfer the stir-fried vegetables, and add half a cup of water.
Mix well and cook for 2 minutes.
Further add 2 tbsp cream, 1 tsp kasuri methi, crushed, 2 tbsp coriander and 1-inch ginger. mix gently.
Finally, **Kadai Paneer Recipe** is ready to enjoy with roti or naan.
## Video
## Tips
I treat this recipe as a medium complexity and hence I would like to add a few important tips to make it a perfect semi-dry curry.
1. **Fresh Moist Paneer –** The key ingredient for this recipe is Malai Paneer. Hence it has to be fresh. Preferably, homemade paneer is most recommended.
2. **Use of Spices –** Do not compromise on the set of spices used to make kadai masala. In other words, the USP of this recipe is the karai masala hence be generous with it.
3. **Onion & Tomato Ratio –** I generally follow the 3:2 ratio of tomato vs onions for most of my curries. This should be ideal for this recipe too, as it provides the necessary tanginess and sweetness to the gravy.
4. **Use of Butter & Cream –** To get the dhaba style or restaurant style kadai paneer, be generous with the use of cream and butter. Use butter to fry and use the cream for toppings.
5. **Use of Vegetables –** The most common set of vegetables used to make this paneer curry is tomato, onion, and capsicum. This combination is ideal. But you may add carrots and sweet corn too.
## FAQ
Yes. All three are different from each other though they have the same color and texture. the preparation method and taste also vary from each other. Kadai paneer is spicier than the other two as there is the addition of freshly prepared kadai masala in it. Whereas shahi paneer and paneer butter masala are more rich and creamy and sweet in taste. Also, shahi paneer is prepared with dry fruits like cashew and almonds without having any tomatoes in it. So they are usually yellow in color. Whereas kadai paneer and paneer butter masala are reddish or orange in color which also includes tomatoes in gravy.
Usually, paneer needn’t be cooked for a long time to absorb all the flavors in it. As they are curdled with lemon juice, they will not melt like cheese. So you can just add the cubed paneer to the gravies as it is or you can pan fry the paneer or fry the paneer in the oil until it turns golden brown and then use it in gravies. Here the paneer will be crisp outside and soft inside. You can also add the fried paneer to the hot water to maintain the softness in it. Last but not least, paneer can also be marinated and added to the gravy.
It is a special homemade spice powder which is made of freshly grounded spices. Spices include 2 tsp of coriander, 1 tsp of cumin, 3-4 red chilies depending upon the spiciness, and ½ tsp of pepper. These are dry roasted in the pan until they turn aromatic and once they are cooled, they are blended to the coarse powder in the mixer without adding any water to it. You can also prepare this in advance or increase the quantity and store it in an airtight container for future use.
Yes. Kadai paneer dry can also be extended to kadai paneer gravy by just adding the required amount of water to the onion-tomato puree. In kadai paneer dry version, diced onion, and tomatoes are added which are later mixed with kadai masala. Whereas in kadai paneer gravy onion and tomato are blended to form a paste and then added water to it to make it look like gravy.
Yes. Paneer can be made from spoiled milk. just strain the spoilt milk using the muslin cloth. Tie it tightly for about 6 to 8 hours. After 8 hours, when you untie it, the paneer will be collected in the muslin cloth. You can cut it to any desired shape and use it in any dishes. This stays good for about 2-3 days when stored in the refrigerator.
## Notes
* Firstly, dry roast the spices on a low flame to prevent it from burning.
* Also, you can prepare the kadai masala in large quantities and store it in an airtight container.
* Additionally, prepare the semi-gravy consistency, or adjust the consistency as required.
* Finally, **Kadai Paneer Recipe** tastes great when prepared slightly spicy.
Original recipe by Hebbar's Kitchen: [https://hebbarskitchen.com/kadai-paneer-recipe-karahi-paneer-gravy/](https://hebbarskitchen.com/kadai-paneer-recipe-karahi-paneer-gravy/)
## About Kadai Paneer
It is basically a premium paneer semi-dry curry made with paneer cubes, in a tomato onion gravy with a blend of spices. In other words, the **Kadai paneer** is an extension of any paneer gravy with a special mix added to the gravy. It can be a perfect gravy curry served especially with the typical Indian flatbreads, but can also be a wonderful side dish for flavored rice.
There are myriad ways of preparing the traditional **Karai paneer recipe**. The most common way to make it is as a semi-dry curry, but then it can be completely dry or gravy based. The dry variant is purpose-based and can be limited to a few types of bread. However, the gravy-based can be used for any type of bread and even rice. In short, it is up to the individual and the preference for the type of curry to be prepared and served with any choice of meal.
## Why this recipe works
There are several prominent & significant reasons why this paneer curry is preferred. To name a few –
1. **Use of Paneer –** With Indian or Punjabi cuisine, any curry recipe prepared with paneer is an instant hit. It is an obvious popular choice with vegetarians, but very well embraced even with meat eaters too.
2. **Spice Mix Blend –** Unlike any other popular paneer curries, Kadai Paneer, is made with a unique blend of spices known as kadai masala. This blend of spices adds a unique spice edge compared to other paneer curries.
3. **Combination of Flavors –** The combination of paneer, tomato, onion, and the specially made blend of spices makes it full of flavors. Particularly the roasted and caramelized onions and capsicum add ice on the caking.
4. **Versatility –** The uniqueness of this recipe is its adaptability. This recipe can be made dry, semi-dry, and even gravy-based curry. Moreover, it can also be varied with the type of spice level based on individual preferences.
## Step-by-step