Tomato puree –150 ml (tetra pack OR about 3-4 big tomatoes pureed to get 1 cup)
Salt (sugar – to taste)
Kasuri methi – 1 tbsp plus ½ tsp
Cashew paste -3 tbsp OR fresh cream - 3 tbsp
Spice powders
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 ¾ tsp
kadai masala (recipe below - optional)
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Garam masala powder – 1 ¼ tsp (or kitchen king masala)
Serving suggestions
Indian bread or toasted bread
Instructions
1
Wash capsicum and cut into medium cubes. Slit the green chillies. Peel and cube onions and grind to a paste. Grind about 2 tbsp cashew to a paste with little water if adding.
2
Heat 1-2 tsp oil in a thick bottom pan/ non stick pan (else paneer will stick to pan), sauté together capsicum, slit chillies, paneer cubes and 1 tsp kasuri methi lightly till you get the aroma of capsicum. Remove and set aside.
3
To make gravy, heat 3 to 4 tbsp oil in a saucepan or kadai. Add onion paste and fry till oil starts to separate. Add ginger garlic paste, chopped dry red chilli and fry 1 minute.
4
Add turmeric, coriander powder, chilli powder/ kadai masala if adding, sauté 30 seconds.
5
Add tomato puree. Mix and sauté for 5 mins or till oil separates.
6
Add cashew paste if adding, little water for some gravy and cook for a minute.
7
Add fried paneer-capsicum, salt, ½ tsp sugar, kasuri methi, garam masala. Stir and simmer for few mins. Do not cook for too long.
8
Lastly add cream if adding, mix once and remove from heat.
9
Serve hot with naan, kulchas, tandoori rotis, phulkas, roomali rotils, chapathis. Or try serving on top of toasted bread too!
Note
For homemade kadai masala, heat 1 tbsp oil (or dry roast) and fry 1 tbsp coriander seeds and 4 to 5 whole kashmiri dry red chillies till aroma emits/ roasted lightly. Remove from heat, cool and grind to coarse powder without water. Add to kadai gravy as per taste. In that case adjust/ add chilli and coriander powder only if needed.
