Chili Paneer Stir Fry

I was looking through my drafts and found this old gem. Why I haven't posted this earlier, I don't know! This is one of those meals that I put together in a jiffy by scrounging up ingredients and hoping that something edible comes out of it. I ended up with something that will make its way back on my table again and again. The whole dish took about 20 minutes to make, mainly because I turn into a hungry multi tasking beast after work on weeknights. You might take a little longer to chop but don't cook it too long. Stir fries love high heat and quick cooking. Slowing it down make them soggy and mushy - no good!

I don't usually think of making chili paneer, which is a common Indo-Chinese fusion dish. Paneer almost always turns into some form or the other of matar paneer or palak paneer in my kitchen. Primarily, this is because most recipes for chili paneer start with battering and frying the paneer, which is a bit of a culinary turn off for me. Do you really want to deep fry your cheese? I don't, so I didn't. What we ended up with was a definite keeper. It has a good amount of heat from the chilies and chili sauce. Adjust the amount of chilies to suit your palate. 

Yield - Serves 2

Time - 30 Minutes

Ingredients

300g Paneer 
1 Red Onion
1 Red Bell Pepper
5 Cloves Garlic
2 Red Chilies
3 Tablespoons Dark Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Chili Sauce (optional)
1/2 Cup Cilantro, chopped
Salt, to taste
Pepper, dash

Method

If you're using frozen cubed paneer, soak them in hot water while you prep the veggies, to soften them.

Slice the onions, red bell pepper, garlic and red chilies. Discard the seeds of the chilies and pepper.

Heat oil in a pan till it starts to smoke. Toss in the sliced red bell pepper and onions.

Add a little salt and pepper - not too much salt, we are going to add soy sauce in a couple of minutes! Cook for just a minute or two till the onions and pepper start to wilt.

Toss in the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the paneer.

Mix the soy sauce and chili sauce and pour it in to the pan and mix to coat the paneer and vegetables. Add the sliced chilies, tossing it all together and stir in chopped cilantro. 

Enjoy!

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