Chilli Paneer is a fusion Indian-Chinese main course dish. Follow my tips and tricks to make restaurant-style chilli paneer gravy at home. Be sure to watch the video!
- My Secret Tips
- Watch Chilli Paneer Video
- Serving Suggestion
- More Indian-Chinese Recipes
- Chilli Paneer Recipe
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 :
- Use the fresh and best quality paneer for the dish.
- Marination is one crucial step in the making of Chilli Paneer. Marinate paneer for at least 30 minutes before shallow frying.
- Cooking for too long is the last thing you want to do for an Indian-Chinese dish. It has to be quickly stir-fried. So that the vegetables do not lose their crunch and the paneer is not turn chewy.
- To make a little extra sauce , add ¼ Cup of water while cooking the vegetables. Simmer the sauce until it thickens. And then add the paneer. If you prefer dry Chilli Paneer, do not add more than 2 – 3 tablespoons of water.
- At last, allow the paneer to absorb the sauce’s flavour. Let paneer sit in the pan for at least 5 – 10 minutes before serving.
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
If you try this recipe and love it, please leave a comment and a rating. This helps us grow and reach other food lovers like you.
Ingredients
- ▢ 200 gram paneer (cottage cheese), cut into cubes
- ▢ 1 Cup diced onion
- ▢ 1 Cup diced capsicum
- ▢ 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
- ▢ 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
- ▢ 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- ▢ 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ▢ 4 tablespoon cooking oil
- ▢ 2 tablespoon chopped spring onion
- ▢ Salt to taste
- ▢ 1 tablespoon cornflour (corn starch)
- ▢ 1 Cup water
Ingredients For Sauce:
- ▢ 4 dry red chilli (sabut lal mirch)
- ▢ 1 inch piece of ginger
- ▢ 1 tablespoon garlic cloves
- ▢ 1 tablespoon chopped onion
- ▢ ¼ Cup hot water
- ▢ 2 tablespoon tomato ketchup
Ingredients for the marinade
- ▢ 4 tablespoon corn flour (cornstarch)
- ▢ 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (maida)
- ▢ 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- ▢ Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
Prep Work:
- Soak paneer block in lukewarm water for 5 – 6 minutes. Later, cut into cubes. Marinate the paneer cubes in corn flour, all-purpose flour, salt, pepper, and soy sauce. Mix nicely to coat each paneer cube with the flour mixture. Add a tablespoon of water if the marinade is too thick. Set aside.
- Prepare my secret sauce. Soak dry red chili in hot water. Cover and set aside for 5 – 6 minutes for chilies to soften a bit. Later, blend the chilies along with soaked water, ginger, garlic, onion, and tomato ketchup to a smooth sauce. Set aside.
- Make a paste of cornflour and water. Mix nicely to make a lump free mixture. Set it aside till required.
Prepare Chilli Paneer:
- Heat oil in a deep frying pan. Shallow fry the marinated paneer cubes until light golden in color and crisp from both sides. Do not turn the paneer cubes again and again while frying. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- In the same pan add ginger and garlic. Stir fry for a minute. Add onion, and stir-fry over a high flame for 1 – 2 minutes or till onion soften a bit.
- Add the capsicum and sauté for a minute or so.
- Next add vinegar, soy sauce, chili sauce, salt, and mix nicely.
- Now, add the cornflour paste and stir the sauce continuously to avoid any lump formation.
- The sauce will start thickening now. Taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly
- Once the sauce thickens, add fried paneer cubes. Stir to combine. Allow the sauce to simmer over low heat for 5 – 6 minutes for paneer to absorb the flavor.
- Garnish the chilli paneer with chopped spring onion greens.
- Serve Chilli Paneer with fried rice.
Recipe Notes:
- Recommended Equipment: Wok ( buy it here )
- Do not deep-fry the marinated paneer cubes as they become chewy and hard.
- You can prepare my secret chili sauce in advance and store in the fridge. Or the leftover sauce can also be stored in the fridge.
- The chili sauce is spicy. Hence, taste it and then add to the gravy accordingly. We love spicy food so add the entire cup.
- To adjust the consistency of the gravy add more water if required.
Nutrition
We follow a strict NO SPAM Policy
Chilli Paneer Recipe
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Chinese Wok
Ingredients
- 200 gram paneer (cottage cheese), cut into cubes
- 1 Cup diced onion
- 1 Cup diced capsicum
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 4 tablespoon cooking oil
- 2 tablespoon chopped spring onion
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon cornflour (corn starch)
- 1 Cup water
Ingredients For Sauce:
- 4 dry red chilli (sabut lal mirch)
- 1 inch piece of ginger
- 1 tablespoon garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon chopped onion
- ¼ Cup hot water
- 2 tablespoon tomato ketchup
Ingredients for the marinade
- 4 tablespoon corn flour (cornstarch)
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (maida)
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
Prep Work:
- Soak paneer block in lukewarm water for 5 - 6 minutes. Later, cut into cubes. Marinate the paneer cubes in corn flour, all-purpose flour, salt, pepper, and soy sauce. Mix nicely to coat each paneer cube with the flour mixture. Add a tablespoon of water if the marinade is too thick. Set aside.
- Prepare my secret sauce. Soak dry red chili in hot water. Cover and set aside for 5 - 6 minutes for chilies to soften a bit. Later, blend the chilies along with soaked water, ginger, garlic, onion, and tomato ketchup to a smooth sauce. Set aside.
- Make a paste of cornflour and water. Mix nicely to make a lump free mixture. Set it aside till required.
Prepare Chilli Paneer:
- Heat oil in a deep frying pan. Shallow fry the marinated paneer cubes until light golden in color and crisp from both sides. Do not turn the paneer cubes again and again while frying. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- In the same pan add ginger and garlic. Stir fry for a minute. Add onion, and stir-fry over a high flame for 1 - 2 minutes or till onion soften a bit.
- Add the capsicum and sauté for a minute or so.
- Next add vinegar, soy sauce, chili sauce, salt, and mix nicely.
- Now, add the cornflour paste and stir the sauce continuously to avoid any lump formation.
- The sauce will start thickening now. Taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly
- Once the sauce thickens, add fried paneer cubes. Stir to combine. Allow the sauce to simmer over low heat for 5 - 6 minutes for paneer to absorb the flavor.
- Garnish the chilli paneer with chopped spring onion greens.
- Serve Chilli Paneer with fried rice.
Video
Notes
- Recommended Equipment: Wok ( buy it here )
- Do not deep-fry the marinated paneer cubes as they become chewy and hard.
- You can prepare my secret chili sauce in advance and store in the fridge. Or the leftover sauce can also be stored in the fridge.
- The chili sauce is spicy. Hence, taste it and then add to the gravy accordingly. We love spicy food so add the entire cup.
- To adjust the consistency of the gravy add more water if required.
Nutrition
Matar Paneer is a delicious Indian curry packed with paneer and green peas. I am sharing secret tips and tricks to make a truly Dhaba-style matar paneer at home. Be sure to watch the video!
What is ‘Dhaba’?
‘Dhaba’ is a Hindi term used across Northern India for restaurants or eateries on the highway.
These local eating joints serve lip-smacking, rustic, regional food without fuss or fancy plating.
If you travel across North, West, or Central India, eating at these roadside restaurants called ‘Dha-Ba’ is a must. These highway restaurants serve certain popular dishes like dal makhani , dal tadka , matar paneer, jeera aloo , chicken curry , and tandoori roti .
About Matar Paneer Recipe
When I say ‘Dhaba Style’, I truly mean the spicy, thick, and luscious paneer curry served at any North Indian Dhaba by the roadside.
Who says Dhaba-style matar paneer cannot be prepared without artificial colour or flavouring? In this matar paneer recipe, none of these is used, and yet the result is gratifying.
This requires time and patience, unlike my other quick and easy paneer recipes . The roasting of masala for the curry is a time-consuming process that cannot be done in haste.
If you are looking for a matar paneer curry in a hurry, try my pressure cooker matar paneer . Or you can get hands-on my debut cookbook The 100 Best Curries , where I have a dedicated chapter called Curry in a Hurry with vegetarian recipes in under 30 minutes.
My Tried and True Tips
Use the best available ripe and red tomatoes for the gravy. They give an excellent taste and colour to the dish.
Stick to either Kashmiri red chilli powder or Deggi Mirch Powder for this Dhaba-style matar paneer recipe. These two are known for imparting a rich colour to the dishes.
Adding roasted gram flour thickens the curry and gives it a restaurant-like consistency. But only a tablespoon is sufficient to make a perfect matar paneer.
Mustard oil or ghee is ideal for making any Dhaba-style rich gravy. I have used mustard oil in this recipe.
Frying paneer for the gravy is optional. Many people like fried cottage cheese cubes in their gravy, but I prefer the opposite. And I don’t think frying paneer contributes to the taste or texture of the dish.
You can use fresh or frozen green peas for making this paneer curry. If you are using frozen peas, thaw them before adding them to the curry.
Serving Suggestion
Matar Paneer is an Indian main course dish with a delicious gravy. Serve it with:
Naan , Tandoori Roti, or Chapati
Basmati Rice
Jeera Rice
Saffron Pulao
Watch Matar Paneer Video
More Paneer Recipes
- Restaurant Style Kadhai Paneer
- 30 Minutes Paneer Curry
- Paneer Kofta Curry
- Paneer Kali Mirch
- Paneer Makhani
- Paneer Jalfrezi
- Chilli Paneer
If you try this recipe and love it, please leave a comment and a rating. This helps us grow and reach other food lovers like you.
Ingredients
- ▢ 500 gram paneer (cottage cheese), cut into cubes
- ▢ ½ Cup fresh green peas (you can use frozen green peas )
- ▢ 1 Cup chopped onion
- ▢ 1 Cup chopped tomato
- ▢ 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste ( see recipe )
- ▢ 2 green chilies sliced
- ▢ 4 tablespoon mustard oil
- ▢ Salt to taste
- ▢ 1 bay leaf
- ▢ 1 teaspoon deggi mirch powder/Kashmiri lal mirch powder
- ▢ ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ▢ ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- ▢ ½ teaspoon garam masala ( see recipe )
- ▢ 1 tablespoon gram flour (besan)
Instructions
- Make paste of tomato in mixer. Set aside.
- Dry roast the gram flour over low heat till aromatic and golden. Keep aside.
- Heat mustard oil in a kadhai till it starts smoking. Reduce the heat to low.
- Fry the paneer cubes till they turn crisp and golden from both the sides. Transfer to a plate and set aside till required. This step is completely optional.
- Add bay leaf and fry for a second.
- Next add the chopped onion and cook till onion are golden brown.
- Add the ginger and garlic paste. Fry nicely for 3 – 5 minutes.
- Now add the tomato paste. Fry till the masala starts leaving the sides of the pan. This might take 5 – 10 minutes.
- Dissolve red chilli powder in two tablespoon of water and it to the masala.
- Add turmeric powder, peas, roasted gram flour and coriander powder. Stir to combine.
- Add approximately 1 Cup of water, cover the pan and allow the curry to simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.
- Next, add the paneer cubes, garam masala, green chilli, salt and mix nicely.
- Simmer the curry for few 5 more minutes or till it thickens.
- Garnish dhaba style matar paneer with fresh coriander leaves.
- Serve Dhaba Style Matar Paneer with naan or basmati rice.
Recipe Notes:
- Use the best available ripe and red tomatoes for the gravy.
- Stick to either Kashmiri red chili powder or Deggi Mirch Powder for this paneer recipe.
- Dissolving red chili powder in water before adding to the masala gives a nice color to the curry.
- Adding roasted gram flour thickens the curry and gives it a restaurant like consistency.
- Mustard oil or ghee is the ideal to make any dhaba style rich gravy.
- Frying paneer for the gravy is totally optional.
Nutrition
We follow a strict NO SPAM Policy
