BANGALORE: Kadhai Paneer is a great main dish for any special occasion. Paneer and colourful bell peppers are sauteed in spicy tomato gravy.
Ingredients:
1/2 pound paneer
1 medium red bell pepper (shimla mirch, capsicum)
1 medium green bell pepper (shimla mirch, capsicum)
3 tablespoons oil
3 medium tomatoes
About 1/4 inch piece of ginger
1 green chili
Pinch of asafetida (hing)
1 teaspoon cumin seed (jeera)
1 and 1/2 tablespoons coriander powder (dhania)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric (haldi)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fenugreek leaves (methi) or dry fenugreek leaves (kastoori methi)
3/4 teaspoon salt, adjust to taste
Method:
Cut paneer and bell peppers into ½ inch cubes. Blend the tomatoes, ginger, and green chili to make a puree. Heat the oil in frying pan on medium heat and stir fry paneer for about 2 minutes - take them out before paneer starts changing colour. Next stir-fry bell pepper until they are tender. Do not over cook the bell pepper. Take them out and drain on a paper towel. Using the same frying pan, test the oil by adding one cumin seed to the oil; if seed cracks right away oil is ready. Add the asafetida and cumin seeds. After the cumin seeds crackle, add the tomato puree, coriander powder, turmeric, fenugreek leaves and cayenne pepper. Cook for about 4 minutes on medium heat. Tomato mixture will reduce to about half in volume. Add about 2 spoons of water, and the salt. Wait till gravy comes to boil add paneer and bell pepper and let it simmer for about five minutes on low medium heat. Now it is ready to serve.