Nothing compares, nothing compares to you…
Indian cottage cheese or paneer is one of the most celebrated ingredients of our cuisine. In India, you can be sure to expect a paneer dish on the menu for all special occasions. Growing up I remember eating paneer ever so often. In curries, flatbreads and believe it or not even on a pizza.
Todays recipe combines succulent chunks of paneer with the earthiness of spinach and the sweetness of capsicum. Cooked in an Indian wok called a kadhai, this dish gets humbly called kadhai paneer.
Ingredients: 13 Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4
- 500gms of paneer, cut in bite sized cubes
- One bunch of spinach, coarsely chopped
- Two medium capsicums, finely sliced
- One red onion, finely sliced
- Two pods of garlic, minced
- One teaspoon of ginger paste
- 1.5 teaspoon of dried mint leaves
- One tablespoon of garam masala
- One teaspoon of coriander powder
- One cinnamon stick
- Two tablespoons of ghee
- Salt to season
- Fresh coriander to garnish
Heat ghee in a kadhai (wok). Add onion, ginger and garlic. Cook until aromatic and the onion is lightly caramelised.
Now add spinach, cinnamon stick, one teaspoon of dried mint leaves and half tablespoon of garam masala. Mix well, cover the pan and let the spinach wilt on a medium heat for four to five minutes.
Then add capsicum and paneer chunks, followed by rest of the dried spices, including remaining garam masala and dried mint leaves. Season with salt and mix well. Let the paneer and capsicum sear on a high heat for seven to ten minutes.
If you are an avid meat eater or vegan, you can replace paneer with chicken or tofu too.
Your kadhai paneer is ready to serve. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve alongside flaky parathas or on a bed of rice with raita. Eat it anyway you like and be rest assured nothing will compare to it.