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Marinated paneer and peppers blistered in a dry pan, then stirred into a coarse kadai style masala of crushed coriander seed and tomato. No cream at all, finished with chaat masala and lemon.
Cut the 400 g paneer, the peppers and 1 onion into 3 cm squares and coat them in the 100 g yogurt with half the 15 g garlic, the ginger, the turmeric, the paprika and half the chili powder. Leave for 20 minutes.
Heat a heavy 28 cm pan over high heat until smoking and cook the marinated pieces in one layer for 4 to 5 minutes, turning once, until blistered and blackened at the edges. Work in two batches so they char instead of steaming.
Toast the 2 teaspoons coriander seeds in a dry pan for 1 minute and crush them coarsely in a mortar. Those cracked seeds are the kadai signature and the reason this tastes nothing like a creamy curry.
Fry the second onion sliced in the 30 ml oil for 6 minutes, add the rest of the garlic and the crushed coriander with the remaining chili powder for 1 minute, then the 400 g canned tomatoes crushed by hand. Simmer for 12 minutes until thick and coarse, without blending.
Fold the charred paneer and peppers back in with the garam masala and warm through for 3 minutes, so the pieces keep their blistered edges rather than softening into the sauce.
Off the heat add the chaat masala, the juice of the lemon and the cilantro. Serve with naan or rice.
