Hina Says -“We, in India, love paneer and anything loaded with Indo-Chinese flavours. Chilli Paneer is the perfect combination of these two crowd-charming favourites.” It is the most popular vegetarian version of takeout style Kung Pao Chicken or Chilli Chicken. BIG on flavours and loaded with the goodness of cottage cheese (paneer). In the Indian sub-continent, you can easily spot chilli paneer on the menu of many restaurants or takeaway joints. Ok, let’s get right to it. Here are the important things I have learned over the years about making an excellent Chilli Paneer:
My Secret Tips
TIP #1 – soak the block of paneer in lukewarm water for 5 – 6 minutes before marinating. This way, your paneer will always be super soft and moist even after shallow frying. TIP #2 – the secret formula for making restaurant-style chilli paneer is my homemade chilli paste. It is bursting with real flavours. One tablespoon of it in the gravy, and you will fall in love with the taste. No store-bought sauce can give you this taste. TIP #3 – To make a vegan chilli sauce, use tofu or mushroom instead of paneer as I did in this vegan tofu stir fry. Marinate, shallow-fry, and cook the tofu/mushroom in the chilli sauce. Chilli Mushroom or tofu is a gratifying vegan meal for lunch or dinner.
Watch Chilli Paneer Video
Serving Suggestion
Chilli Paneer is served as a snack and main course. The dry version of the dish is served as an appetizer. For the main course, serve it with chilli garlic noodles, chicken fried rice, mushroom fried rice, steamed jasmine rice, or sticky rice. You can use the leftover chilli paneer to make vegetarian tortilla wraps for the evening snacks and school lunch boxes. If sandwiches and wraps are not your things, toss the leftover chilli paneer with cooked rice, and you have a fantastic one-pot meal.
More Indian-Chinese Recipes
Soya Manchurian Masala Macaroni Dry Chilli Chicken Honey Chilli Potato Chilli Garlic Noodles Chinese Chopsuey Chilli Mushroom Gravy Vegetable Hot Garlic Sauce
follow us on Youtube and Instagram for video recipes.
