It seems we are on a bit of a roll with the Indian recipes this week so I’ll continue the trend with this classic curry recipe that my mum taught me. A kadai is an Indian cooking vessel that resembles a wok and was originally made out of cast iron, but these days is more commonly made out of stainless steel, often with a copper bottom (like the one pictured below). Paneer is a soft cheese that’s made quite laboriously out of curdling milk. I personally don’t bother making paneer by hand because I think you can get good quality paneer, at the right texture, in Indian stores and even supermarkets these days. George Calombaris on Masterchef (currently the TV show I’m most addicted to) likened paneer to haloumi cheese in its consistency, and I think it’s a pretty good textural comparison.

This curry base is really versatile and you can replace the paneer with vegetables such as cauliflower and capsicum if you want to. It is light and delicate compared to a lot of the curries you will find in most Indian restaurants. This is one of those standby recipes in our house, because though it has a lot of ingredients, the method is relatively easy and failproof. I think it’s best served with roti or naan, but basmati rice would do quite nicely too.

Kadai Paneer

Ingredients

4 medium sized brown onions (peeled and thinly sliced)

1 tsp freshly grated ginger

1 tsp freshly crushed garlic

1 cinnamon stick

1 clove

1 bay leaf

3 fresh green chillies (sliced)

handful of unsalted cashewnuts

1 can crushed tomatoes

1/2 tsp white poppy seeds

1 tbsp garam masala

pinch of turmeric

pinch of saffron

handful or fresh coriander (finely chopped)

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup water

500 gms paneer (cut into cubes)

1 tbsp vegetable oil and extra oil for frying the paneer

salt to taste

Method

1. In a wok or kadai fry the onions, ginger, garlic, cinnamon, clove, bay leaf, cashews and green chillies in vegetable oil for about 6 mins until the onions are completely soft and transparent. This is the basis of the curry so its really important that there is no hint of rawness.

2. Add the can of crushed tomatoes and cook through on medium heat for another 2 mins.

3. Turn off the heat and add the white poppy seeds, garam masala, saffron, turmeric and part of the coriander. Let the mixture cool for 5 mins. Add water and blend in a food processor until you have a smooth curry base.

4. Transfer your blended curry mixture back into the wok or kadai you initially used and add the milk. Let the mixture simmer on a low heat for 5 mins, adding water if you think it is slightly too thick. Add salt to taste.

5. Fry the cubes of paneer in vegetable oil until they are golden brown. Drain paneer on absorbent paper and combine with the curry. Serve topped with fresh coriander.