- In a grinder or mortar-pestle, take 1.5 tablespoons coriander seeds and 5 to 6 Kashmiri red chilies.
- Grind to a semi fine powder.
- In a kadai, heat 3 tablespoons oil. Add ⅓ to ½ cup finely chopped onions.
- Sauté onions until they turn translucent and soften on medium-low to medium heat.
- Then add 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste.
- Sauté for a few seconds till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.
- Now add 2.5 to 3 cups finely chopped tomatoes. The tomatoes have to ripe, red and sweet. Do not add tomatoes which are very sour.
- Mix well and sauté tomatoes for 3 to 4 minutes on a medium-low to medium heat.
- Then add the ground kadai masala to the tomatoes.
- Mix well. Sauté the tomatoes till the whole mixture become like a paste and starts to leave oil. This method is called ‘bhunao’ in Hindi. The kadai masala paste, will also thicken and become glossy.
- Now add ¾ to 1 cup capsicum julienne or slices.
- Sauté the capsicum for some 3 to 4 minutes on medium-low to medium heat. You can add red or yellow or green colored capsicum or bell pepper. A mix of various colored bell peppers can also be added.
- Then add 1 to 2 green chilies or 1 small serrano pepper (slit) and ½ cup water. You can add less or more water as required.
- Mix very well and sauté until the capsicum is half-cooked. If you prefer you can cook the capsicum completely. Half-cooked capsicum gives some crunch to the dish.
- Once the capsicum is half-cooked add garam masala powder and salt as required. Mix these with the rest of the masala.
- Now add the paneer cubes (250 grams
- Again mix very well
- . Lastly add 1 teaspoon crushed kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), ginger julienne (from 1 inch ginger) and 2 tablespoons coriander leaves. Mix again. If you do not have kasuri methi, then simply omit adding them. Ginger julienne are a must, so do no
- Serve Kadai Paneer, hot or warm with roti or naan or plain paratha or pudina paratha.
