Thursday, February 12, 2026
ADVT 
Food

Air Fryer Kadhai Paneer

Chef Raj Thandhi Darpan, 14 Apr, 2025
  • Air Fryer Kadhai Paneer

Ingredients

Tadka:
3 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera) 
½ cup chopped onions
2 garlic cloves chopped
1 inch piece of ginger chopped
1 green chili chopped (optional)
1 cup tomatoes chopped

Paneer:
1 block of paneer chopped into cubes
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon turmeric
½ tablespoon cumin powder
1 tablespoon coriander powder
½ tablespoon deghi mirch or paprika
½ cup onion chopped into petals
½ cup each red and green bell pepper chopped into petals 

Directions

  • Marinate paneer cubes with oil and all the spices listed. While it rests, move onto the tadka/tempering. 
  • Make a tadka in the air fryer using all the listed ingredients. To do this - Add all of your tadka ingredients to an oven-safe cooking pan that fits in your air fryer and cook at 360 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes.   
  • Once the tadka is ready, add in the paneer, onions, and bell peppers to the dish. Mix well and cook for another 8 minutes in the air fryer. Take it out at 4 minutes and mix. 
  • Finish with a squeeze of lime and some chopped cilantro. 

Hot Tip: 
To cook sabzi style dishes in the air fryer, chop things a little smaller than you would for stovetop cooking. In this preparation, I cut the bell peppers and onions smaller than usual. 

MORE Food ARTICLES

Taste of kerala -Thoran

PREPARATION

1. Steam the chopped string beans until tender. (Or soak and boil black chick peas) Set it aside.

MasterChef Pankaj Bhadouria’s Diwali Recipes

India’s ‘MasterChef’ and charismatic host Pankaj Bhadouria shares delightful & quintessential Diwali recipes with Darpan’s readers