Chilli Paneer is one of the most favourite Indo-Chinese recipes. Loved by all, this dish has made a special place in the taste buds of food lovers. It is the perfect starter as well as an ideal appetizer for a party. Overall, Chilli paneer is delicious, tempting and an easy-to-make recipe.
There are many ways to make this. Typically, in this recipe, the paneer is coated with a flour batter and deep fried or pan-tossed in sweet, spicy, and tangy sauces. The dry version of chilli paneer is served as a starter or a snack while the gravy version is eaten with noodles or rice.
Ingredients for making chilli paneer
For the batter
2 ½ tablespoon oil
300 grams paneer
½ teaspoon black pepper powder
3 tablespoon cornstarch (white corn flour)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Salt as per taste
Water as needed
Chilli Paneer Sauce- Gravy and Dry
1-2 tablespoons oil
100-150 ml water
½ tablespoon vinegar
¼ black pepper
¼ teaspoon red chilli powder
2 ½ tablespoons maida (all-purpose flour) (optional)
1 teaspoon garlic (finely chopped)
1-inch ginger (finely chopped) (optional)
1-2 green chillies slit
1 medium green capsicum
4-5 spring onions
1 medium onion (squared)
¼ cup green spring onions
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
2 tablespoons red chilli sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt to taste
How to make chilli paneer
Batter Preparation for Chilli Paneer
1. To prepare chilli paneer, the first process involves making a batter to fry the paneer.
2. Take a medium-sized bowl. Add cornstarch, red-chilli powder, maida (optional), and salt to taste. Mix the ingredients well.
3. Pour 5-6 tablespoons of water into the mix and make a batter. The consistency of it should neither be thick nor runny. You may add more water if required. It has to be smooth without any lumps.
4. Add 300 grams of cubed paneer to the batter. Coat the paneer well with the batter.
5. Take a wide pan and add 3 to 4 tablespoons of oil, heat it on a medium flame. This shall be used for shallow frying. Once the oil starts sizzling gently slide the coated paneer into the hot oil with the help of a spoon or fork.
5. Lastly, stir fry them on medium flame till all four sides turn golden brown in colour.
Sauce Preparation
Chilli paneer gravy- Take 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 1 cup of water in a bowl. Stir well and make sure no lumps are formed.
Add 2 tablespoons of soya sauce, 2 teaspoons tomato ketchup, 2 tablespoons chilli sauce (you can add extra chilli if you like), salt and sugar (as per your taste). Stir well and set it aside.
Chilli paneer dry- Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch in ½ cup water. Stir well and keep aside. Add 2 tablespoons of chilli sauce, 1 tablespoon of soya sauce, 2 tablespoons of ketchup, half a teaspoon of vinegar and red chilli powder to a small cup. Then add 1 tablespoon of sugar and stir well.
Preparing Chilli Paneer
1. Take the same pan and remove the extra oil. Add finely chopped garlic and fry until it leaves its aroma.
2. Add spring and squared onions to it. Separate the layers.
3. Add the green chillies and capsicum. Saute it for 2-3 minutes on high flame.e
4. Next, stir the corn mixture and pour it into the pan. Stir everything together so it mixes well. Cook on medium flame for the sauce to thicken.
5. You can adjust the salt and sauces in case you wish to add more. If you like a thinner consistency you can add some more hot water to the sauce
6. Now add the black pepper and fried paneer to the gravy. Add spring onions to enhance the flavour and visual appeal.
How to make chilli paneer gravy
For Paneer Chilli gravy
1. Take a pan and add oil.
2. Add onions and capsicum- saute them for a minute or two. They should be crunchy
3. Then add the chopped garlic and ginger (optional) to it.
4. Pour the cornstarch mixture prepared for the sauce.
5. Cook the ingredients until the gravy thickens and the colour darkens a bit.
6. Once the gravy looks thick enough, slowly add the pan-fried paneer to it.
7. Mix the paneer and stir it carefully for about a minute or two.
8. Turn off the flame
9. Add the chopped green onions to it and close the lid for a few seconds.
10. Serve it with noodles or fried rice. It also goes well with stir-fried noodles.
For dry chilli paneer, add the mixture mentioned above to the sauces. Pour around 3 tablespoons of water and let the sauce boil. Turn off the flame and add the paneer.
Special Cooking tips for making chilli paneer
Here are some Pro-Tips to make the best Chilli paneer.
Paneer - Use homemade paneer for optimum results. Good quality paneer is very crucial in chilli paneer.
Frying - only shallow fry or used grilled paneer.
Soya sauce- Try using organic soya sauce that is fermented naturally.
Flour - Corn flour and all-purpose flour are used to make the batter. But you can totally opt for whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour.
Spices - You can add the choice of your sauces (soy, tomato, red chilli, etc.) as per your taste.
Vegan option- you can replace the paneer with Tofu too.
Tips to limit refined flour
If you are someone who is big on health and prefers to limit the use of refined flour, then here are some you tips can follow:
1. Use wheat flour instead of maida (all-purpose flour). You can make the batter using wheat flour easily. Another healthy option would be rice flour.
2. Replace the cornstarch powder with arrowroot powder.
3. If you do not wish to use the cornstarch at all you can add extra water to the sauce.
4. Use organic vinegar and naturally fermented soya sauce.
5. Avoid any sauce that comes with added colours or taste enhancers.
Important notes for making chilli paneer
There are some key points to remember while making a good Chilli paneer.
1. Do not deep fry the paneer as it will harden and make it chewy.
2. Stir-frying needs a high flame. Thus, prepping your veggies in advance saves them from burning.
3. Do not overcook the vegetables. Just stir fry enough them so that the crunch is retained.
4. Most sauces contain salt, so add salt only after you have tasted the gravy.
5. Use tomato ketchup in places of sugar to control the sweetness of the Chilli paneer.
6. Adding too much water to the sauce will overcook the vegetables making them soggy. So keep the water proportions controlled.
7. Lastly, getting the proportion of the corn flour and water correct is key. As less water in too much corn flour will not give a good sauce.
Conclusion
Chilli paneer is made in two to three versions - gravy, dry and semi-dry. Dry and gravy are the generic names known to all. But the semi-dry is between the thick and dry gravy that is generally served in most restaurants. Apart from being the best appetizer, Chilli paneer also makes for a full meal. It is packed with proteins and essential health benefits. A homemade Chilli paneer can be relished with rotis and parathas as well!
FAQ
Is it okay to use frozen paneer for Paneer chili?
It is completely possible to use frozen paneer for this recipe. Just make sure you soak them in hot water for a few minutes before using them.
Is paneer chilli healthy?
Yes, homemade paneer chilli is healthy as the paneer is stir-fried instead of deep-fried. It is free of all the MSG that comes with preserved ingredients.