Chilli Paneer Recipe (Restaurant Style)

Chilli paneer recipe in hindi. Here available chilli paneer ingredients and chilli paneer gravy.

What is Chili Paneer?

Chili Paneer is another popular Indian dish that features paneer as the main ingredient. It is a spicy and tangy Indo-Chinese fusion dish that combines the flavors of Indian spices with the cooking techniques of Chinese cuisine.

 

To prepare Chili Paneer, paneer cubes are first marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, vinegar, and various spices such as chili powder, ginger, and garlic. The marinated paneer is then shallow-fried or deep-fried until it turns golden brown and gets a slightly crispy texture.

 

In a separate pan, a sauce is prepared using ingredients like chopped onions, bell peppers (capsicum), garlic, ginger, and green chilies. This mixture is stir-fried until the vegetables are slightly cooked but still retain their crunch. The fried paneer cubes are then added to the pan along with the sauce, and everything is tossed together to coat the paneer evenly.

 

The dish gets its spiciness from the addition of green chilies or chili sauce, and the tangy flavor comes from the use of vinegar or lime juice. Some variations of Chili Paneer also include tomato ketchup, soy sauce, or other condiments to enhance the taste.

 

Chili Paneer is typically served as an appetizer or starter dish in Indian restaurants. It can be enjoyed on its own or with a side of fried rice or noodles. The combination of the soft and creamy paneer with the spicy and flavorful sauce makes Chili Paneer a favorite among paneer lovers and fans of Indo-Chinese cuisine.

Chilli Paneer Ingredients

 

For Batter 

2 tbsp refined flour

3 tbsp corn starch

A pinch of Salt

¼ cup water

1 tbsp corn starch (for Coating paneer)

250 gms Paneer, cut in cubes

Oil to deep fry

For Chilli Paneer Sauce

1 tbsp oil

1 tbsp ginger, finely chopped

1 tbsp garlic, finely chopped

2 dry red chilli, roughly chopped

1 tbsp celery, chopped

1 medium onion, cut in quarters

1 small capsicum, cut in cubes

1 tbsp soy sauce

2 fresh red & green chilli, sliced

1 tbsp green chilli sauce

1 tbsp Sweet & Sour sauce

1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp corn flour slurry (corn flour + water mixed)

Handful of spring onion, sliced (white with Green part)

Garnish

Spring onions, chopped

Toasted sesame seeds

Chili Paneer is a popular Indo-Chinese dish that combines the flavors of Indian spices with Chinese cooking techniques. It features paneer (Indian cottage cheese) cooked in a spicy and tangy sauce, along with colorful bell peppers and onions. Here's a recipe for Chili Paneer:

How To Make Chilli Paneer Recipe

1. In a mixing bowl, add cornflour, all-purpose flour, ginger-garlic paste, salt, and water. Mix well to make a thick batter.

2. Dip the paneer cubes into the batter, ensuring they are coated evenly.

3. Heat oil in a deep pan or wok over medium-high heat for deep frying.

4. Once the oil is hot, carefully add the paneer cubes and fry them until they turn golden brown. Remove them from the oil and set aside on a paper towel to drain excess oil.

5. In a separate pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat.

6. Add ginger-garlic paste and green chilies. Sauté for a minute until the raw smell disappears.

7. Add sliced onions and sauté until they turn translucent.

8. Add the bell peppers (capsicum) and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until they are slightly tender.

9. In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, tomato ketchup, chili sauce, vinegar, red chili powder, black pepper powder, sugar, and salt.

10. Add this sauce mixture to the pan with bell peppers and onions. Mix well.

11. Add the fried paneer cubes to the pan and toss gently to coat them with the sauce.

12. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until the paneer is well coated and the sauce thickens slightly.

13. Garnish with chopped spring onions.

14. Serve hot as an appetizer or as a side dish with fried rice or noodles.

Note: Adjust the spiciness and tanginess of the sauce according to your taste. You can also add additional vegetables like mushrooms, carrots, or baby corn to enhance the dish.

 

Pro Tips

1. Paneer can be shallow fried, grilled or deep fried. 
2. Avoid over frying paneer especially on a low flame as it tends to turn hard & chewy.
3. Do not use lot of chilli powder in the recipe as it totally alters the taste. Instead use a red chilli paste made of soaked red chilies.
4. You can use any chilli sauce that you prefer just adjust the quantity to suit your taste.
5. To make chilli paneer gravy, you can double or triple the amount of corn starch & water in the chilli paneer recipe. 
6. If you add more corn starch, then you will also need to add a proportionate amount of garlic, soya sauce, chilli sauce, pepper, salt, sugar and vinegar.
7. 2 tsp corn starch for every 1 cup of water gives me the right consistency. 
8. Adding too much water to the sauce will over cook onions & capsicum making them soggy. So use additional water with caution.
9. Next too much corn flour and not enough water will not yield a good tasting sauce. The corn starch turns too thick and tastes starchy.

Tips To Limit Refined Flour

If you are a health nut like me and prefer to limit refined flour, then here are the tips I follow

1. Skip all-purpose flour or maida from the recipe completely. Use wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour to make the batter.
2. Sometimes I totally skip the corn starch for the sauce and just pour 3 to 4 tbsps water. As red chilli sauce already has some starch in it, adding water thins it down and helps to coat the paneer well. I have followed the same in the step by step photo method.
3. Other option is to just replace corn starch (for sauce) with arrowroot powder. 
4. Always choose naturally brewed or organic soya sauce. 
5. Check the labels before you buy the red chilli sauce. Avoid those having msg & colors. 
6. Use organic apple cider vinegar.