Chilli Paneer Fry Recipe | olivemagazine

A bowl of chilli paneer fry with a silver spoon on a wooden table

3 tbsp vegetable oil
plus extra for frying
3 tbsp rice flour
3 tbsp cornflour
1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder
1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 tsp garlic paste
(shop-bought or fresh)
226g block paneer
chopped into cubes
2 tbsp garlic
finely chopped
1 tsp ginger
finely diced
90g red onion
finely diced
1 red pepper
finely diced
2 green chillies
slit lengthways
3 tbsp chilli garlic sauce
4 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp caster sugar
2 spring onions
finely sliced for garnish
noodles or fried rice
to serve

Method

step 1
To start, heat a couple of inches of oil in a wide pan or a wok. Mix the flours, chilli powder, black pepper and garlic paste in a large bowl with 100ml of cold water and a pinch of salt to make a batter. Toss the paneer cubes in the bowl to coat the pieces evenly. Fry the coated paneer in the hot oil in batches for 20-30 seconds. They should have a light brown crisp coating on all sides. Drain the paneer on kitchen paper and set aside.
step 2
Make the sauce by heating 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a pan over a medium heat. Cook the garlic and ginger for 20 seconds. Add the red onions and fry for a further 3 mins until they begin to soften, then tip in the red pepper along with the slit chilli and fry for an additional 2-3 mins.
step 3
Add the chilli garlic sauce, ketchup and soy sauce, stirring well. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Pour in 70ml of water to thin the sauce slightly. Add the fried paneer cubes, stirring well to coat all the pieces. Simmer for 1 min, seasoning to taste. Serve warm with noodles or fried rice, with a garnish of spring onions.

Maunika Gowardhan

Maunika GowardhanColumnist