Chilli Paneer

Chilli Paneer is one of the popular Indo Chinese appetizer. Chilli Paneer is a tasty starter or sidedish for fried rice. Chilli Paneer is a wonderful starter to a grand rice meal or relished as wholesome snack for tea time. Chilli Paneer Recipe is explained in this post with step by step pictures and video.

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Chilli Paneer can be made semi dry or with gravy and I have shared both the versions of Chilli Paneer – Semi Dry and Gravy. Chilli Paneer serves as a great starter or appetizer or can be relished with noodles, fried rice etc.

About Chilli Paneer

Chilli Paneer is a semi dry starter made by first marinating paneer cubes in a flour based batter, deep fried then finally tossed in a hot sauce along with ginger, garlic, onion and capsicum.

Chilli Paneer is one of most popular Indo Chinese order at restaurants. This homemade Chilli Paneer is soo good that you cannot stop with just a plate. Both mitu and gugu are fond of Chilli dishes so that justifies the post here.

This Chilli Paneer Recipe is one of the most requested recipe here so thought to share it. Chinese Dishes involves flash cooking so if the ingredients are ready the dish gets ready in no time.

Chilli Paneer Semi Dry vs Chilli Paneer Gravy

• Chilli Paneer Semi Gravy : This is one of the most popular and liked version the semi dry version as it serves as a great starter and as a sidedish for fried rice, noodles etc.
• Chilli Paneer Gravy : Chilli Paneer Gravy is best served only as a sidedish.

Though both taste good in its own way, Personally I like the semi dry version but it is purely your preference and taste.

Check out other fried rice recipes
Mushroom fried rice,
Sprouts Fried Rice
Egg fried rice
Paneer Fried Rice
Veg fried rice recipes for more variations.

More paneer recipes

Chilli Paneer Ingredients

• Paneer – Use fresh paneer that is soft. You can use homemade paneer or storebought paneer.
• Flour – Maida and cornflour is used for making the batter. You can replace maida with wheat flour too.
• Sauces – Soya sauce, Chilli Sauce and Tomato Sauce is used. You can replace Chilli sauce with Schezwan sauce too.
• Vegetables – Ginger, garlic, onion and capsicum are used. Spring onion gives a great flavour to this dish.
• Spice powders – Red Chilli Powder and Pepper Powder are used.

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📖 Recipe

Chilli Paneer Recipe Step by Step

1.Take 200 gms paneer rinse it well first.

2.Cut into small cubes.

3.Repeat to finish and set aside.

4.To a small bowl add 1 tsp soya sauce, 1 and 1/2 tsp chilli sauce, 2 tbsp tomato sauce, 1/4 tsp red chilli powder, 1/4 tsp pepper powder along with 2 tbsp water.

5.Mix well and set aside.

6.To another small bowl add 1 heaped tsp cornflour with 2 tbsp water, mix it well to form a slurry and set aside.

7.In a mixing bowl – add 1/4 cup cornflour and 1/4 cup maida along with 1/2 tsp pepper powder, 1 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder and required salt to taste.

8.Mix it well and set aside.

9.Add water little by little to form a slightly thick batter.

10.The batter should be flowing but thick to coat the paneer.

11.Now add few paneer cubes to the batter. Coat each paneer with the batter. You can add all at once and mix it too.

12.Heat oil in a kadai – add the coated paneer cubes few at a time depending upon the kadai size.

13.Do not disturb for few seconds then slowly break the paneer if it sticks to each other then turn over and fry. Alternatively you can break the paneer cubes after deep frying also.

14.Flip over to fry it even on all sides.

15.Fry until it turns golden brown on all sides and is crisp.

16.Repeat to finish. Remove the paneer cubes and drain in a tissue paper. Break the pieces if it sticks to each other. Set aside.

17.To a pan add 1 tbsp oil add 2 tsp garlic and 1 tsp ginger finely chopped. Saute until it turns golden then add 1 sliced green chilli and saute for few seconds.

18.Add 1/2 cup onion, 1/2 cup capsicum.

19.Saute for a minute. Then add required salt along with 1/2 tsp red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp pepper powder.

20.Saute for few seconds.

21.Add prepared sauce mixture.

22.Give a quick mix to the cornflour slurry as the flour might settle at the bottom. Now add prepared cornflour slurry along with 1/2 tsp rice vinegar.

23.Give a quick mix.

24.Cook until the sauce thickens slightly.

25.Add fried paneer cubes.

26.Toss well and add 1 tbsp spring onion.

27.Toss well and switch off.

Chilli Paneer is ready! Serve hot!

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Expert Tips

• The gravy tends to thicken if resting time is given, so switch off accordingly. If it becomes too thick then sprinkle little water, heat it up before serving.
• You may not end up using the entire maida cornflour paste so use the remaining for making the gravy.
• Add onion and capsicum cubed just saute for a few seconds so that it stays crunchy while eating.
• You can use colored capsicum just for adding color or use just green capsicum.
• You can either toast the paneer cubes in dosa tawa or deep fry them.
• You can even use vegetable stock repalcing water. Adjust water level according to the consistency.
• Using freshly ground pepper adds a great flavor to the dish.
• Do not skip spring onion as it is one of the main ingredient for Chilli Paneer.

Chilli Paneer Gravy

Chilli Paneer Gravy is an Indo Chinese Recipe but can be very well paired up with fried rice as well. I paired it up with paneer fried rice and it was a treat for both paneer lovers at home.I always use homemade paneer, its so soft and fresh. If I want paneer the next day morning I make paneer the previous night itself and refrigerate it for next day use.Only when I am expecting guests and am pressed for time I use store bought paneer.

I love the semi dry version more than the gravy kind even manchurians I like the semi dry version more.

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Ingredients

• 3/4 cup paneer
• 1/2 cup capsicum cubed
• 1/2 cup onion cubed
• 5 nos garlic cloves minced finely
• 1/2 tsp ginger tsp finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp soya sauce
• 1 tbsp tomato sauce
• 1 tsp pepper powder
• 1/2 tbsp spring onion white part
• 1/2 tbsp spring onion green part
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp oil
• salt to taste

For the marinade:

• 1 tbsp maida
• 1/2 tbsp cornflour
• 1/4 tsp pepper powder
• salt as required
• water as needed to form a paste

1.To a bowl add all the ingredients listed under ‘for the marinade’.

2.Make a thick batter by adding water little by little.

3.Add paneer cubes to this and coat with the batter well.

4.Heat oil in a pan and toast the paneer till slightly golden(You can deep fry them too).Drain it in a tissue and set aside.

5.Heat oil in a pan, add spring onion white part,ginger and garlic,fry till slightly browned.

6.Then add onion and capsicum saute in high flame for a minute.

7.Then add soya sauce, tomato sauce , chilli sauce, pepper powder and required salt.

8.Mix well until the veggies are coated evenly

9.Add 1 cup water and let it boil.

10.Add cornflour slurry – add water to the remaining batter to form a thin slurry.

11.Let it boil well until it starts to thicken.

12.Once it starts to thicken add paneer and give a quick stir.Finally add spring onions green part and switch off.

Chilli Paneer Gravy is ready. Serve as a accompaniment with fried rice or just as a starter and am sure you will make this often.

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