Recipe: Homemade Indo-Asian Chilli Paneer to spice up your week
Pieces of paneer are fried until crispy on the outside and then tossed in a wok of vegetables and sauces, giving you a restaurant quality dish.
Indo-Asian cuisine has originated in India and is a more spicy, tangy and fried variant of authentic Asian cuisine. There are several dishes that are included in this type of cuisine, and a classic vegetarian variant is Chilli Paneer, which is a vegetarian take on the classic Chilli Chicken, only switching out chicken with paneer, or even tofu if you prefer. Pieces of paneer are fried until crispy on the outside and then tossed in a wok of vegetables and sauces, giving you a restaurant quality dish. Read on:
Ingredients:
Marinade
2 cups paneer cut in ¾-inch cubes (about 14-15 oz.)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Stir-Fry
3 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil (used in different stages)
1 tablespoon ginger finely chopped (about 1-inch piece)
2 teaspoons garlic finely chopped (about 2-3 cloves)
5-6 dried red chilies whole
1 cup onion cut in 1-inch cubes and layers separated (about 1 medium onion)
1 cup bell pepper green or any color, cut in 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green tops of green onions for garnish
Sauce
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce (see notes)
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon sambal oelek or chili garlic sauce
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch
INSTRUCTIONS
Marinate Paneer
Toss paneer cubes in soy sauce. Now add cornstarch and toss till it forms a thin batter with the soy sauce and coats the paneer pieces well.
Stir-Fry
Heat the large skillet on medium-high heat. When hot, add a tablespoon of avocado oil and add the paneer pieces in a single layer without overcrowding them. Let the paneer brown for 2 minutes, then flip the pieces using tongs and brown on the other side for 2 minutes. Remove from pan and keep aside. Repeat the process with the remaining paneer pieces.
Heat the same skillet, add the remaining tablespoon of avocado oil and add chopped ginger, garlic and dried red chilies. Stir and saute for 1 minute.
Add onion and peppers and saute for 4-5 minutes, until the onions start turning transparent but are still firm. Toss in the browned paneer pieces.
Finish with Sauce
Mix together the ingredients for the sauce until the cornstarch is well combined. Pour the sauce over paneer, onion and peppers and stir till it coats everything well and starts thickening.
Turn off the heat when it reaches your desired thickness, about 2-3 minutes (see notes about making a wet curry). Garnish with sliced green onions and serve warm with steamed rice or chow mein.
(Recipe courtesy SpiceCravings)
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