Paneer Capsicum In Tomato Gravy

Paneer Capsicum In Tomato Gravy | Stuffed Paneer Capsicum In Tomato Gravy is a thick, creamy gravy made from paneer mixture stuffed and cooked in a delicious tomato gravy, this vegetarian gravy is suitable for family celebrations, brunches, and parties.

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I like to experiment with new Indian dishes and try old family recipes that have been passed down for generations. Therefore, I would like to bring you an easy meal that you can prepare at home with a few simple ingredients and some salt and pepper. 

You can replace paneer with tofu if you’re vegan, but I would prefer more paneer, so it’s fine for me.

You may like some other paneer recipes like Nawabi Paneer, Paneer tikka pizza (No-Knead)

About Paneer Capsicum In Tomato Gravy Recipe

In Indian cuisine, paneer is most commonly used to make curries and sweets You can combine paneer in any dish you desire and even use it to make a traditional Indian dessert.

So, basically to make this Paneer capsicum in tomato gravy dish the idea popped in my mind when one day I found some beautiful green bell peppers and tomatoes in the fridge along with some paneer (cottage cheese). I wondered what I could make with this delicious combination, then I discovered on Pinterest a delicious recipe from Cookilicious so I thought to make it with a little variation. And omg it really turned out so great that I will again make it. It was loved by friends and family.

I used green bell peppers but you can use red and yellow too. The sauce consists of onion, bell peppers, and tomatoes in a creamy tomato sauce with chop tomatoes, tomato paste, dried red chilies, cumin, salt, black pepper, coriander seeds, and cashew nuts in a blender and adds them to the sauce. This makes the gravy rich and creamy.

Mix crumbled paneer, mashed potatoes, cilantro, coriander-cumin powder, salt, garlic powder, green chilies, and parsley or coriander chopped in a mixing bowl. Your paneer mixture is ready with this.

If you are vegan do not worry replace it with tofu. Bharwa is a name given to stuffed peppers that are stuffed with spiced mashed potatoes, paneer, and garlic, cumin, coriander, garlic powder, salt, ginger, turmeric, and pepper.

I usually bake the stuffed peppers, but if you have a microwave oven then you can bake them, or if you do not have then do not worry as it is an easy and effortless way to cook in a pan or fry.

If you are making it for a party, choose small peppers with different colors if you wish to make this dish. It certainly will steal the show.

As a child in India, I only got green peppers and liked them, but later in life, I shifted to Canada and there I found red, yellow bell peppers that became my favorites. It took me a while to put together this recipe because it’s packed with easy-to-find and delicious ingredients and I promise it is worth the effort.

This recipe is,

• Easy to prepare,
• Tasty,
• High in protein,
• Just like the restaurant dish,
• Perfect for everyday meals as well as festive meals.

Ingredients

• Paneer – You can either use homemade paneer or you can buy it from the store. 
• Capsicum – To contrast Paneer’s soft texture, we will add some crunchy green bell pepper or capsicum to the dish.
• For the Cashew Onion Paste – In this curry, the gravy is made with a white paste consisting of cashews, onions, garlic, and ginger, which impart a nice creaminess to the curry.
• Spices – We prepare this semi-gravy curry with cloves, black cardamom, black peppercorns, and cinnamon stick tempered with whole spices.
• Green Chillies – Green Chillies add a spicy taste to the curry. The number of green chilies needed may be adjusted according to your taste.
• Spice Powders – We will add minimal spices such as Kashmiri red chili powder, garam masala powder, and salt. Kashmiri red chili powder adds beautiful color to the gravy.
• Yogurt – To add richness to the gravy, we’ll mix in some whisked yogurt, too. But be careful to not use sour yogurt or the curry will not taste as good.
• Tomatoes – We will mix chopped tomatoes with tomato puree, which combined with tanginess lends a great texture too. I prefer using store-bought puree because it is concentrated. You may use puree but reduce the amount slightly.
• Oil – Any vegetable oil will work for this recipe, even butter, ghee, or olive oil.
• Other – We need an onion, green chili, ginger-garlic paste in addition to the ingredients mentioned above. You can make it richer by mixing in some fresh cream at the end, adding in some Kasuri Methi at the end for extra taste and flavor.
• Kasuri Methi – Make sure to try Kasuri Methi at home for the best result. This spice gives the curry a restaurant-style taste.

Check the Paneer Capsicum in tomato gravy Recipe Video :

How to make Paneer capsicum in tomato gravy recipe step by step with photo:

1. Take a small bowl to add turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chilly powder, cumin powder, and coriander powder. Add a little water and make a smooth paste. Keep aside.

 

2. Add tomatoes diced, cashews, onion chopped, capsicum diced, and little milk into a blender and blend until smooth and fine. Set aside.

3. Wash big bell peppers thoroughly and cut thick slices after deseeding them.

4. For Paneer stuffing take a bowl to add crumbled Paneer, mashed potato, cilantro chopped, coriander-cumin powder, garlic powder, green chilies chopped, and salt to taste. Mix everything well. Paneer stuffing is ready to keep aside.

5. Now stuff bell peppers nicely with the paneer mixture.

6. Heat oil in a pan, fry these bell pepper slices paneer stuffing side first for 3 minutes on medium flame then flip and fry again for 3 minutes evenly on both the sides. Keep them aside.

7. Heat butter and oil in a pan on medium flame. Add cumin seeds and dry red chilly when it smokes. Stir for 10 seconds. Add minced garlic. Stir for a minute till the raw flavors of the garlic go away and color changes.

8. Now add the tomato paste we made. Add the masala paste to the gravy and cook for 5 minutes on medium flame. 

9. Add salt to taste and garam masala powder. Cook and cover for more than 5 minutes on medium flame. 

10. Add little water to the gravy. Mix well. Cook and cover for more than 2 minutes. 

11. Add Kasuri methi by crushing with your hands. Mix well. Then add Paneer stuffed capsicum to the gravy. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Add cream for garnishing it’s optional.

12. Serve hot with rice or paratha.

Important Suggestion To Keep In Mind

• In a vegan variation, omit the paneer and leave out the cream and milk and replace it with a little tofu. You can roast or grill the peppers just to reduce the calories, but I always roast them to prepare them for special occasions.
• Fill the bell pepper slices with the potato paneer mixture and stuff it. Do not worry it will not come out just fill it properly or stuff well.
• An alternate vegan recipe can be made by replacing the paneer with tofu, leaving out the milk and cream, and replacing it with a little tofu. You can roast or grill the peppers just to reduce the calories, but I prefer to roast them for special occasions.
• You can make this dish with either vegetable oil or sesame oil or olive oil, but I am a big fan of coconut oil.
• The onions and green chilies, which both give this dish a nice flavor, come from the vegetables. I used green peppers, but you can use red or yellow peppers as well if you prefer a spicy taste.
• You can buy the paneer from the store or you can make fresh paneer at home too.

Heath benefits of Bell peppers 

In addition to their antioxidant properties, carotenoids in peppers can reduce the risk of macular degeneration and also help maintain healthy eyesight. Capsicum is also rich in vitamin C, which boosts immunity, and high in vitamin B12 and vitamin C, which help strengthen immunity.

Red Capsicums – Red capsicums are the most antioxidant-packed type of capsicum. It has 11 times more beta-carotene and one and a half times the amount of vitamin C than green varieties.

Green Capsicum – Green peppers contain less sugar than red, yellow, or orange varieties. A few people have reported digestive problems with green capsicums as this variety contains more short-chain carbohydrates that are poorly absorbed in the small intestine.

Capsicum is highly nutrient-dense and contains a lot of micronutrients that help your body’s function. Capsicum is extremely high in vitamin C and provides about 213% of your daily recommended intake.

Serving Suggestion 

Stuffed peppers are considered exotic and delicious, making them a great snack or side dish at parties. This dish is also visually appealing and it serves as a great companion to many other dishes, such as rice and pasta dishes.

Stuffed peppers go well with Indian bread and are considered more exotic and tasty, making them an ideal choice for parties. 

Storage Suggestion 

This curry will remain fresh in the fridge for 2 to 3 days when stored in an airtight container. Heat it in a pan or microwave until hot.

To freeze, I recommend you to freeze the gravy and the paneer capsicum in a freezer-safe container. Then when ready to serve, thaw the gravy. Serve hot.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Jain version of this recipe (No Onion No Garlic)?

The Jain version of this recipe can be prepared by omitting onion, ginger, and garlic. All the other ingredients are acceptable in Jainism, and since we have only used very small amounts of onion and garlic, they will not affect its flavor much.

Can we use something else in place of Cashews?

While you can also use Almonds in place of Cashew to make the original recipe. Soak the Almond overnight in hot water, peel, then make a paste with boiled onions, ginger, and garlic.

What kind of cream should I use to make or garnish this recipe?

This curry was made with Amul cream. Any fresh cream is fine. It’s preferable to use heavy cream, but low-fat cream will also work.

In place of fresh cream, you can use homemade cream or Malai collected over milk.

Is it OK to use frozen Paneer?

Please thaw frozen Paneer over the counter until it reaches room temperature. Yes, frozen Paneer can be used for this recipe.

Cut it into cubes and soaking it for 20 minutes in warm water, drain the water and crumble the paneer, and then use for making the mixture or stuffing

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