Kadai Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese )

Kadai Paneer

Kadai paneer is made in kadai or heavy bottom pan. It is made with cheese, capsicum, onion, tomato and Indian spices. Dry kadai masala is the life of kadai paneer which is made from fennel, Kashmiri red chili, dry coriander seeds and bay leaves. I always like to kadai paneer with simple phulka or simple paratha.

Type--Main course                                      Preparation Time---15 Minutes
Cuisine--Indian                                           Cooking Time--20 Minutes                                            

INGREDIENTS:

•  4---dry red chili
•  1/2 tsp---cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp---black pepper (sabut kali mirch)
• 3 tsp---dry coriander seeds
• 2---bay leaves
• 1 tsp---saunf (fennel)                                             
•  1/2 tsp---cumin seeds                  
•   1 large---onion (roughly chopped)2---tomatoes (chopped 
• 2---green chili (chopped)
• )4 cloves---garlic (peeled and crushed)
• 1,1/2 inch---ginger(grated)
• 3 tsp---fresh cream
• 3/4 tsp---red chili powder
• .1/2 tsp---turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp---garam masala
• 2 tsp---kasuri methi(fenugreek leaves) 
• according to taste---salt
• 250 gram---cottage cheese (cut into medium sized cubes)
• 2---capsicum (green bell pepper) (cut into medium sized cubes)
• 1---onion (cut into thin slice)
• 1---tomato (seed extracted and cut into cubes) 
• 1---green chili (seed extracted and cut into length)

Method:

• On medium flame, heat a kadai and dry roast the coriander seeds, fennel, dry red chili, cumin seeds, black pepper and bay leaves.

• Grind it when cooled. keep the kadai masala aside.

• In the same kadai, heat 3 tsp oil, add sliced onion, fry the onion till it becomes translucent  

• Take out the onion from the pan.

• Put capsicum cubes, fry capsicum till it becomes soften, take out the capsicum, put paneer cubes, fry the paneer cubes, take out the paneer cubes when it is golden

• put the tomato pieces. cook it till tomatoes become soften.

       For Gravy

• Heat 1 tsp oil in the pan. add, green chili, onion, tomato. Cook it for 2 minutes, let grind it when cooled. Keep aside it.

• Heat 1 tsp oil in the same pan. Put cumin seeds, add onion-tomato paste. On the low flame, cook it until the paste started to leave the oil.                                                    

• Put salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder, dry kadai masala. Mix it well.                            

• Add fried capsicum, onion, tomatoes, green chili and fresh cream. and milk. Cook it for 3 minutes. Cover the pan and after 2 minutes add cheese cubes, mix it gently.                          

• Add garam masala. Cook it for a while.                                                                                        

• Switch off the flame.

• Put it into serving bowl.

• We serve it with parantha, phulka, naan, jeera rice.

 Tips

• You can also use mushroom in kadai paneer.

• Always roasted the dry kadai masala on low flame.