Recipe- Restaurant Style Kadai Paneer

Veg Kadai or Kadai Vegetable is a popular, spicy, and aromatic Indian vegetarian recipe where mixed veggies like mushroom, baby corn, cauliflower, and capsicum (green bell peppers) are cooked along with paneer in freshly ground homemade kadai masala

Ingredients

For Kadai Masala Powder

2 tbsp Coriander seeds
2 Green cardamom pods
5 Dry red chilllies
1 tsp Fennel seeds or saunf
1/2 tsp Black peppercorns

Tomato Cashew Paste

2 Tomatoes, chopped into cubes
8 Cashews

Other Ingredients

2 tbsp Oil
1/2 Onion, cubed
6 Mushrooms, chopped lengthwise
6 Babycorn, cut into pieces
1/2 Capsicum or bell pepper, cut into cubes
10 to 12 Cauliflower florets or Gobi
2 tbsp Ghee
1/2 Onion, finely chopped
4 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp Ginger, finely chopped
1/2 tsp Garam masala powder (optional)
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp Water
1/2 to 1 tsp Salt, adjust to taste
1 cup Paneer, cubes
1/4 cup Green peas (fresh or frozen)
1 tsp Kausri Methi or Dried fenugreek leaves, optional
1 tbsp Coriander leaves or cilantro chopped

Method

Making of Kadai Masala Powder

* In a pan on medium heat, add coriander seeds, cardamom pods, dry red chilies, fennel seeds, and black peppercorns, and dry roast them until they are aromatic, stirring them continuously. Make sure not to burn them. Switch off the flame.

* Once it becomes warm, add it to the blender or mixer and blend it to anywhere between coarse to smooth powder. Keep this aside.

Making of Tomato Cashew Paste

* In a blender or mixie jar, add tomato cubes and cashews and blend it to smooth paste. Keep this aside.

(Alternatively, you can avoid blending and add just tomato chunks and skip cashews OR use store-bought paste and cream)

Assemble

* Heat oil in a pan. Add mushrooms and onion and saute for 2 minutes just until they are cooked. We want it crisp. Transfer this to a plate.

* To the same pan, add baby corn, capsicum, cauliflower and saute for 2 more minutes. Transfer this to the same plate as before. Keep this aside.

* In the same pan, add ghee or brown butter with onion, garlic, ginger and saute until translucent.

* To this, add cashew tomato paste and cook until it leaves the side of the pan on medium flame.

* Next, add 1/2 cup of water, 1 to 2 tbsp of Kadai Masala Powder prepared in step I (or all of them if you want it spicy), garam masala powder, salt to taste, and bring it to a boil and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.

* Add all the veggies cooked – onion, mushroom, babycorn, cauliflower, capsicum and then add paneer, green peas, and 2 tbsp of water. Mix to combine. Cover and cook on a medium flame for 2 to 3 minutes just until they are slightly softened.

* Finally, add kasuri methi, coriander leaves and mix to combine. Switch off the flame.