Make restaurant-style kadhai paneer at home using my tried and tested recipe. Guaranteed to please your family and friends.
If you’re a fan of paneer dishes like me, then I’m sure Kadhai Paneer holds a special place in your heart. The combination of succulent paneer chunks, crunchy capsicum, and onion pieces, all enveloped in a silken gravy, creates a delightful experience when enjoyed with hot tandoori rotis or naans. The seemingly simple tomato-based gravy reveals its true complexity when the spices are freshly toasted and ground, adding layers of flavour to this beloved dish.
During the lockdown, I had the opportunity to learn this version of Kadhai Paneer from one of my neighbours, who generously shared her family recipe with our cooking Whatsapp group. It was an instant hit! By making a few small changes in technique and ingredients, the flavour of this dish significantly improved, and it has since become my go-to recipe.
Let’s recreate the restaurant-style recipe right in the comfort of our homes, with the assistance of our reliable sous-chef, the Prestige Amica Super Mixer Grinder.
Stay tuned as I’ll share more about this fantastic addition to my kitchen during the course of this blog post!
6 Tips to Create the perfect restaurant-style Kadhai Paneer at Home
- Prepare the Kadhai masala by toasting and grinding the spices fresh for enhanced flavours.
- Opt for high-quality malai paneer. Dice the paneer and soak it in warm salted water while you prepare the masala, vegetables, and gravy.
- Use a reliable wet grinder to grind the gravy paste, ensuring a smooth texture without any graininess.
- Take care not to overcook the green capsicum pieces, allowing them to retain their vibrant green colour and crunchy texture in the final curry.
- For a vegan variation, substitute firm tofu for paneer and use oil instead of ghee. This curry is naturally gluten-free.
- To achieve a creamier gravy, consider stirring in 2-3 spoonfuls of fresh cream just before the final simmer.
These tips will help you create a delicious and restaurant-style Kadhai Paneer that you and your family are sure to love.
Meal Prep that helps making cooking easier
Preparing these elaborate Indian curries may seem time-consuming, but thanks to the Prestige Amica Super Mixer Grinder, it becomes effortless. The food processor jar, equipped with various blades, makes chopping onions and tomatoes a breeze. Whether it’s ginger garlic paste or freshly ground spice powders, the powerful mixer simplifies the preparation process. The kneading blade in the food processor makes it convenient to prepare atta for rotis or parathas to serve with kadhai paneer.
Browse over 75 curry recipes on my blog
The Prestige Amica Super Mixer Grinder has a range of very useful features that make it a must-have appliance for Indian kitchens. From grinding dry and wet masalas, making chutneys, juicing citrus fruits, regular juicing, chopping vegetables for curries or salads, to kneading doughs, this versatile appliance can handle it all. It truly combines functionality and convenience, making cooking tasks much more manageable.
Looking for more such easy curry recipes?
Recipe for my everyday curry in 20 minutes
RECIPE FOR RESTAURANT-STYLE KADHAI PANEER
Ingredients
For kadhai masala
- 2 dried red chillies
- 2 tsp coriander seeds
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
Other ingredients
- 200 g malai paneer
- ½ tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
- pinch of salt
- 1 medium-sized green capsicum
- 1 medium-sized onion
For gravy
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp oil mustard oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 1-2 cinnamon pieces
- 2 green cardamoms
- 3 cloves
- 1 large onion finely chopped (1/2 cup)
- 2 tsp ginger garlic paste
- 2 medium tomatoes grated (peels discarded)
- 1 tsp ghee
- 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp kasuri methi powder
Instructions
- To prepare the kadhai masala, dry roast the spices for the kadhai masala in a pan over low flame for 3-4 minutes until fragrant. Allow them to cool, then grind them into a fine powder using the chutney jar of the Prestige Amica Super Mixer Grinder. Set aside.
- Marinate the diced paneer in ½ tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder and a pinch of salt. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Cut the capsicum into ½-inch squares. Quarter the onion and separate the layers to obtain single-layer onion pieces.
- Heat 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Sauté the paneer cubes over medium flame until golden on all sides. Drain well and set aside.
- In the same pan, sauté the onion and capsicum for 1-2 minutes until slightly softened. Drain and transfer them to a dish. Keep aside.
- In the same butter-oil mixture, add the whole spices (bay leaf, cinnamon pieces, green cardamom, cloves) and fry for a minute until aromatic.
- Add finely chopped onions and ginger-garlic paste to the pan. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until the onion becomes soft and golden brown. Add grated tomatoes and sauté for another 5-6 minutes.
- Remove and discard the bay leaf, cinnamon, and cloves. If desired, you can also remove the cardamom for a milder flavour. Transfer the remaining contents of the pan to the chutney jar or wet grinder jar. Grind to a smooth paste, adding a few tablespoons of water if needed.
- Now, the prep work for the kadhai paneer is all done and it is time to put it together.
- Heat 1 tsp ghee in a pan and stir in 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder. This will give a vibrant red colour to the gravy.
- Add the prepared spice paste, along with turmeric, coriander powder, and salt. Mix well and let it simmer for 1-2 minutes.
- Incorporate the paneer pieces and sautéed onion-capsicum into the gravy, along with the prepared kadhai masala. Gently stir to coat the ingredients. Allow it to simmer for 1-2 minutes.
- Finally, crush the kasoori methi between your fingertips and sprinkle it over the prepared kadhai paneer. Serve hot with rotis.
- Enjoy your homemade restaurant-style kadhai paneer, made with the help of the Prestige Amica Super Mixer Grinder!
Notes
This delightful recipe is presented in collaboration with Prestige and their latest offering, the Prestige Amica Super Mixer Grinder. For further information about this appliance, feel free to explore more details here.
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