Kadai Paneer Gravy Recipe

5 from 2 votes

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.

Kadai paneer can be made in various ways. You can make a dry/semi-dry version for serving with Breads. You can also cook it with gravy if you want to serve it with rice dish. This recipe is for the gravy version of kadai paneer.

This dish gets its name from ‘kadai’, an Indian wok, which is essential for cooking Indian cuisines and used here to give smoky flavor to paneer.

Traditionally this dish is flavored using a special kadai masala which is prepared by grinding fresh roasted coriander seeds, red chillies, cumin seeds and other Indian whole spices. However, this is a quick & easy recipe for preparing this dish. I have detailed the instructions to make homemade kadai masala in this Dry Kadai Paneer recipe.

Paneer – Indian cottage cheese

Paneer constitutes the main ingredient in this dish. Paneer is a fresh cheese common in South Asian cuisine. It is used in making many different delicacies in Indian cuisine and kadai paneer is the most popular of them.

Apart from being a versatile dairy product that tastes good on its own and goes well with many other vegetables, paneer has many health benefits as well.

Serving Suggestions

This irresistible aromatic dish is easy to cook and is a staple entree in most restaurants and dhabas along with naan. Kadai Paneer can be enjoyed with roti, plain paratha, naan. Since this dish has a thin gravy it also goes well with steamed ricejeera rice or veg pulao.

To make Kadai Paneer Gravy at home follow the detailed step by step recipe with photos posted below.

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Kadai Paneer Gravy is a popular Indian curry made of Paneer cubes cooked in a spicy & aromatic onion tomato gravy and flavored with spices.

Kadai Paneer Gravy Recipe

Kadai Paneer Gravy is a popular Indian curry made of Paneer cubes cooked in a spicy & aromatic onion tomato gravy and flavored with spices.
5 from 2 votes

Recipe Info

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 5
Category Main Course
Cuisine Indian

Ingredients For Kadai Paneer Gravy Recipe
  

  • 250 gm Paneer
  • 2 Medium Sized Onions
  • 4-5 Large Tomatoes
  • 1 Medium Sized Green Capsicum (Bell Pepper / Shimla Mirch)
  • 2 Green Chillies
  • 2 Inch Piece of Ginger
  • 5-6 Cloves Garlic
  • 1/2 Cup Cream
  • 1 Tablespoon Coriander Powder (Dhaniya Powder)
  • 2 Teaspoons Red Chilli Powder
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Garam Masala
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder (Haldi)
  • 2 Teaspoon Kasoori Methi (Dried Fenugreek Leaves)
  • 2 Teaspoon Salt or to taste
  • 1/2 Cup Coriander Leaves (Cilantro or Dhaniya)

Step By Step Instructions for Kadai Paneer Gravy Recipe
 

  • Heat ghee / butter or oil in a kadai (wok) or a pan. Finely chop or make a paste of ginger, garlic and green chillies. Add them to the pan and fry for a minute.
    2 Inch Piece of Ginger, 5-6 Cloves Garlic, 2 Green Chillies
    Kadai Paneer Gravy Recipe Step By Step Instructions 1
  • Finely chop or make a puree of the onions and add them to the pan. Fry them for 4-5 minutes till they become translucent or golden brown.
    2 Medium Sized Onions
    Kadai Paneer Gravy Recipe Step By Step Instructions 2
  • Make a puree of the tomatoes and add them to the pan. Cook the mixture for 5-6 minutes till the raw aroma of the tomatoes goes away.
    4-5 Large Tomatoes
    Kadai Paneer Gravy Recipe Step By Step Instructions 3
  • Add coriander powder (dhania powder), turmeric powder (haldi), red chili powder and garam masala to the gravy.
    1 Tablespoon Coriander Powder (Dhaniya Powder), 2 Teaspoons Red Chilli Powder, 1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder (Haldi), 1/2 Teaspoon Garam Masala
    Kadai Paneer Gravy Recipe Step By Step Instructions 4
  • Thinly slice or chop the capsicums. Add them to the gravy and cook for 2-3 minutes.
    1 Medium Sized Green Capsicum (Bell Pepper / Shimla Mirch)
    Kadai Paneer Gravy Recipe Step By Step Instructions 5
  • Add 3/4 cup water to adjust the consistency along with salt, according to taste. Then add cream to the gravy.
    2 Teaspoon Salt, 1/2 Cup Cream
    Kadai Paneer Gravy Recipe Step By Step Instructions 6
  • Add crushed dry fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) to the gravy.
    2 Teaspoon Kasoori Methi (Dried Fenugreek Leaves)
    Kadai Paneer Gravy Recipe Step By Step Instructions 7
  • Then add the paneer cubes and cook for 2-3 minutes.
    250 gm Paneer
    Kadai Paneer Gravy Recipe Step By Step Instructions 8
  • Add coriander leaves to garnish. Kadai Paneer Gravy is ready, serve it hot with roti or naan (Indian flatbread).
    1/2 Cup Coriander Leaves (Cilantro or Dhaniya)
    Kadai Paneer Gravy is a popular Indian curry made of Paneer cubes cooked in a spicy & aromatic onion tomato gravy and flavored with spices.

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59 thoughts on “Kadai Paneer Gravy Recipe”

  1. 5 stars
    This recipe has a very nice flavor, I didn’t have cream so I used fresh yogurt and it was good too. I added a bit of sugar to help with the sourness from the yogurt. Thanks for the recipe, it was my first try at a masala style recipe and I am happy with the results.

    Reply
  2. 5 stars
    Very nice flavor, I didn’t have cream so I used fresh yogurt and it was good too. I added a bit of sugar to help with the sourness from the yogurt. Thanks for the recipe, it was my first try at a masala style recipe and I am happy with the results.

    Reply
  3. What the heck is up with people and ketchup???! Ketchup is NOT an ingredient! Ketchup should be kept far, far away from Indian food except maybe for the occasional paneer pakora.when mint chutney can’t be found.

    Reply
  4. Used 10 small tomatoes (equivalent to 3 big tomatoes). But still the result it tasted so full of tomato, like tomato soup. May I know what to do?

    Reply
  5. Can you use this recipe to make kadai chicken or kadai prawn (substituting the paneer for chicken and prawn, respectively)? Thank you

    Reply
    • Thanks for the question Maria. Kasuri Methi or dry fenugreek leaves have a slightly bitter taste. I suppose a good substitute might be celery leaves or dried fenugreek seeds. Personally if I don’t have kasuri methi, I generally just skip adding it. It slightly alters the taste but I think it still tastes delicious. Also most garam masala powders and curry powders already have a little bit of kasuri methi in them. Hope that helps! 🙂

      Reply
  6. To make a puree of the tomatoes, do you peel the tomatoes first? Do you puree the onions (optional) and tomatoes in a food processor?

    Reply
    • I have used a food processor to make the puree. I haven’t peeled the tomatoes here, but you can do it to make a smoother gravy. Another option is to make a puree of tomatoes and then strain it through a sieve to remove the bigger pieces. I have done that in this recipe for Paneer Butter Masala if that helps.

      Reply
  7. Very clear recipe and instructions. As I did not have cream I used coconut cream and it tastes delicious. Thank you for the recipe

    Reply
  8. Perfect recipe.perfect explanation.Like it very much.Step by step picture with the recipe helps to make it more simpler…Thanks for this recipe.I will surely try today.

    Reply
  9. I found it a bit tasteless. Added more seasoning, still not much flavour so added, turmeric, tandoori powder, tomato ketchup. Not sure what other spices I should have tried as it was almost at the eating stage.

    Reply
    • Hey Kay, turmeric powder and tandoori powder have a very mild taste and will generally not increase the flavor of the dish. Also I would recommend against adding tomato ketchup since it has some sugar and this gravy is not supposed to be sweet. The main taste of the gravy comes from tomatoes, so make sure you choose ripe and juicy ones. To increase the flavor further, you can increase the quantity of coriander powder, garam masala and garlic.

      Reply
  10. Made this today for lunch and it has turned out just perfect! Thank you so much for the recipe, even my two year old loved it !

    Reply
  11. It was so so delicious. My son said ” Amma youhave taken this dish to another level. It’s so yummy”. Happy tummy, happy mummy. All this is because of the measurements you have provided us. Thank you very much.

    Reply
    • Yes absolutely! You can always use milk instead of cream. Another option is to use yogurt, however that changes the flavor profile very slightly. You can also just skip it altogether, the gravy still tastes great in my opinion. 🙂

      Reply
  12. Too spicy for the wife and kids…so it’s ALL MINE ? Used one small hot and one long green chili. Also added blanched sweet potato, cauliflower and French green beans. Delicious!

    Reply
    • Thanks for your positive feedback Curtis, that’s really nice to know. 😀
      If you want to make it less spicy, you can reduce the amount of ginger, garlic, green chillies, red chilli powder and garam masala. You can also add some milk to the gravy to make it milder.

      Reply

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