Kadai Paneer Recipe

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Kadai Paneer is the loudest dish on a dhaba menu — chunky paneer, onions and capsicum folded through a coarse, freshly pounded kadai masala, served semi-dry in a tomato-rich gravy that clings rather than pours. The masala is the whole point: coriander seeds and dried red chillies, toasted and crushed coarse, give this curry its signature rusticity. Make it in your heaviest kadai and serve it straight from the pan.

Kadai Paneer Recipe

Chunky paneer in a coarse, freshly pounded kadai masala, served semi-dry.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: North Indian
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the kadai masala (coarse, fresh)
  • 1.5 tablespoons coriander seeds
  • 3 to 4 dried red chillies adjust to heat
  • 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
For the curry
  • 250 g paneer cut into chunky cubes or triangles
  • 2 tablespoons oil or ghee
  • 1 large onion cut into petals (layers separated)
  • 1 large capsicum green bell pepper, cut into chunky squares
  • 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
  • 3 large tomatoes pureed (about 1.5 cups)
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
  • Salt to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon kasuri methi dried fenugreek leaves, crushed
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cream optional
  • Ginger juliennes and fresh coriander to garnish

Method
 

  1. Dry-roast the coriander seeds, dried red chillies, peppercorns and cumin in a small pan on low heat for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant. Cool, then crush to a COARSE powder in a mortar or spice grinder — visible bits are correct; a fine powder is not kadai masala.
  2. Heat the oil or ghee in a kadai on high heat. Add the onion petals and capsicum chunks and toss for 2 to 3 minutes until charred at the edges but still crunchy. Lift them out and set aside.
  3. In the same kadai, add the ginger-garlic paste and cook for a minute.
  4. Add the tomato puree, turmeric and salt. Cook on medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until thick and glossy and the fat separates.
  5. Add the Kashmiri chilli powder and 2 heaped teaspoons of your fresh kadai masala. Stir for a minute.
  6. Add a splash of hot water to loosen the gravy slightly, then return the charred onions and capsicum. Toss for a minute.
  7. Add the paneer and toss gently for 2 to 3 minutes, just until the masala coats every piece and the paneer is hot through — longer cooking makes paneer rubbery.
  8. Finish with garam masala, crushed kasuri methi and the cream (if using). Warm through for a minute without boiling.
  9. Garnish with ginger juliennes, coriander and a final pinch of kadai masala. Serve straight from the kadai with naan or parathas.

Notes

Fresh, coarsely crushed kadai masala is non-negotiable — ready-made fine powders give a generic curry, not kadai paneer.
Keep the vegetables chunky and the tossing hot and fast; kadai dishes are about charred edges and crunch, not softness.
If your paneer is firm, soak the cubes in warm salted water for 10 minutes before cooking so they stay soft.
This is a semi-dry dish — add only splashes of water. If you want gravy for rice, this is not the paneer for it; make shahi paneer instead.

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