Curry

Kadai Paneer

Name: Kadai Paneer
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 250 g paneer, cut into cubes; 2 medium onions, finely chopped; 3 tomatoes, puréed; 1.5 tsp ginger-garlic paste; 1 medium capsicum (green pepper), cut into 1-inch pieces; 1 medium red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces; 10 cashews, soaked in warm water; 1 tsp red chilli powder; 2 tsp coriander powder; 0.25 tsp turmeric powder; 1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed; 1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed; 1 dried red chilli, crushed; 0.5 tsp garam masala; 3 tbsp oil; 6 g fine sea salt, plus more to taste; fresh coriander, for garnish

Kadai paneer is the vegetarian answer to the dhaba-style wok curry — soft paneer cubes in a masala built on tomato, onion and a quartet of freshly crushed whole spices, with capsicum and red onion stirred through at the end to keep their bite.

50 minServes 4 medium

Method

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a non-stick pan over high heat and shallow-fry the paneer cubes until lightly golden. Remove and set aside.
Blend the soaked cashews with a splash of milk into a fine paste.
In the same pan, add the remaining oil and fry the chopped onions until golden brown.
Add the ginger-garlic paste and cook for 2–3 minutes . Add the tomato purée and salt, cover and cook for 5 minutes .
Uncover and fry until the oil separates from the masala. Add the chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric, crushed fennel seeds, crushed coriander seeds and dried red chilli. Fry for 3–4 minutes .
Stir in the red onion cubes, capsicum pieces and cashew paste. Fry for 2–3 minutes — keep the pepper and onion crisp.
Add the fried paneer cubes and garam masala. Stir gently. Add a splash of water to loosen the gravy if needed and simmer on low heat for 3–4 minutes .
Garnish with fresh coriander. Serve hot with naan or rice.

Cook's note. Do not overcook the paneer during the initial fry — a light golden crust is the aim; any longer and it turns rubbery.

The story

Paneer dishes made in the kadai became restaurant staples in North India during the 1970s and 80s, when vegetarian options on menus finally started getting the same attention as meat dishes. Kadai paneer is now so widespread that it arguably defines what people mean when they say 'Indian restaurant vegetarian curry'.