Kadhai Paneer, Dhaba Style
Paneer and capsicum tossed in a thick, coarsely ground kadhai masala, a quick, punchy curry dished out fast at highway dhabas around Chandigarh.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 320 kcal
Equipment
- •Iron kadhai
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 320 kcal
- fat
- 24 g
- carbs
- 13 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 15 g
- calories
- 320 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Toast coriander seeds and dried red chillies in a dry pan. Crush them coarsely.
- 2
Heat ghee (clarified butter) in a kadhai (deep curved pan). Fry onion chunks until slightly soft but still firm.
- 3
Add ginger-garlic paste. Cook until fragrant.
- 4
Stir in tomato puree and the crushed spices. Cook until the oil separates.
- 5
Add capsicum (bell pepper) chunks. Stir-fry for 2 minutes so they keep a slight crunch.
- 6
Gently fold in paneer cubes. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- 7
Season with salt. Top with ginger cut into thin matchsticks and serve hot.
Chef's tips
Keep the onion and capsicum slightly crunchy rather than soft to preserve the dhaba-style (roadside diner) texture.
Ingredient substitutions
- paneer → firm tofu
Storage
Refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Reheating
Reheat on a tawa or stovetop with a splash of water.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Cooking the vegetables until mushy instead of keeping them crunchy.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Kadhai Paneer, Dhaba Style?
Sign in to save this recipe to a collection. Bookmarking works without an account — it stays on this device.
Sign in for collectionsSimilar recipes
Dishes with the same spirit, spice level and course.
More from Chandigarh
Cooking that shares the same kitchen and pantry.
Recipes using similar ingredients
Use what you already bought for this recipe.
