I absolutely love all of the Paneer (Indian cottage cheese) recipes! Karahi (Kadai, or Kadhai) Paneer is my ultimate favorite among all of them.

Karahi is a deep, circular cooking vessel, similar to a wok and is used for cooking Indian stews and curries.

This is a very rustic dish that has soft cottage cheese cubes smothered in freshly pounded spices accompanied with bell peppers and onions! I bet your mouth is watering!! Give it a try soon and you will be a big fan of this dish just like me!!

Recipe                                               Servings: 4                         Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 onion, cubed or sliced
• ½ red bell pepper, cubed
• ½ yellow bell pepper, cubed
• ½ orange bell pepper, cubed
• 2 tomatoes – chopped
• 8 oz. Paneer, cut into 1inch cubes
• ½ tsp. cumin seeds
• Karahi masala (recipe below); you can use 1.5 – 2Tbsp. of store bought masala
• 3-4 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 inch ginger, julienned
• 1 Tbsp. Kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
• ¼ tsp. turmeric
• Salt – to taste
• 2 Tbsp. Oil
• Few springs cilantro, finely chopped

Ingredients for karahi masala

• 1 Tbsp. coriander seeds
• 2-3 dried whole red chilies
• 2 green cardamom
• 4-5 black peppercorn
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 3 cloves
• 1 black cardamom

Dry roast and coarsely grind the spices mentioned above.

Method

1. Heat oil in pan on medium heat. Add cumin seeds and let it crackle.
2. Add onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add bell peppers and sauté for couple more minutes.
4. Add grated garlic, ginger and tomatoes. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add the karahi masala, kasoori methi, turmeric and salt. Cook for few more minutes.
6. Add paneer pieces and stir gently.
7. Cover with a lid and let it cook on medium low heat for about 5 minutes.
8. Turn off the heat and add chopped cilantro.
9. Serve with hot naan, chapati or paratha!

Notes

• You can use green bell pepper instead of the colored ones.
• You can add a Tbsp. of heavy cream for an extra pizzazz!
• Try not to overcook the bell peppers, so they have some crunch.