Chilli paneer
Paneer with peppers and soy
Chilli paneer: Kolkata-style Indo-Chinese paneer with peppers, soy and green chilli
Chilli paneer was born in the Chinese restaurants of Kolkata's Tangra and Tiretta Bazaar, where Hakka cooks adapted their chilli chicken for vegetarian customers, and today it is the Friday-night order from Delhi to Bengaluru. Cubes of paneer are coated in cornflour and fried crisp, then tossed over a fierce flame with onion petals, green pepper, garlic, soy sauce and plenty of green chilli in a glossy sauce. Paneer is set with acid, not rennet, so it is fully vegetarian. The mistake to avoid is letting the paneer sit in the sauce, which makes the crust soggy; toss it in at the very end and serve. Chef's tip: soak the paneer in hot salted water for 5 minutes before coating; it stays soft inside even after frying. Soy sauce contains wheat; use tamari if you need it gluten-free.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 3
Ingredients
For the crisp paneer
- 9 oz paneercut into 2.5 cm cubes
- 3 tbsp cornflour
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 tbsp sunflower oilfor shallow-frying
For the stir-fry
- 5 cloves garlicfinely chopped
- 1 tbsp gingerfinely chopped
- 3 green chilliesslit
- 1 onioncut into 2 cm chunks, layers separated
- 1 green peppercut into 2 cm chunks
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp red chilli sauce
- 1 tsp rice or white vinegar
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 tsp cornflourmixed with 80 ml water
- 2 spring onionssliced
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Soak 9 oz paneer in hot salted water for 5 minutes, then drain and pat dry.
5 minStep 2: Mix 3 tbsp cornflour, 1 tbsp plain flour, ¼ tsp ground black pepper and ½ tsp salt with 3 tablespoons of water into a thick batter that coats a spoon. Toss the paneer in it.
Step 3: Heat 4 tbsp sunflower oil in a wok or frying pan over a medium-high heat. Fry the paneer in one layer for 4–5 minutes, turning, until golden and crisp on all sides. Drain on kitchen paper and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of oil.
5 minStep 4: Turn the heat to high. Add 5 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp ginger and 3 green chillies and stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add 1 onion and 1 green pepper and toss for 2 minutes; they should be scorched at the edges but still crunchy.
3 minStep 5: Add 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp red chilli sauce, 1 tsp rice or white vinegar and ½ tsp sugar and toss for 20 seconds. Stir 1 tsp cornflour and pour it in; cook for about 1 minute until the sauce turns glossy and thick enough to cling.
1 minStep 6: Add the fried paneer and toss for 30 seconds, just to coat. Scatter with 2 spring onions and serve at once with fried rice or Hakka noodles.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 16 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 26 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chilli paneer take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 3 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of paneer?
- Firm tofu, pressed and cubed (vegan; season it well).
- What can I use instead of cornflour?
- Arrowroot or potato starch, same amount.
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