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Chilli Paneer

What is Chilli Paneer?

Chilli Paneer is a flavorful and popular Indo-Chinese dish that combines crispy paneer (Indian cottage cheese) cubes with a spicy, tangy, and savory sauce. The dish balances the heat of chilies with a touch of sweetness and tanginess, making it a favorite in many Indian households and restaurants.

Key Components of Chilli Paneer:

  • Paneer: This is the star ingredient, it is cut into bite size cubes.
  • Vegetables: Commonly used vegetables include bell peppers (capsicum) and onions, which add crunch and color to the dish.
  • Chilies: Green chilies are used for heat, giving the dish its signature spiciness.
  • Sauce: The sauce is made with a combination of soy sauce, chili sauce, ketchup, and sometimes vinegar. These ingredients provide a balance of spiciness, tanginess, and sweetness.
  • Spices and Aromatics: Garlic, ginger, and sometimes scallions (spring onions) are essential for flavoring the dish.
  • Garnish: Chilli Paneer is often garnished with chopped spring onion greens or cilantro for a fresh finish.

How to serve:

There are two main variations of this dish: dry (served as a appetizer) and gravy (with a saucier consistency for pairing with rice or noodles). It’s a vibrant and crowd-pleasing dish perfect for spice lovers!

Jump to Recipe

Lets Make it: Chilli Paneer!

Link to watch the video: https://www.instagram.com/amateurprochef/

The Ultimate Indo-Chinese Fusion

Why I Love This Dish
Chilli Paneer is a dish that brings the best of two worlds—India and China—onto your plate. With crispy paneer, colorful veggies, and a bold, spicy sauce, this dish is a flavor bomb that’s perfect for any occasion.

Prepping the Stars of the Show
The first step to making a great Chilli Paneer is prepping the ingredients. Start by peeling and dicing two medium onions into petals and cutting bell peppers into square chunks for that iconic Indo-Chinese vibe. For the heat, finely chop 4-5 green chilies.

Next, grab your paneer and cut it into bite-sized cubes. Trust me, this step sets the stage for a mouthwatering dish.

Batter Up!
To get that irresistible crispy coating, we need a simple yet effective batter. In a mixing bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of corn starch, 3 tablespoons of flour, a pinch of salt, black pepper, and about half a cup of water. Stir until you get a loose batter, adding a bit more water if needed.

Add the paneer cubes into the batter and coat them well. This batter not only gives the paneer a golden crunch but also helps it soak up the sauce beautifully later.

Frying Perfection
Heat up oil in a frying pot to 350°C (or 180°C if using Fahrenheit). Fry the paneer in small batches for about 3 minutes or until they’re golden brown and crispy. Avoid overcrowding the oil; it keeps the temperature steady and ensures evenly fried pieces. Once done, set the paneer aside on a paper towel to drain any excess oil.

Spicy Sauce with the Perfect Toss
Now it’s time to make the magic sauce! Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a wok and toss in the prepped onions and bell peppers. Stir-fry them for 2-3 minutes until they’re semi-soft but still have a bit of crunch. Add in 2 tablespoons of ginger-garlic paste (or a mix of chopped garlic and grated ginger if you prefer).

Sauce Boss

Next, pour in soy sauce, rice vinegar, ketchup, red chili sauce, MSG (optional), and a splash of water. To thicken it up, mix 2 tablespoons of corn starch with 3 tablespoons of water and stir it into the wok. Let the sauce bubble and thicken to a glossy consistency. Finally, add the fried paneer cubes!

Ready to Devour!
And just like that, your Chilli Paneer is ready to enjoy! Serve it hot, garnished with spring onions or cilantro for a fresh finish.

Try it out and let your tastebuds revel in the magic of Indo-Chinese fusion. Don’t forget to share your thoughts or any creative twists in the comments below. Happy cooking!

To check out my other recipes, click here!

Chilli Paneer
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Chilli Paneer

Recipe by AmateurProChef
Servings

2

servings
Prep time

20

minutes
Cooking time

25

minutes
Total time

45

minutes

Ingredients

  • Paneer – 375g

  • Red Onion – 2 medium

  • Bell peppers – 2 (any colour)

  • Green chillies – 4-5

  • Ginger garlic paste – 2 tbsp (can substitue with 1 tbsp of chopped garlic and 1 tbsp grated ginger)

  • Green onions – 1 cup chopped

  • PANEER BATTER

  • Corn starch – 2 tbsp

  • All purpose flour – 3 tbsp

  • Salt – 1/2 tsp

  • Black pepper – as much as you like

  • Water – 1/2 cup

  • SAUCE

  • Soy Sauce – 2 tbsp

  • Rice Vinegar – 2 tbsp (can substitute it with regular white vinegar)

  • Ketchup – 1.5 tbsp

  • Red Chilli Sauce – 2 tbsp

  • water – 1/2 cup

  • MSG – 1 tsp (optional)

  • CORN STARCH SLURRY

  • Corn starch – 2 tbsp

  • Water – 3 tbsp

Directions

  • Start by peeling and dicing up 1 large onion into petals, then cut up bell peppers into square chunks and finely chop 4-5 green chillies
  • To prepare the paneer, cube up the paneer into bite size pieces.
  • For the batter, add 2 tbsp corn starch, 3 tbsp flour, 1 pinches of salt, black pepper and 1/2 cup water. Mix it up until you have a loose batter (add more water as needed).
  • Add in the paneer and coat it in the batter
  • Next, heat up oil in a frying pot and bring it up to 350 degrees C. Fry the paneer for 3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove it and set it aside. Fry the paneer in batches to not overcrowd the oil, otherwise the temperature of the oil will drop.
  • For the sauce, add 3 tbsp oil in a wok and let that heat up before adding in the cut up onions and bell peppers. Let that cook for 2-3 minutes or until semi soft.
  • Add in 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste (if you dont have this, then 1 tbsp chopped garlic and 1 tbsp grated ginger also works)
  • Add in soy sauce, rice vinegar, ketchup, red chilli sauce, MSG and water.
  • Make a corn starch slurry with 2 tbsp corn starch and 3 tbsp water and add it into the wok.
  • Let the sauce thicken up and add in the paneer, mix it up and NOW ITS TIME TO ENJOY!

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