If you ask me the most comfortable and frequently used equipment in my kitchen, my answer would be the kadai. It can be easily handled and helps for cooking recipes quickly and evenly. Wait! you aren’t familiar with the name ‘Kadai’? Go ahead to know about it.
Kadai/kadhai/karahi is nothing but a thick, deep, bowl shaped
cooking pan with two curved handles, which is widely used in Indian
cookery. It is made up of cast iron. Few traditional recipes like Kadai chicken, Kadai Paneer and Kadai Vegetables take the name from the kadai as the recipes were cooked in it. The kadai
cooking is quick as there is no water used in it. Because of this, the
kadai recipes are mostly dry but sometimes it is cooked in tomato based
gravy.
Since a long time, dishes prepared in this way are served in a
miniature kadai/karahi with hot coal underneath it. This symbolically
represents that the dish is fresh from kadai. Also it is important that
one need to consume the dish immediately to enjoy its complete taste.
(Info from book, Prasad-Cooking with Indian Masters)
Here, I am blogging my version of Kadai Paneer which I love to have anytime a day.
Basic Information:
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 3
Ingredients:
Paneer cubes – 1 and 1/2 cups
Capsicum – 1 cup, cubed, any colour
Onion – 1 no, medium size, finely chopped
Tomato – 1 no, large size,
Ginger garlic paste – 2 teaspoons
Red chilli powder – 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder – 2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder – a pinch
Garam masala – a pinch
Salt – to taste
Cumin seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
Dry fenugreek leaves/ kasoori methi – a big pinch
Oil – 1 tablespoon
Method:
1) Blend tomato with red chilli
powder and coriander powder. Keep this paste aside. Using roasted
coriander seeds instead of coriander powder will give best results.
2) In a wok, heat 1/2 tablespoon of oil and fry paneer till all the sides are golden brown. Transfer them to a plate.
3) In the same pan, add remaining oil. When the oil is hot, take cumin
seeds and crush these seeds with your palm and add them to the hot oil.
Allow the seeds to crackle and burst.
4) Add onions and fry till they are soft and translucent.
5) Add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute.
6) Add the tomato paste (as said in step 1) along with salt, garam masala and turmeric
powder. Cook the sauce till the raw smell of tomato disappears. When it
starts to thicken, you can see the oil separating from the dish on the
walls of wok.
7) Now, add the cubed capsicums and paneer. Mix well.
8) Cook for 5-7 minutes by stirring occasionally. Make sure to avoid burning the sauce.
9)
Crush kasoori methi with your palm and add them to the gravy. Mix well
and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Ensure that capsicums are crisp so as
to retain its shape without changing colour. Taste and adjust the spice level.
10) Garnish with coriander and serve hot with roti. We usually have it with a spicy roti.
Note:
1) To get a gravy kind of kadai paneer, increase the tomato quantity.
2)
I usually fry capsicum by adding them when paneer turns slightly brown
colour(mostly at the end of frying paneer) and toss them for two
minutes. This helps to maintain a crispy and shiny capsicums for the recipe. If you do so, reduce the cooking time after adding to the tomato sauce/gravy.
I’m linking this recipe to Srivalli’s Blogging Marathon #12 under the theme of paneer. Check out what others are cooking by clicking it here.
lovel the rich and delicious colors of this – supero super 🙂
wow… paneer look fabulous… beautiful presentation…
Thanks a lot for sharing the recipe of kadai paneer in a step by step method. Looks simply delicious and mouthwatering.
Deepa
Hamaree Rasoi
Awesome presentation….super color
Delicious kadai paneer,looks gorgeous…….
great recipe. Would love to give this a try!!
Regards,
Manju
Beautiful Pictures ! and Love that lil kadai 🙂
Loved the step by step description with pictures!
looking inviting
Awesome recipe…truly Delicious..Bookmarked
Aarthi
yummytummy-aarthi.blogspot.com/
samepinch I too posted kadai paneer recipe yours looks so bright and color full. My recipe is little different then yours check it out….
Beautiful mouth watering clicks .. cant take my eyes off it makes me drool..
looks perfect and delicious….
That's a great way of presenting. Nice Paneer recipe.
lovely dish uma !
Mouthwatering here, wat a terrific and super tempting dish..
wow……very lovely preperation….superb
The masala has got the perfect color & looks super tasty!!
Prathima Rao
Prats Corner
Wow looks delicious
loved ur version of kadai paneer and the clciks are pretty
lovely and colourful recipe..im ready for anything with Paneer
I love kadai paneer and frying with paneer the capsicum is a nice tip. Will try next time, when I make this superb looking dish.
looks delicious and lovely combo ……
Lovely combo with parathas..n as always lovely tempting presentation!!
Erivum Puliyum
colorful looks wonderful
Love the paneer dish with that stack of rotis.
very yummy looking paneer…
kadai paneer looks so yum…nice recipe Uma !!
Spicy Treats
OnGoing Event ~ Dish It Out-Brinjal n Garlic
looks lovely!
yum! this looks so restaurant-style… beautiful pic 🙂
I agree to the above comment….so restaurant style….love to have them with roti…yum
nice recipe… how to clean aluminium kadhai burns?