PANEER KALI MIRCH | BLACK PEPPER PANEER RECIPE

Black pepper is the prominent flavor in this paneer recipe, it also makes it hot. The hotness of the black pepper is balanced by the yogurt and cream in the recipe. Paneer Kali Mirch has the perfect flavors to enjoy the taste of black pepper without it overpowering the dish.

The freshly ground pepper gives so much more flavor than using store bought black pepper powder. If you do not have a spice grinder, use a mortar and pestle to crush the peppercorns. Fried onion paste imparts 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.

INGREDIENTS FOR MAKING PANEER KALI MIRCH –

2 teaspoons + 1.5 tablespoons oil divided
1 large onion chopped
1 inch ginger chopped
1 green chili chopped
2 green cardamoms
2 cloves2 cloves
1 small tej patta (indian bay leaf)
½ teaspoon caraway seeds (shahi jeera)
10 cashews raw
1.5 teaspoons whole peppercorns, crushed using a spice grinder
1/4 cup plain yogurt, whisked and at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
3/4 cup water
3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
3 tablespoon cream
225 grams paneer cut into cubes
1 teaspoon kewra water (pandanus water) - can also use rose water

Read Other Recipes –

INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE THE 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.

Making Onion Paste –

Heat 1 tablespoon oil or ghee in 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 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 –

In the same pan 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 and sauté the onion 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 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.
Now 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 and mix again very well.
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.
Now add paneer cubes and Mix well and saute for 2 mins.
At this step you can add 2 tablespoons cream if you want. Lastly add 1 teaspoon kewra water. Mix again.
Now switch off the flame.