I’ve been on a bit of a spicy food kick lately, and I’m loving it! For me, spicy food just doesn’t get old, and I enjoy trying spicy foods from around the world. Indian food is a personal favorite, so I’m going to continue that trend with this Kadai Paneer Gravy recipe. It has plenty of spices, a little heat, a lot of vegetables, and some paneer cheese in a silky smooth sauce. I have made paneer before in Palak Paneer, but it’s been a while. Looks like I need to dust off the recipe and give it another try!
Kadai paneer gravy is a mouthwatering recipe made from paneer cooked in a spicy gravy made of onions, tomatoes, capsicum and traditional Indian spices. It is one of the most popular Indian curries and cooked throughout the world.
The Ingredients
This recipe has a long-ish list of 17 ingredients, but most of them were easy to find. I had the spices on hand (of course!), but most of them can be found at the supermarket these days. The only one you might have trouble with is the dried fenugreek leaves, but they can be ordered.
Most of the remaining ingredients are fruits and vegetables you can find at any grocery store. Things like tomatoes, onions, garlic, and green peppers. You’ll also need some cream and, of course, paneer cheese.
You can buy paneer at Whole Foods, but I have never found it at any other major supermarket. It can always be found at an Indian market or you can give homemade paneer a try (it’s very easy!). I made mine a day or two before the Kadai Paneer Gravy, and I found that the linked recipe made about 500 grams (18 ounces) of paneer.
Oh, and you’ll also need some butter, ghee, or vegetable oil. It’s not listed in the ingredients, but it is in the instructions. I used about 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil.
The Process
With my paneer ready and waiting, I dove right into this recipe. A quick read-through told me I would need to have the ingredients prepped and ready before I started cooking. Here’s how my time was spent:
- 15 minutes to prep
- 25 minutes to cook
- 40 minutes total
And that was right in line with the times listed on the recipe.
My food processor got a workout with this recipe since I had to make 3 purees (and a quick rinse between each). I did roughly chop the onions, tomatoes, and jalapenos before pureeing them. I also seeded the jalapenos, but I didn’t bother seeding the tomatoes since their seeds were so small.
With that done, I measured out the remaining ingredients and got cooking. I don’t have a Kadai or wok, so I opted for a 5-quart cast-iron Dutch oven. The large bottom and high sides gave me plenty of room to stirfry the ingredients without making a mess of the stove.
Then I just followed the steps to a tasty Kadai Paneer Gravy. They were broken down into easy-to-follow chunks, and having my ingredients at the ready ensured things went smoothly. Making this recipe was a pleasure!
