Kadhai Paneer from North India

Howdy (like we say it in Texas), its so good to be back and I’ve been itching to cook some more delicious food with you. Don’t know about you but I’m tired of eating out. After consuming all the delicious but butter laden holiday food, I'm ready for some simple yet appetizing home cooked meals. So lets kick it off with some super healthy, vegetarian, protein-rich meal.

I have had a lot of queries from you all asking me for replacements in dishes. One of the subscribers asked what they could substitute shrimp with since she was allergic to shell-fish. Simple answer is you can use absolutely anything with that gravy. My suggestions for vegetarians would be to go with either potatoes or Paneer (Indian cottage cheese cubes available at Indian grocery stores). You could even use pan sautéed Tofu and for non-vegetarians use chicken or lamb stew meat instead of shrimp. Exploring and experimenting is key with any type of cooking. Get your Chef’s hat on get adventurous, you will be surprised how many new combinations you will discover.

Balti Rajma and Kadhai Paneer

Another question I get asked a lot is whether all these recipes are original and my creations. Well some recipes are original (created by me) and I will mention them as we go. Some are adaptations/interpretations of existing ones with an Indian Fusion twist which will get their due diligence, of course.


You will often hear the words "Kadhai" or "Balti" in Indian cooking. It just means the utensil the dish is cooked in. The traditional method of cooking is by using a Cast Iron, Brass or Copper wok/skillet called a Kadhai and hence the name. This is an image of what a kadhai looks like. Balti dishes are made by using the same kadahi but are served in a Balti or bucket. Sometimes I like to use these to serve food for smaller gatherings.

Kadhai

Balti



This is my mom's way of cooking Paneer. I don't have the exact recipe with me but I am going to make it from how I remember eating it in India when she made it for us. My menu for tonight is Balti Rajma (red kidney beans made Kashmiri stlye, from the northern most parts of India) with the Kadahi Paneer, steamed rice and of-course no India meal is complete without a salad so we have fresh sliced cucumbers and Radishes with a dash of lemon juice, salt and pepper.



At some point I will have the recipe with step-by-step instructions for the Balti Rajma. My camera was giving me grief so was not able to film it. Hope you enjoy making it as much as I did...

Recipe: Kadhai Paneer

Ingredients
12 Oz Paneer (low fat from Indian store)
1 yellow bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper
2 tsp Coriander seeds, dry roasted and coarsely crushed
1 tsp Cumin seeds, dry roasted and coarsely crushed
1/2 tsp Caraway seeds, dry roasted and coarsely crushed
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
5 Garlic cloves, minced
1" Ginger piece, minced
1 Serrano pepper, slit finely length wise
4 Tomatoes, chopped
1 Tbsp Dry Fenugreek leaves (Kastoori Methi)
salt to taste
2 Tbsp Olive oil
3 Tbsp Coriander leaves, chopped


Method

1. Dice the Paneer and Bell Peppers into big chunks about an inch.
2. Dry roast the cumin, coriander and caraway seeds and crush them coarsely. I use my rolling pin and crush them on my chopping board.
3. Heat the oil and stir in the ginger, garlic and serrano pepper. Cook on a medium flame till its turns light brown in color. Make sure it does not get burnt. Let it cook for about 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the bell peppers and cook on medium flame till they are a little soft on the edges about 3 more minutes.
5. Add the dry spices: crushed cumin, coriander and caraway, turmeric and salt. Cook for a few more minutes.
6. Now add the tomatoes and cook till they are soft and blend with the spices really well about 5 minutes.
7. Add the Fenugreek leaves and stir for a minute.
8. Finally, add the sliced paneer and stir it well.  Lower the flame and cook for 3-4 minutes, you could cover it at this point so all the spices belnd together with the paneer.
9. Sprinkle with Coriander leaves and serve hot with naan or rotis.

Step-by-step process,

Dice the Paneer and Bell Peppers into big chunks about an inch.



Dry roast the cumin, coriander and caraway seeds and crush them coarsely. I use my rolling pin and crush them on my chopping board.

 

Heat the oil and stir in the ginger, garlic and serrano pepper. Cook on a medium flame till its turns light brown in color, taking care not to burn it because it cooks really fast in hot oil. It should take about 2 minutes.

Add the bell peppers and cook on medium flame till they are a little soft on the edges about 3 more minutes. I don't like the soggy looking, sickly bell peppers in my food. 
NOTE: Overcooking bell peppers is the worst thing you can do in terms of ruining nutrition value by destroying important vitamins and minerals. It not only compromises the flavor but the visual appeal too. It totally loses its taste as well as color. 
I like mine to be cooked but still hold their crunch, crispness, flavor and color.



Add the dry spices: crushed cumin, coriander and caraway, turmeric and salt. Cook for a couple more minutes till they blend well into the rest of the flavors.

Now add the tomatoes and cook till they are soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the Fenugreek leaves and stir for a minute.

Finally, add the sliced paneer and stir it well.  Lower the flame and cook for 3-4 minutes, you could cover it at this point so all the spices belnd together with the paneer.

Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with naan or rotis.







Enjoy!!!