🌶️🧀 Chilli Paneer
A super popular Indo-Chinese dish—crispy fried paneer tossed in a spicy, tangy, garlicky sauce. You can make it dry (starter) or with gravy (main dish).
🧾 Ingredients
🧀 Paneer
- 250g paneer (cubed)
🥣 Batter
- 3 tbsp cornflour
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- Water (to make thick batter)
🌶️ Sauce & veggies
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tbsp garlic (finely chopped)
- 1 tbsp ginger (finely chopped)
- 2 green chilies (slit)
- 1 onion (cubed)
- 1 capsicum (cubed)
🧂 Sauces
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp chili sauce
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- ½ tsp vinegar
- Salt & pepper to taste
🌿 Slurry (for gravy version)
- 1 tsp cornflour + 3 tbsp water
👩🍳 Instructions
1. Fry the paneer
- Mix batter ingredients into a thick coating
- Dip paneer cubes
- Fry until golden and slightly crispy
- Set aside
2. Make the sauce base
- Heat oil in a pan
- Add garlic, ginger, green chilies
- Sauté until fragrant
3. Add vegetables
- Toss onion and capsicum on high heat
- Keep them slightly crunchy
4. Add sauces
Pour in:
- soy sauce
- chili sauce
- ketchup
- vinegar
Mix well.
5. Combine
Add fried paneer and toss to coat.
6. Choose your style
🔥 Dry version
- Cook until sauce clings to paneer
- Finish with spring onions
🍛 Gravy version
- Add a little water
- Stir in cornflour slurry
- Cook until sauce thickens
🍽️ Serve with
- fried rice 🍚
- noodles 🍜
- or as a starter
🌶️ Result
You get bold, saucy Chilli paneer—crispy paneer cubes coated in a spicy, tangy Indo-Chinese glaze.
⭐ Pro tips
- Fry paneer lightly—overfrying makes it chewy
- High heat = better “restaurant-style” flavor
- Balance chili + ketchup for perfect sweet-spicy taste
- Add spring onions at the end for freshness
If you want, I can also make:
- restaurant-style street version 🔥
- honey chilli paneer 🍯
- or dry crispy chilli paneer snack style 🧀
