Kadhai or Kadai Paneer Recipe

Ingredients:

Paneer – 2 cup paneer cut into cubes

Green Capsicum – 1 medium sized

Red Capsicum – 1

Tomatoes – 3

Green Chilli – 1 (according to taste)

Ginger – 1/2 inch piece

Garlic – -5 pods

Cumin Seeds – 1/2 tsp for seasoning

Oil – 3 tbspn

Masala Powders:

Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp

Coriander Powder – 1 1/2 tsp

Red Chili powder – 1 tsp

Kasturi Methi or Fenugreek leaves or Vendaya Elai – 1/4 cup

Salt – as required

Procedure:

1. Ground the tomatoes, green chili, ginger and garlic together into a fine paste and keep it aside.

2. Heat oil in a pan or kadhai and add the paneer cubes and fry for 3-4 mins.

3. Remove the paneer cubes and add both the capsicum that is chopped into cubes and fry for 2-3 mins.

4. Remove from oil and add cumin seeds to the oil left over in the pan.

5. Now add the ground tomato-ginger-garlic-chili paste and saute.

6. Add turmeric, chili, coriander powder and mix well.

7. Add the chopped Kasturi Methi or dried fenugreek leaves and mix well.

8. Add required salt and add the fried paneer and the capsicum.

9. Mix well and add little water if needed and leave for 2 mins.

Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot.

Kadhai Paneer is ready to be served with Chapatis or rotis. A colorful healthy and tasty dish that will be appealing even for the kids.

Note: You can also add onions and other spices like clove, cinnamon, bay leaves and a pinch of orange color if you wish to give it a hot and spicy look.

Ingredients:

Cluster beans or kothavarangai -1/2 kg

Toor Dhal – 1 cup

Channa dhal / kadalai paruppu – 1 cup

Green Chilli- 1

Dry Red Chilli – 2-3

Curry leaves – handfull

Salt – to taste

Seasoning:

Oil – 2 tsp

Mustard – 1 tsp

Urad Dhal – 2 tsp

Method:

1. Soak the channa and toor dhal for half an hour and get it grinded to a coarse paste adding 1 green chili, 2 red chillies, curry leaves and little salt.

2. Do not add much water while grinding. Keep it to a thick consistency.

3. Make balls with the ground dhal mixture and steam cook it for 10 mins. Keep it aside.

4. Chop the cluster beans/ kothavarangai to fine pieces and steam cook it separately adding little water.

5. Now after keeping all things ready, take a tawa add oil and splutter mustard seeds and add urad dhal.

6. Now add the cooked cluster beans and fry for a few mins.

7. Crumble the dhal balls to a powder consistency and add them to the cluster beans.

8. Cook in low flame. Add little salt and mix well.

9. Garnish with curry leaves and serve with rice.

Kothavarangai Paruppu Usili

Ingredients:

Paneer – 2 cups (cut into cubes)

Spinach or palak leaves -10 cups (pasalai keerai)

Finely chopped onion – 3/4 cup

Garlic -4

Ginger – a piece

Green chillies – 2 (finely chopped)

Turmeric powder – a pinch

Tomato puree – 3/4 cup

Garam masala – 1/4 tsp

Oil – 2 tbsp

Salt – to taste

Method:

1. Cook the spinach in a big vessel of boiling water.

2. Drain, wash with cold water and grind it to a fine paste by adding water.

3. Cut the paneer into small pieces and deep fry in hot oil until golden brown.

4. Remove and drain on absorbent paper. Keep aside.

5. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onions till they turn pinkish.

6. Add the garlic, ginger, green chillies and turmeric powder and fry again for a little time.

7. Add the tomato puree and keep stirring continuously till the mixture leaves oil.

8. Add the grinded spinach, paneer, garam masala, and salt. Add 1 cup of water and bring to boil.

Serve hot.

Palak Paneer

Ingredients:

Paneer (cubes) – 1/2

Medium tomatoes – 2

Green chili – 1

Ginger – a small piece

Green peas (optional) – 1/2 cup

Yogurt, whipped – 1/2 cup

Oil – 2 table spoon

Asafoetida – a pinch

Cumin seeds (jeera) – 1 tsp

Coriander powder – 1 table spoon

Turmeric – 1/2 tp

Red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp

Bay leaves – 2

Salt – to taste

Garam masala- 1/2 tsp

Corn flour – 1 tsp

Chopped fresh coriander – 2 table spoon

Sugar (optional)-1 tsp

Method:

1. Deep-fry the paneer on low-medium heat until the paneer turns little golden brown color and keep it aside.

2. Grind tomatoes, green chilly and ginger to make a puree.

3. Heat the oil in a tawa  and add asafoetida and cumin seeds.

4. After the cumin seeds crack, add the tomato puree, coriander powder, turmeric, red chilli powder and bay leaves. Cook for about 4 minutes on medium heat.

5. Tomato mixture will start to leave the oil and will reduce to about half in quantity.

6. Add the whipped yogurt into the gravy. Stir occasionally for about 3 minutes on medium heat.

7. To thicken the gravy, mix the corn flour in 3 tablespoons of water and add to the gravy.

8. Add the green peas and fried paneer. Let it cook for a few minutes until the peas are tender.

Paneer Butter Masala (without peas)

9. Add the garam masala and coriander leaves. Add a little sugar if the gravy is sour.

Delicious Paneer Butter Masala is ready. It can be served with Naan or tandoori roti or even with white rice.

Paneer Butter Masala ready to be served

Ingredients:

Vazhai poo or plantain flower – mediun size 1 or cleaned and chopped 2 cups

Toor dhal – 1 cup

Channa dhal – 1 cup

Red chilli – 2

Green chilli – 2

Onion – 2

Oil – for frying

Curry leaves – 4 tsp

Salt – to taste

Method:

1. Soak the toor and channa dhal in water for half an hour.

2. Grind it lightly along with red chilli, green chilli and curry leaves.

3. Now add chopped plantain flower, onion, salt and grind.

4. Do not make it to a fine paste. Also need not add water.

Note: If required sprinkle water.

5. Heat oil in a pan and take small portions of the prepared batter and flatten it and slowly drop it into the heating oil.

6. Allow it until golden brown.

Vazhai poo vadai

This vazhai poo vadai will be very tasty even if served with rasam.