Kadhai Paneer or Cottage Cheese & Bell Pepper Stir Fry is a delicious stir fry with vegetables and cottage cheese which is nutritious, healthy and definitely a star dish on the table!
I should probably start this post by a confession that this might not be the “authentic” Kadhai Paneer recipe but this is what I call my Kadhai Paneer recipe.
I have grown up eating paneer in various forms and some form of what is now popularly known as Kadhai Paneer was made in home very often. Essentially, it meant mom doing a quick stir fry with onions, tomatoes, capsicum and paneer with whatever masalas she fancied that day.
And as much as we all resist it, we eventually turn into our mothers. So it is now a regular in my house as well. It takes about 20 odd minutes from start to end, it has vegetables and then it has protein in terms of paneer. Have it with rotis and you have a very healthy well balanced weekday meal on the table. Over years, I have made a few broad changes to the Kadhai Paneer my mum makes. One, I have replaced capsicum with red and yellow bell peppers because for some reason I have started to detest capsicum, I just can’t seem to be able to eat it anymore.
The masalas I add to it are pretty much mine as well. Somehow, I never ended up asking my mum what she puts in her kadhai paneer. I have worked on these masalas on them from my memory and then adapted them to what we seem to like right now. And I have a son who pretty much loves paneer in any form. This means that this dish is a regular at home. Easy to make and oh-so-yum.
Talking about paneer, have you tried this grilled paneer salad with the chilli mango dressing yet?
Kadhai Paneer | Cottage Cheese & Bell Pepper Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 200 grams paneer
- 1 onion large
- 1 tomato large
- 1/2 red bell pepper
- 1/2 bell pepper yellow
- to taste salt
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp chilli powder
For the masala
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 red chilli dry
Instructions
- Using a heavy bottom kadhai, dry roast the masalas - coriander seeds, cumin seeds and dry red chillies.
- Using the dry grinder of your mixer or a mortal pestle, coarsely grind the roasted masalas.
- Peel and chop onions in four quarters. Chop tomatoes in eight pieces. Deseed the bell pepper and chop them into large pieces. Chop paneer into medium sized cubes and set aside.
- Heat oil in a kadhai and add the chopped onions. Saute on high heat for 2 minutes till the onions soften a bit. Add the diced bell peppers and saute for another 3-4 minutes till bell peppers are cooked but still crisp. Add the tomatoes along with the powdered masala and salt. Sautxe9 for 1-2 minutes. We don't want to cook tomatoes to a pulp so don't over cook.
- Add paneer cubes and mix just till they are coated well in the masala. Switch off the heat and serve with dal and hot rotis.
Looks scrumptious!
Thanks 🙂