Chilli Paneer Recipe

Chilli paneer recipe with step by step photos.

Chilli paneer is a famous spicy Indo-Chinese starter. Few people like semi gravy version of chilli paneer while others like the dry version. In this recipe, I have shared both the variations of chilli paneer. 

My mumma's chilli paneer recipe is really famous! Chilli paneer is a must in the menu whenever any of my cousin is coming to our place. 😁 So yeah this is my mumma's recipe. Do try this recipe at home and share your feedback.

For making this restaurant style chilli paneer, we need to deep fry paneer coated with cornflour and several sauces. After this we need to coat these paneer cubes with nice Indo-Chinese style gravy. 

Here goes the detailed chilli paneer recipe with step by step photos:

Chilli Paneer Recipe

Ingredients:

Paneer - 400 gms

Capsicum - 1 medium size

Onion - 2 medium size

Spring onions - for garnish

Sesame seeds - 1 teaspoon

Garlic - 20-25 cloves

Green chilli- 2-3

Ginger - 2 inch(grated)

Tomato - 2 medium size

Tomato sauce - 1 tablespoon or to taste

Chilli sauce - 1 tablespoon or to taste

Vinegar - 1 teaspoon

Soya sauce - 1 teaspoon

Maida(All purpose flour) - 1 tablespoon

Cornflour - 2 Tbsp

Red chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Black pepper powder  - 1/2 teaspoon

Oil for deep frying

Salt to taste

Chilli Paneer Recipe:

1. Add Paneer, tomato ketchup, chilli sauce, vinegar, red chilli powder. Close the box and shake it well. All the paneer cubes will get the even coating of sauces. 
2. Add cornflour and maida. Close the box and shake it again. This time all the paneer cubes will be coated with cornflour and maida mixture. If it is coated evenly then paneer cubes won't stick to each other and there will be some extra mixture left. If not, then add more cornflour and maida.
3. Now paneer is ready for deep frying.
4. Heat oil in a kadhai and meanwhile cut capsicum and onions. Capsicum and onions should be diced.
5. Once the oil is hot, deep fry paneer until golden brown.
6. After paneer deep fry onions and capsicum as well. Be really quick while deep frying onions and capsicums. They should not lose their colour. It will hardly take 3-4 seconds for onion and 5-6 seconds for capsicum.
7. Keep these deep fried things aside on an absorbent paper.
8. Now take the mixture that was left after coating paneer cubes. Add chilli sauce, tomato sauce, pepper, vinegar and mix it well. Keep it aside. 
9. Heat about 1 tbsp oil in a pan.
10. Add grated ginger, chopped garlic and green chillies. Saute it for about a minute.
11. Add finely chopped tomatoes.
12. When it becomes mushy, add the mixture prepared in step 8. Consistency will become thicker. If you want to have a little gravy then add some more water. Otherwise,  let it become thick.
13. Add sesame seeds.
14. Add deep fried paneer, onions and capsicum. Mix everything well on high flame. Cook for about a minute! 
15. Chilli paneer is ready! Garnish it with spring onions or sesame seeds or both! Serve it with fried rice. 

Step by Step Chilli Paneer Recipe with Photos:

1. Add Paneer cubes, chilli sauce, tomato sauce, salt, red chilli powder, pepper powder in a box. Close the box and shake it well.

Mixed Paneer cubes, sauces, chilli powder and pepper

2. Paneer is coated with the sauces, pepper and chilli. Now add cornflour and maida. Cover it and shake it well again. 

Added Maida and cornflour

3. Paneer should be properly covered with the cornflour and maida mixture. If not, then add more cornflour and maida until properly coated.

Diced onions

Diced Capsicums

5. Now deep fry paneer.

Deep frying coated paneer

6. Deep fry capsicum very quickly. Capsicum should not change its colour. It will take hardly 4-5 second.

Deep frying capsicum

Deep fried capsicum

7. Deep fry onion as well. This will take 2-3 seconds. Be very quick while deep frying onions and capsicum.

Deep frying onions

8. This is how onion should look like after deep frying.

Deep fried onions

9. Save the cornflour, maida and sauces mixture left. 

Leftover mixture.

10. Mix Pepper, more chilli sauce, vinegar, soya sauce and tomato sauce.

Added more sauces, pepper and vinegar.

11. Mix everything well. There shouldn't be any lumps. Now, keep this mixture aside.

Mixed well 

12.  Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan. 

Heating oil

13. Add green chillies, grated ginger and finely chopped garlic. Saute it for a minute oh high flame.

Added ginger, chillies and garlic

14. Add chopped tomatoes. You can skip this if you want to make it really dry.

Added tomatoes

15. Add the mixture that we have prepared in step 11.  Mix everything well. You will notice that consistency is becoming thicker. Add some water if you want a little gravy.

Added mixture

16. Add sesame seeds. 

Added sesame seeds

17. Add deep fried paneer, capsicum and onions.

Added paneer, onion and capsicums

18. Mix it well and cook on high flame for about a minute. Chilli paneer is ready! Sprinkle some chopped spring onions and sesame seeds to garnish.

Chilli paneer served with fried rice

Recipe Notes:

1. You can sprinkle some spring onions before serving.
2. If you don't like thick coating on the paneer cubes then reduce the quantity of maida and cornflour while coating.
3. You can also use a pinch of Ajinomoto.

Do try this recipe at home I'm sure everyone will love it. If you liked this recipe this recipe then don't forget to share it with your friends and family😊