Low Fat Chilli Paneer : Indo Chinese Recipe

Chilli Paneer. Cubes of paneer coated in spicy indo-Chinese sauce. Indo Chinese is Indian style Chinese food.  This started as a popular street food in India and later on even restaurants started putting it on the menu-such is the taste and popularity of this dish. There are two ways it is made. Dry style, in which paneer chunks are only coated in the sauce.  Other way is with gravy wherein the sauce is kept liquid. Dry chilli paneer is mostly served as snack, starter or appetizer; whereas wet chilli paneer is served as side with fried rice or noodles. 

This is one dish that always pops in my mind when I am in hurry and guests are coming over for lunch or dinner. Because its easy and quick you don’t need much time to prepare it and because it is popular every guest will love it. So, ideal recipe involves frying paneer cubes and then mixing it in the sauce but I don’t like this method as it makes paneer very hard and rubbery. Here is my way to make Low Fat Chilli Paneer.

Ingredients:

225 grams paneer cut in cubes

1 capsicum/bell pepper, cut in cubes

1 onion large, cut in cubes

4-5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon ginger, finely chopped

2 green chillies, slitted

Black pepper powder, to taste

Salt, to taste

1 tablespoon soya sauce

½ tablespoon chilli sauce (red/green)

1 tablespoon corn flour

¼ tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1-2 tablespoons chopped green onions (green part only)

Method:

Boil 2 cups of water and add paneer cubes in it. This will make paneer soft. Drain water and keep aside.

Mix 4 tablespoons of water in corn flour and keep it aside.

Heat oil in a pan or wok. When oil gets very hot add garlic and ginger. Saute for 30 seconds.

Add slit green chillies and chopped onion. Saute for 10 seconds.

Next throw in chopped capsicum. Sauté for 10 seconds.

Add salt, sugar, black pepper, soya sauce, chilli sauce, lemon juice and corn flour mixture. Cook it for 30 seconds.

Throw in paneer cubes. Mix well so that paneer cubes are coated well with spices and sauce. Keep it covered for 1 minute.

Check salt and heat level. Adjust if needed. Garnish with chopped green onions and serve.

Notes:

Never add too much salt, remember soya sauce and chilli sauce also contains salt.

Make sure that you don’t overcook capsicum and onion. They should be bit crunchy.

Chinese food is cooked on high heat, this gives good smokey flavour. Do not leave it unattended.