As the weather changes our eating style also changes on Sundays. While in summer my daughter and I normally eat leftovers from the week or fix sandwiches, yet in winters we go for a full-fledged lunch. Now as it is raining cats and dogs for the past month with occasional sunny days, my husband can not go golfing. Apparently he has to stay home and do other stuff which goes pending when he is out golfing. These are the days when we eat together, talk about our whole week, play some card game and it is simply fun. I mostly cook Punjabi food on such days. Today I made Karahi paneer, a classic Punjabi dish with leftover lentil poories.
October 21, 2021
Watch the video to see this recipe in action. I made this video few days ago when it was raining cats and dogs, the wind was howling and all I wanted to eat was some desi comfort food that i grew up eating. I also updated the top photo.
Though the weather turned out to be good today and the rain eased my husband could have gone to play golf. But as I was planning to make poories for a long time he stayed home for lunch.
So, let’s get cooking.
This flavorful dish got its name “karahi” because it is cooked in a karahi. Karahi is a thick circular vessel with round handles and the most versatile utensil found in Indian homes. It is pretty much used for deep frying, stir-frying, or cooking any food. If you do not have a karahi you can still cook this dish in any pan, it’s just that karahi allows quick tossing of the ingredients and cook food more evenly without making it mushy.
In this dish paneer and bell pepper are cooked in a thick spicy tomato sauce. I use equal amount of paneer and bell peppers (in volume not weight). You can fry or pan toast the paneer before adding to the dish but I mostly add it raw.Many people add cream to make the dish more saucy but I have kept it kind of dry. You can easily scoop up with any Indian flatbread.
KARAHI PANEER
Ingredients:
350-400 gm paneer
2 green bell peppers
For the sauce:
4 (400 g) blanched tomatoes – roughly chopped
1- 2 tbsp tomato paste (optional)
1/3-1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tbsp minced ginger
1 tbsp (- +) coriander seeds
2- 3 dried red chili pepper
3/4 tsp each of turmeric
1 tsp red chili powder
salt to taste
1 tbsp ginger julienne
1 tbsp kasuri methi ( dry fenugreek leaves)
3 tbsp oil
more oil if pan toasting paneer
Method:
Cut paneer and bell pepper into 1″ size pieces. Crush coriander seeds in a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle. Pan toast the paneer pieces in three batches with very little oil ( I often use it without toasting).
Heat about 2 tbsp oil in a pan or Karahi. Add the crushed coriander seeds. Fry till it crackles. Add dried red chili peppers. Fry for 10-15 seconds.
Add chopped onion, saute until translucent. Add ground ginger and garlic. Fry to a nice golden brown color.
Add turmeric powder, chili powder, chopped blanched tomatoes. Cook for 5-7minutes or until tomatoes is soft. Add a splash of water if anytime you find the masala sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Add in bell peppers. Mix and cook it covered for 5 minutes or until they get slightly softened.
Then add paneer and about 1/3 cup of water. Fold in ginger julienne and kasuri methi.
Cook for 2-5 minutes until sauce is bubbly.
Serve warm karahi paneer with leftover lentil pooris, salad, and boondi raita.
To make Lentil Poories you need
3/4 cup white chapati flour
1/4 cup any leftover lentil
1/2 tsp ajwain ( carom seeds) and a pinch of salt
Canola oil for frying
Method:
Take all the above ingredients in a bowl except oil.
Knead to a soft but firm dough. Add more cooked lentil if required.
Heat oil in a karahi or pan.
Divide the dough into 7 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball. Apply oil.
Roll each ball into a 4-5 “disc or press with a flat bottom pan. Gluten free flour sticks to the rolling pin so its good to use a Ziploc or plastic wrap over and under the dough ball.
Fry all the poories one by one in hot oil.
gobakeyourself
How did you know paneer is one of my favourite dishes ever???
This brunch looks fantastic I can almost smell the Indian deliciousness from my screen!!!
Kiri W.
I love paneer! This recipe sounds positevely wonderful 🙂
Malti
So your husband no longer play golf and you have to cook. The cartoon you chose is perfect because today it was sunny, Anyways,The paneer dish looks perfectly done with yumm… lentil poories.
Nava.K
I love everything you have served with the poories and kadai paneer. We enjoy Indian and Punjabi food all the time but being Malaysians, we do have in-between other varieties too.
Val
I recently enjoyed a fantastic Kadai Paneer in London. I’m equally as tempted by your version particularly because you’ve kept it healthy. Looks fantastic!
Balvinder ( Neetu)
I really thank all of you guys for not being silent readers and wrote what you felt.
Asmita
This looks like a fantastic spread! The paneer looks delicious! It’s been a long time since I fried pooris, these look so tempting.
Nami | Just One Cookbook
Paneer is something that I would love to try. Prior to blogging I had never knew about this. Now I read everyone talk about it and I’m only becoming more curious! What a wonderful meal!
Dionne Baldwin
I have to agree, anything fried really hits the spot in all this cold weather. I bet I could use my wok for this! It sounds so delicious, I’m imagining all the aromas and flavors right now!
Cucina49
Ooh, that brunch plate looks good–so much more interesting than my usual breakfast!
Lizzy
It looks like a marvelous feast!!! What fun to plan a Sunday brunch each week…I grew up with that tradition, too 🙂
Vicki Bensinger
This dish sounds very tasty. I don’t cook Indian food often mainly because my husband isn’t a fan of curry, which I adore. Since this doesn’t contain it, even though turmeric is similar I think I’ll try it anyway. Thank you for sharing.
Parsley Sage
Awesome dishes! Those Lentil Poories look sooooo good 🙂 Easy too, Buzzed!
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com
It’s only 11am and I am already drooling. Please send some my way 😀
Tina
This looks delicious-wish I was there for the brunch! Love the fact that it is so well rounded and the lentil poories look simply addictive. Yum!
Balvinder ( Neetu)
Welcome back Tina!
Once again thanks everyone.
julie
very delicious platter..simply superb n mouthwatering !!
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sam
I found your blog while looking for gluten-free indian recipes. It is really nice that you have taken the effort to record things that work for you. I have already bookmarked quite a few items from here! I hope to try them soon.
Regarding paneer, I usually heat a non stick pan and fry paneer just like that, without oil.
Balvinder ( Neetu)
Thanks Sam for visiting my blog. I never tried in non stick pan without oil. You gave me a great tip.
Sudha
Awesome combination!My family is a very poori-subzi loving family and for us subzi with poori would more often than not be Aloo Dum. So next time,this is a variation I am going to cook – thanks for the yummy recipe:)