Paneer in Roasted Red Pepper Gravy
Soft paneer cubes in a smoky no-onion gravy blended from charred red peppers, yogurt, and Kashmiri chili.
Equipment
- Tongs
- Blender
- Heavy-bottomed pan or kadhai
Ingredients
For the roasted pepper paste
- 2 medium red bell peppers about 1 lb / 450 g
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup paneer about 2 oz / 55 g, cubed
- 1/3 cup full-fat yogurt or Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1/4 cup water for blending, plus more as needed
For the paneer
- 10 oz paneer about 280 g, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon ghee or oil for a light sear, optional
For the gravy
- 1 tablespoon ghee or butter
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi crushed
- 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2-3/4 cup hot water
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream optional
To finish
- fresh cilantro chopped
- pinch crushed kasuri methi or a small cream swirl
Instructions
Prep
- If the paneer is packaged, soak the cubes in warm water for 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Set aside 1/4 cup for the blender.
- Char the peppers on a gas flame, turning with tongs, until the skin blisters and the flesh softens, 8 to 10 minutes. Or broil or air-fry as in the post.
- Cover the hot peppers 5 minutes. Peel, seed, and discard the ribs. You should have about 1 1/2 cups bright red flesh.
Make the paste
- Blend the peeled peppers, garlic, 1/4 cup paneer, yogurt, Kashmiri chili, and 1/4 cup water until completely smooth. The paste should look deep orange-red and pour like a thick chutney. If it is chunky, blend another 20 seconds.
Optional paneer sear
- Heat 1 teaspoon ghee in the kadhai over medium-high. Sear the remaining paneer 1 to 2 minutes until the edges take a little color. Lift out and set aside. Skip this if you want the cubes fully soft.
Cook the gravy
- Heat 1 tablespoon ghee or butter in the same pan over medium. Add the cumin and let it smell fragrant, about 15 seconds.
- Add the pepper paste. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring, until a few oil specks show at the edges and the color deepens. If it sticks, splash in a tablespoon of water. Do not rush this. Raw paste tastes like cold pepper dip.
- Add salt, crushed kasuri methi, and garam masala. Stir 20 seconds.
- Add 1/2 cup hot water. I swirl that water in the blender jar first so no paste is wasted. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes until the gravy coats a spoon. Add the remaining 1/4 cup water if it looks tight.
- Stir in the optional cream. Add the paneer. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes on low, just until the cubes are hot. Do not boil hard or the paneer tightens.
- Taste. Add a pinch of salt if the peppers taste shy. The gravy should be smoky and a little sweet, not sour.
Serve
- Spoon into a warm bowl. Scatter cilantro and a pinch of kasuri methi, or swirl a little cream. Serve hot.
Notes
Peel until the flesh is bright red. Leftover black skin turns the gravy khaki and ashy.
Jarred peppers: 1 1/2 cups, drained and patted dry. Add 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika if the jar tastes flat.
Full-fat yogurt only. Low-fat makes a thin, sharp paste.
Do not add extra water in the blender unless the blades stall. A watery paste never releases fat.
For a Jain plate, skip the garlic. Bloom a pinch of hing with the cumin, then add the paste.
Vegan: extra-firm tofu in place of both the cubes and the blended paneer. Use unsweetened plain plant yogurt, and blend 8 soaked cashews with the peppers if you want the same silk.
Green peppers do not work as the only pepper. They stay grassy.
Gravy keeps 3 days in the fridge without paneer. Add fresh cubes when you reheat. I do not freeze this one. The yogurt splits when it thaws.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!