Paneer Kali Mirch, or Black Pepper Paneer, is a super creamy and delicious Indian curry dish. Here, soft paneer cubes (Indian cottage cheese) are marinated in a yogurt mixture, then roasted in a pan. These roasted paneer cubes are subsequently dunked into a creamy, delicious white gravy.
It makes a delicious side for naan, roti, or paratha.
Engage all your senses during food preparation to create a holistic culinary experience.
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The strong flavor of black pepper (kali mirch) adds a warm, spicy twist to the creamy paneer. It is perfect for a family dinner or a special event.
On this page, I have shared a step-by-step picture and video recipe on how to make the best Paneer Kali Mirch at home!
About Paneer Kali Mirch Recipe
Paneer Kali Mirch Recipe, also known as Pepper Paneer, is a very popular North Indian dish loved for its creamy texture and the peppery flavor of the sauce. This Indian curry combines the soft and mild paneer with the bold, sharp taste of black pepper.
If you like your creamy curry dishes with a mild spicy kick from freshly ground black peppercorns, then this easy paneer kali mirch is for you!
It’s a delicious choice to accompany any meal. To enjoy it fully, pair it with pulao, garlic naan, or lachha paratha, and you are all set to devour the peppery creamy goodness.
It doesn’t only look delicious but also looks gourmet enough to serve at parties or get-togethers. This easy paneer curry has just the right amount of peppery touch that gives it a distinct flavor. And the addition of cardamom enhances the overall taste of this delicious side dish.
There are many ways you can make this restaurant style paneer kali mirch. You can directly dunk the paneer pieces in the gravy, or do the marination for an added deep peppery flavor and richness.
I use the marinated method. The marination of hung curd, with cream and crushed black pepper, turns it into a paneer kali mirch tikka.
Make this vegetarian curry at home, and enjoy it with your friends and family. So, are you ready for it?
This Paneer Kali Mirch Recipe
✔️ is vegetarian & gluten-free
✔️ can be served at parties
✔️ can also be made vegan
✔️ is quick and easy to make
✔️ goes well with naan or rice
✔️ is packed with protein
✔️ is easy to customize
✔️ has a warm and spicy pepper flavor
✔️ tastes creamy, rich, & delicious
Ingredients
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Crushed Black Pepper: This is one main ingredient of this recipe. I have used freshly crushed coarsely ground black peppercorns. It brings out the strong peppery flavor of the dish. You can also use black pepper powder.
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Paneer: It is the star of this recipe. The soft homemade paneer absorbs the flavors well. But you can also use store-bought paneer. Just make sure to soak the store-bought paneer in hot water for 10 minutes to soften it up.
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Hung Curd: Strained yogurt, also known as hung curd, gives a tangy richness to the marinade and curry.
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Cream: It is used in the marinade, curry, and also for garnishing.
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Corn Flour: It thickens the marinade, so it sticks to the paneer cubes.
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Whole spices: You will need bay leaves, cloves, black cardamom, and green cardamom pods.
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Oil: You will need oil for roasting the paneer and making curry sauce. You can use any neutral oil here.
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Seasonings: This recipe uses crushed black pepper, ground cardamom, salt, sugar, and crushed kasuri methi.
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Veggies: For this recipe, you need onions, garlic cloves, ginger, and green chilies.
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Cashews: You need soaked cashews for making the gravy.
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Milk: It is used as a liquid in the gravy to keep it light yet creamy.
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Butter: It is used for cooking the sauce and adding rich flavor.
How to Make Paneer Kali Mirch
Making this curry at home is very simple. This easy recipe involves marinating, preparing the gravy, roasting the paneer, and putting everything together.
Simply make the marinade and marinate the paneer. Then roast them in a pan, and prepare a gravy base by boiling and blending whole spices, onion, ginger, garlic, green chilies, and cashews.
Then this blended mixture is cooked with roasted paneer, crushed black pepper, salt, sugar, and cream. That’s it. Your delicious paneer kali mirch is ready to be devoured with any of your favorite flatbreads.
Variations
Vegan Kali Mirch
To make vegan kali mirch, you need to swap paneer with tofu. Also, replace butter with vegan butter and milk with a dairy-free milk alternative, and your Tofu Kali Mirch is ready.
Paneer Kali Mirch Tikka
To serve it as tikka, thread the paneer on skewers and grill the marinated paneer for a smoky tikka version.
Dum Paneer Kali Mirch
For making the dum version, slowly cook the curry in a double pan covered with dough to give it dum flavors.
Serving Suggestions
Paneer Kali Mirch is great to serve as a comforting meal on a cold evening or as a flavorful side dish with your festive meal or even a weekend meal. It goes beautifully well with any flatbread like paneer paratha, avocado roti, broccoli paratha, or even with aloo paratha.
You can also serve this kali mirch paneer with flavored rice like mushroom pulao, paneer pulao, matar pulao, or jeera rice.
You can also pair this curry as part of an Indian thali consisting of maa ki dal, paneer stuffed naan, boondi raita, paneer bhuna masala, aate ka halwa, and blueberry lassi.
To serve, simply garnish the hot curry with cilantro, cream, and crushed pepper and enjoy a comfortingly delicious meal.
Storage Suggestions
To store leftover curry, let it cool completely. Once cooled, transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. When you want to enjoy it, simply reheat it on a stovetop pan or in a microwave until warmed through. If your curry has become thick, add a little milk before reheating.
Tips & Tricks for Perfect Paneer Kali Mirch
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Marination: Make sure to let the paneer cubes marinate for at least 20 minutes to soak up the flavors. You can also marinate it longer if you have time.
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Marinade Consistency: The marinade should be thick enough to coat the paneer cubes without being too runny or too thick.
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Cooking the Paneer: To roast the paneer, you can use a non-stick pan so it doesn’t stick and gets evenly browned. Or, you can also use a grill to cook the paneer.
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Gravy Consistency: The gravy should be smooth and creamy. Make sure to blend it until it is smooth and creamy. You can also pass the gravy through a sieve. Also, if the gravy is too thick, you can thin it out with a bit of warm water or milk.
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Black Pepper: This is a mildly spicy curry. If you want it spicier, feel free to adjust the amount of crushed black pepper based on how spicy you like your food.
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Cardamom: Adding cardamom powder is optional, but highly recommended. This sweet-scenting spice gives it a mildly sweet flavor.
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Flavors: Crushed kasuri methi is added for more intense flavors. You can also add a pinch of garam masala if you want more flavors.
Paneer Kali Mirch (Step-by-step photo instructions)
Prepare Crushed Black Pepper
- Coarsely crush the black peppercorns using a mortar and pestle or a grinder. Set aside.
Marinate the Paneer
- In a bowl, mix hung curd, cream, crushed kasuri methi, chopped coriander leaves, black pepper, cardamom, salt, and corn flour. Stir well to combine.
- Add paneer cubes to the marinade and gently toss to coat evenly. Set aside for at least 20 minutes.
Prepare the Gravy
- Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add bay leaves, cloves, black cardamom, green cardamom pods, sliced ginger, garlic cloves, green chili, and sliced onions. Sauté for 1-2 minutes.
- Add soaked cashews (without the water). Mix well and cook for a few minutes on medium heat. Add hot water and mix well. Cook on medium-low heat for 8-9 minutes, or until everything is soft.
- Remove from heat and let it cool slightly. Remove the bay leaves and cardamoms. Transfer to a blender and puree into a smooth paste.
Roast the Marinated Paneer
- In a separate pan, heat about 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the marinated paneer cubes and roast them until they are golden brown on all sides. Remove them from heat and set aside.
Make the Curry
- In the same pan, add oil and butter. Once the butter is melted, pour in the onion-cashew paste. Cook for 7-8 minutes.
- Add the leftover marinade and mix well. Next, add salt, sugar, crushed black pepper, and milk.
- Stir until well combined. Then add cream and cardamom. Bring to a boil. Then add the roasted paneer cubes. Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the gravy reaches the desired consistency. Your Paneer Kali Mirch is ready.
Serving Paneer Kali Mirch
Recipe Card
Paneer Kali Mirch [Recipe]
★★★★★
(Rating: 5 from 6 reviews)
| Prep time 🕐 | Cook time 🕐 | Total time 🕐 |
|---|---|---|
| 35 mins | ||
| Category ☶ | Cuisine ♨ | Serves ☺ |
| Sides | Indian | 4 |
| Nutrition Info ⊛ | Serving size ⊚ | |
| 178 calories | 1 |
INGREDIENTS
For Crushed Black Pepper
- 1 1/4 tbsp black peppercorns
For Marination
- 400 grams paneer, cut into cubes
- 2 tablespoons hung curd
- 2 tablespoons cream
- 1 tablespoon crushed kasuri methi
- 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1.5 tablespoons corn flour
For Gravy
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cloves
- 1 black cardamom
- 2 green cardamom
- 2-inch ginger, peeled & sliced
- 5-6 garlic cloves
- 1 large green chili, slit
- 2 medium-sized onions, sliced
- 1/4 cup cashews, roasted or raw, soaked
- 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
- 2 cups water
For Curry
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Salt, to taste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1-2 teaspoon crushed black pepper
- 2 cups milk
- 2 tablespoons cream (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
- Roasted paneer cubes
For Serving
- Chopped coriander
- Cream
- Crushed black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS:
Prepare Crushed Black Pepper
- Coarsely crush the black peppercorns using a mortar and pestle or a grinder. Set aside.
Marinate the Paneer
- In a bowl, mix hung curd, cream, crushed kasuri methi, chopped coriander leaves, black pepper, cardamom, salt, and corn flour. Stir well to combine.
- Add paneer cubes to the marinade and gently toss to coat evenly. Set aside for at least 20 minutes.
Prepare the Gravy
- Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add bay leaves, cloves, black cardamom, green cardamom pods, sliced ginger, garlic cloves, green chili, and sliced onions. Sauté for 1-2 minutes.
- Add soaked cashews (without the water). Mix well and cook for a few minutes on medium heat. Add hot water and mix well. Cook on medium-low heat for 8-9 minutes, or until everything is soft.
- Remove from heat and let it cool slightly. Remove the bay leaves and cardamoms. Transfer to a blender and puree into a smooth paste.
Roast the Marinated Paneer
- In a separate pan, heat about 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the marinated paneer cubes and roast them until they are golden brown on all sides. Remove them from heat and set aside.
Make the Curry
- In the same pan, add oil and butter. Once the butter is melted, pour in the onion-cashew paste. Cook for 7-8 minutes.
- Add the leftover marinade and mix well. Next, add salt, sugar, crushed black pepper, and milk.
- Stir until well combined. Then add cream and cardamom. Bring to a boil. Then add the roasted paneer cubes. Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the gravy reaches the desired consistency. Your Paneer Kali Mirch is ready.
Serving Paneer Kali Mirch
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NOTES:
- Make sure to let the paneer cubes marinate for at least 20 minutes to soak up the flavors. You can also marinate it longer if you have time.
- The marinade should be thick enough to coat the paneer cubes without being too runny or too thick.
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Author: Anupama
Recipe Source Link: https://www.mygingergarlickitchen.com/paneer-kali-mirch/
