paneer kali mirch recipe with step by step pics. one of the lesser known but equally tasty onion-curd based gravy dish made with paneer is paneer kali mirch. even though paneer kali mirch is not well known, it does make an appearance in the menus of some north indian restaurants.
kali mirch or black pepper is the highlight of this dish. in this paneer kalimirch recipe, the presence of kalimirch is marked in a subtle way without overpowering the gravy with its pungency. you do get subtle notes and hints of kali mirch in the gravy when having it with a roti or phulka.
addition of curd gives a faint sour taste to the gravy and also balances the pungency of the black pepper. fried onion paste impart sweet notes in the gravy.
making paneer kali mirch is easy and even someone new to cooking can easily make this restaurant style paneer recipe. some more delicious paneer recipes i have already shared are:
though paneer kalimirch is best served with rotis or naan or paratha or jeera paratha. you can also serve it with rice recipes like jeera rice or peas pulao or veg pulao.
paneer kali mirch
INGREDIENTS FOR paneer kali mirch
for onion paste
- 1 inch cinnamon (dalchini)
- 2 green cardamoms (chotti elaichi)
- 2 cloves (lavang)
- 1 or 2 single mace strands (javitri)
- ½ cup chopped onion or 1 medium to large onion, chopped
- ½ teaspoon chopped ginger or ½ inch ginger, chopped
- ½ teaspoon chopped garlic or 2 to 3 medium garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 green chili, chopped or 1 teaspoon chopped green chilies
- 10 to 12 cashews
- ⅓ to ½ cup water for grinding
for crushed black pepper
- ½ teaspoon whole black pepper (sabut kali mirch)
other ingredients for paneer kali mirch
- 2 tablespoon oil or ghee
- 1 small tej patta (indian bay leaf)
- ½ teaspoon caraway seeds (shahi jeera)
- ¼ cup fresh curd - beaten (use full fat fresh curd)
- ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ cup water or add as required
- salt as required
- 200 grams paneer, cubed
- 2 tablespoons cream - OPTIONAL
- 1 teaspoon kewra water (pandanus water) - can also use rose water
- some mint leaves or coriander leaves for garnish
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, crushed for garnish
HOW TO MAKE paneer kali mirch
preparation for paneer kali mirch
- take ½ teaspoon black pepper in a mortar-pestle.
- crush black pepper to a coarse powder. keep aside.
- take ¼ cup fresh curd in a bowl and beat it till smooth. keep aside. use full fat fresh curd. curd made from toned milk or skimmed milk can curdle in the gravy.
making onion paste for paneer kali mirch
- heat 1 tablespoon oil or ghee in a a heavy pan or kadai. add 1 inch cinnamon, 2 green cardamoms, 2 cloves and 1 or 2 single mace strands.
- sauté for a few seconds till the spices crackle.
- then add ½ cup chopped onion.
- mix and begin to sauté the onion on a low to medium flame till they become light golden.
- when the onions become light golden, then add ½ teaspoon chopped ginger, ½ teaspoon chopped garlic, 1 green chili (chopped) and 10 to 12 cashews.
- mix and stirring often sauté till the onions turn golden.
- let this onion mixture become warm or cool down.
- then add the onion mixture in a grinder jar.
- add ⅓ to ½ cup water and grind to a smooth paste. keep the onion paste aside.
making paneer kali mirch
- now in the same pan in which the onions were fried, heat 2 tablespoon oil or ghee. add 1 tej patta and ½ teaspoon shahi jeera (caraway seeds).
- sauté for a few seconds till the shah jeera crackles and becomes fragrant.
- now add the onion paste.
- mix very well and on a low flame sauté the onion paste on a low flame for 4 to 5 minutes.
- in the jar in which the onion paste was ground, add ½ cup water. swirl and rotate the jar so that the onion paste sticking to the bottom and sides of the jar gets mixed with the water. this onion paste mixed water we will add later in the paneer kalimirch gravy. so keep it ready.
- sauté onion paste till you see the oil or ghee separating from the sides of the paste.
- then add the crushed black pepper.
- mix very well and sauté for 1 minute.
- next add the following spice powders - ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder, ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder and ½ teaspoon coriander powder.
- mix very well and sauté again for a minute.
- switch off the flame. keep the pan down and then add the beaten curd.
- as soon as you add curd then quickly stir and mix it very well with the onion paste.
- add ½ cup water from the grinder jar. mix again very well.
- now light the stove-top. keep the flame to a low and then keep the pan on it.
- bring the kali mirch gravy to a simmer.
- then add salt as per taste. mix again.
- continue to simmer the gravy for a few minutes till you see a few oil or ghee specks on the top. if the kali mirch gravy becomes thick, then you can add some water.
- then add paneer cubes (200 grams).
- mix well and switch off the flame. at this step you can add 2 tablespoons cream if you want.
- lastly add 1 teaspoon kewra water. mix again.
- serve paneer kali mirch with rotis, chapati, phulka, naan or jeera rice. while serving garnish paneer kalimirch with some crushed black pepper, mint leaves or coriander leaves.
preparation to make paneer kali mirch recipe
1. heat 1 tablespoon oil or ghee in a a heavy pan or kadai. add 1 inch cinnamon, 2 green cardamoms, 2 cloves and 1 or 2 mace strands.
2. sauté for a few seconds till the spices crackle.
3. then add ½ cup chopped onion.
4. mix and begin to sauté the onion on a low to medium flame, stirring often.
5. sauté till the onions become light golden.
6. then add ½ teaspoon chopped ginger, ½ teaspoon chopped garlic, 1 green chili (chopped) and 10 to 12 cashews.
7. mix well.
8. stirring often sauté till the onions turn golden.
9. let this mixture become warm or cool down.
10. then add in a grinder jar. also add ⅓ to ½ cup water.
11. grind to a smooth and fine paste. keep aside.
12. meanwhile take ½ teaspoon black pepper in a mortar-pestle.
13. crush black pepper to a coarse powder. keep aside.
14. take ¼ cup fresh curd in a bowl and whisk it till smooth. keep aside. use full fat fresh curd. curd made from toned milk or skimmed milk can curdle in the gravy.
making paneer kali mirch gravy
15. now in the same pan in which we fried the onions, heat 2 tablespoon oil or ghee. add 1 tej patta and ½ teaspoon shahi jeera (caraway seeds). if you do not have shahi jeera, you can also take cumin seeds (jeera).
16. sauté for a few seconds till the shahi jeera crackles and becomes fragrant.
17. now add the onion and spices paste.
18. mix very well and on a low flame sauté the onion paste.
19. in the jar in which the onion paste was ground, add ½ cup water. swirl and rotate the jar so that the onion paste sticking to the bottom and sides of the jar gets mixed with the water. this onion paste mixed water we will add later in the paneer kalimirch gravy. so keep it ready.
20. stirring often sauté onion paste for 4 to 5 minutes on a low flame.
21. sauté till you see the oil or ghee separating from the sides of the paste.
22. then add the crushed black pepper.
23. mix very well.
24. sauté for 1 minute.
25. next add the following spice powders – ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder, ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder and ½ teaspoon coriander powder.
26. mix very well and sauté for a minute.
27. switch off the flame. keep the pan down and then add the beaten curd.
28. as soon as you add curd quickly stir and mix it very well with the onion paste.
29. add the ½ cup water from the grinder jar.
30. mix again very well.
31. now light the stove-top and keep the flame to a low. keep the pan on the flame. bring the kali mirch gravy to a simmer.
32. when the gravy comes to a boil, then season with salt as per taste. mix again.
33. continue to simmer the gravy for a few minutes till you see a few oil or ghee specks on the top. if the gravy becomes thick, then you can add some water.
34. then add paneer cubes (200 grams).
35. mix well and switch off the flame. at this step you can add 2 tablespoons cream if you want.
36. lastly add 1 teaspoon kewra water (pandanus water). mix again. you can use 1 teaspoon rose water instead of kewra water.
37. serve paneer kali mirch with rotis, chapati, paratha, naan or jeera rice or ghee rice or veg pulao. while serving garnish paneer kali mirch with some crushed black pepper, mint leaves or coriander leaves.
