Paneer Chilli

Paneer Chilli is an Indo Chinese dish usually served as an appetizer/starter. The recipe below will give a restaurant style Paneer Chilli in taste if the method is followed step by step :). Paneer Chilli also goes well with fried rice. It can also be used to make Paneer Wrap. Paneer is never fried in most of the recipe. But, the recipe, which follows, uses a frying technique which is unique.

Ingredients

For Marinating

Paneer Cubes – 200 Gms

Corn Flour – 2 tbsp

All-purpose Flour (Maida) – 2 tsp

Garlic Paste – 3 tsp

Salt to taste

Water – as required

Oil – for deep frying

Corn Flour for Coating – as required

Other Ingredients

Oil – 2 tbsp

Ginger – 1 ½” long piece (finely chopped)

Garlic 1 ½ tbsp (finely chopped)

Onion – 1 separated into petals and cut into strips

Green Chilli – 5 to 6 (Chopped – cut in slants)

Capsicum (Big) – 1 (cut into strips)

Green Chilli Sauce – 1 tsp

Tomato Ketchup – 2 tsp

Dark Soya Sauce – 3 tbsp

Corn Flour – 1 ½ tsp (diluted in ¾ cup of water)

Pepper Powder – ¾ tsp

Sugar – ½ tsp (Optional)

Salt to taste

Spring Onion – 4 tbsp (finely chopped)

Method

Take the Corn Flour and Maida in a mixing bowl. Add Garlic paste and Salt. Mix.

Add water to make it a medium thick batter. Mix without forming any lump.

Add Paneer Cubes and mix.

Keep aside for 20 minutes.

Take 3 to 4 tbsp of Corn Flour in a broad dish. Take Paneer Cubes from the batter and coat them with the dry corn flour.

Deep fry them in batches in medium flame just for a minute.

Remove and spread them in paper napkins.

Heat 2 tbsp of Oil in pan. Add chopped Ginger and Garlic. Stir for 30 seconds in high flame.

Add Green Chilli and Onion. Stir for a minute.

Add Capsicum and stir cook for a couple of minutes.

Add Soya Sauce, Chilli Sauce and Tomato Ketchup. Add 3 tbsp of Spring Onion. Stir for a minute.

Add the Corn Starch (1 ½ tsp of Corn Flour mixed with ¾ cup of water) stirring simultaneously.

Add Pepper Powder. Add little water if the gravy is too thick. Mix well.

After a couple of minutes, add the fried Paneer Cubes.

Mix well till the Paneer Cubes are cooked well with the gravy.

Transfer to the serving bowl and garnish with remaining chopped Spring Onions.

Done!

Note:

Fry Paneer just for a minute in high flame

Paneer can be shallow fried also.

If Paneer Chilli is to be made as a gravy, add another 1 tbsp of Corn flour diluted in 1 ½ to 2 cups of water while cooking.