Kadai Paneer

 

My niece Akshara and nephew Akash loves to eat Paneer dishes... When Akshara was in Pune for a vacation with my sister, I served Paneer Mutter for dinner.  She wanted more of the Paneer and she called her mother and said Mummy... Cockies... She was around 2.5 years and could not pronounce the word I guess.

I was very confused as to what she wanted and what had happened and my sister said she is saying she wants more Paneer and she calls it Cockies... I bursted out laughing as I thought she saw some insect in the food and was calling out to her mother... LOL :).

I prefer to buy Paneer from the Dairy as it is fresh... if you can make it at home then that is the best option.  This time, I did not have much energy to walk down to the dairy to get Paneer.. So I got the Govind Paneer from the grocery store and was planning to make it for our lunch box the next day.

I assumed there was Capsicum in the fridge and did not bother to check... Next day morning, when I was to make the dish, I could not find the vegetable... So I made it without  Capsicum as no shop is open so early in the morning for me to buy the vegetable :)

So let's run through the ingredients and make this dish following the method.

Ingredients :

Paneer (Soft Cottage Cheese) - 200 gms

Chillies - 2 slit

Capsicum - 1 Big - Cut into medium pieces

Onions cut into medium pieces - 1

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Butter

Coriander leaves

Masala for dry roasting & grinding to powder:

Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp

Jeera - 1 tbsp

Cloves - 3

Cardamom - 3

Fennel Seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Peppercorns - 4

For the masala gravy:

Onions - 2

Tomato - Medium sized - 2

Oil

Amchur (Mango) Powder 1 tsp (you can adjust the same as per your taste)

Method :

Heat the kadai and add oil, and saute the onions till the colour changes.  Now add the tomatoes and cook well.  Once this mixture is cooled, add it to the ground dry masala powder, Amchur powder add little water and make this to a fine paste.

In a Kadai, add butter and ginger garlic paste & slit chillies and saute for some time.  Add the Onions and saute till the colour changes.  It's time to add the capsicum and allow it to cook for some time.  Add the ground masala and saute for 2 minutes.  Add enough water and salt and allow it to boil.  Add the cut paneer cubes and let it cook for another 3 to 5 minutes.  Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with Paratha / Roti, Rice etc.

Enjoy and Happy Cooking!

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