Chilli Paneer Recipe

Chinese food has become an integral part of Indian cooking. We have adopted chinese food to our own taste palates. For example Indochinese food is spicy but Chinese food is pretty much bland. Chilli Paneer is an really delicious recipe from Indochinese cuisine. It is prepared with paneer which is deep fried with coating of refined flour batter. It is prepared both in dry and gravy version. Dry chilli paneer is served as an appetiser/starter whereas gravy chilli paneer is served as a side dish to main course dishes like veg chowmien, hakka noodles, fried rice etc. Soya sauce, vinegar, chilli sauce are main condiments that are used. My father loves chilli paneer and this recipe,  i made for him. You must try it, its amazingly yummy. I used fresh homemade paneer to make this recipe.

Recipe type:      Appetizer/starter
Cuisine:                  Indo-chinese
Serves:                    3-4 people
Time:                       40-50 minutes

Ingredients

300gms              Paneer (cut in cubes)
For the red chutney
2-3                         Whole dried red chili (soaked in hot water for 5 min.)
10                           Garlic cloves
1                              Green chili
1tbs                      Ginger

For the batter

5tsps                   Refined flour
4tsps                   Cornflour
1 tsp                    Chutney
1/4tsp                Salt
1/4tsp                White pepper powder
1/4tsp                Ajinomoto (optional)
1pinch              Baking Soda (optional)
1cup                   Water

For the sauce/gravy

2tbs                     Sesame oil/vegetable oil
1/2cup              Finely chopped veggies (Onions, cabbage, capsicum, carrot, spinach etc)
1/2cup              Onion (cut in dices)
1 cup                   Bell peppers/capsicum (cut in cubes)
2tbs                      Soya sauce
1tbs                      Green chili sauce
1tbs                      Tomato sauce
1tbs                      Vinegar
1/4tsp                 Ajinomoto (optional)
1/4tsp                 White pepper/black pepper
1/4tsp                 Salt (or as per taste)
3tbs                       Red chutney (prepared)
1tsp                       Cornflour

Method (Step by step chilli paneer recipe with photos)

1.  First of all we will prepare the chutney, this chutney will give spiciness and color to the dish. Take all chutney ingredients and make a fine paste in mixer with water in which chilies were soaked.

2. Now take all the batter ingredients and make a smooth batter with water, almost the consistency of pakoras.  ( you can make batter little thin if you don’t want thick coating). Dip paneer pieces in it and deep fry on medium flame till golden and crisp.

3. Prepare ingredients for sauce.

4. Take a skillet, add oil in it and keep it to heat. When oil becomes hot, add veggies, saute for 2 min, add red chutney and cook till raw smell disappears. Take cornflour and 2tbs water and mix so that no lumps are there, add it to the gravy while stirring continuously till it comes to a boil.

5. Now add all other ingredients of sauce with 1/2 cup water and cook it or 5 minutes. When sauces thickens and veggies become little soft, add fried paneer to it, splash half cup water and mix well. Give it 2-3 boils. It is ready. Take it off the flame.

6. Garnish with chopped spring onions and coriander leaves and serve. ( I used chopped spinach to garnish as I didn’t had spring onions)

Notes/Tips:

1. Make sure paneer/cottage cheese is soft and moist, it should not be hard or dry.
2. If you want to make gravy, add 1tsp more of cornflour and 1 glass of water. Adjust salt accordingly.
3. Red chutney can be increased or decreased as per your taste for spice.
4. You can make thin batter and also shallow fry the paneer on tawa if you want.
5. Ajinomoto is not good for health of pregnant ladies and infants, omit it if you making this dish for them.
6. You can add a pinch of orange red color to the sauce to give it restaurant like color.

Yum

Do try this recipe and comment below.

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