Kadai Paneer

The first time I had tasted Kadai Paneer was in a restaurant. I loved the flavor of the smoked paneer from the tandoor and the crunchy texture of bell pepper and onions. Its been on the back of my mind ever since to prepare it sometime but I kept postponing it thinking that it would be hard to get the tandoori effect. This recipe was something that developed while I was on the phone with Harry. Wondering what paneer dish I could prepare, I asked her for some suggestions. She suggested kadai paneer. It made me want to experiment to create something close to the version I had tasted. I was really happy with the outcome because I was able to create the smokey flavor and crunchy texture. It tasted wonderful hot out of the kadai. A must try if you are a paneer lover.

Gadgets:

Kadai/Wok

Wooden spatula

Cutting Board

Knife

Skewers

Bowl

Ingredients:

Red Onion - 1 big

Mini bell peppers - 20 or bell peppers - 3

Garlic - 6 cloves

Ginger - 1 inch

Tinned diced tomato - 1/2 tin or 2 roma tomatoes.

Cumin - 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Chilli Powder - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 2 tsp

Coriander - 2 tbsp

Salt

Raw Peanuts - 1/2 cup

Oil - 2 tbsp

Paneer - 1 slab (450 gms)

Additional ingredients for paneer marinating:

Oil - 2 tsp

Sugar - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt

Preparation:

1. Cut the onion and peppers lengthwise. Slice the garlic and the ginger.

2. Heat the wok on high and add 2 1/2 tbsp oil. Then add the onions and cook them without any salt to make them stay crunchy.

3. Add garlic and ginger after 2 minutes followed by the bell peppers. Cook the bell pepper for 3 minutes and then add the tomatoes.

4. Add all the powders and salt and cook on medium high for 5 minutes constantly stirring.

5. Meanwhile cut the paneer into big cubes. In a bowl add oil, turmeric powder, salt and chilli powder. Give them a stir and add paneer and coat each cube with this mix.

6. Skewer 5 to 6 paneer cubes at a time and cook it over the gas stove to make tandoori or smoked effect.

7. Add skewered paneer to the cooked veggies. Garnish with cilantro and toasted peanuts and serve them hot with some roti.

Note: To roast the peanuts add 1/2 tsp of oil to the raw peanuts and microwave for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes.