Cheese Chilli Paneer (Dry Version)

A fusion of soft paneer, gooey cheese, and bold Indo-Chinese flavors — crispy, spicy, and irresistible!

📋 Ingredients:

For marination and frying:

• 200g paneer (cubed)
• 1/4 cup grated mozzarella or processed cheese
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour (maida)
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• Salt to taste
• Water (as needed)
• Oil (for shallow or deep frying)

For the sauce:

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp finely chopped garlic
• 1 tsp finely chopped ginger
• 1 green chili (slit or chopped)
• 1 small onion (sliced or diced)
• 1 small capsicum (green or mixed colors), diced
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp red chili sauce
• 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 1/2 tsp vinegar (optional)
• 1/2 tsp sugar (optional, for balance)
• Salt to taste
• Spring onions (for garnish)

👨‍🍳 Instructions:

1. Prepare the Paneer-Coated Cheese Cubes:
   • In a bowl, combine cornflour, all-purpose flour, salt, black pepper and a little water to make a thick batter.
   • Add paneer cubes and coat well.
   • Stuff or roll each paneer cube in some grated cheese (lightly press if needed).
   • Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry or deep fry the coated paneer-cheese cubes until golden and crisp.
   • Set aside.
2. Make the Sauce Base:
   • In a wok or pan, heat 1 tbsp oil on high flame.
   • Add chopped garlic, ginger and green chili.
   • Sauté for a few seconds until fragrant.
   • Add onions and capsicum. Stir-fry for 2–3 minutes — keep them slightly crunchy.
   • Add soy sauce, red chili sauce, tomato ketchup, vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt.
   • Mix well.
3. Toss Everything Together:
   • Add the fried paneer-cheese cubes into the sauce.
   • Gently toss to coat evenly without breaking the cubes.
   • Cook for 1–2 minutes until everything is well combined.
4. Garnish and Serve:
   • Garnish with chopped spring onions.
   • Serve hot as an appetizer or a side with noodles or fried rice.

Tips:

• For extra spice, add crushed black pepper or a dash of schezwan sauce.
• To make it gooier, sprinkle some cheese on top just before serving.
• For a gravy version, add 1/2 cup water + 1 tsp cornflour slurry to the sauce and simmer for 2–3 minutes.