Chilli Paneer

This is a wonderful fusion of Chinese and Indian influences. Tasty paneer pakoras in a hot spicy chilli sauce cooked in a wok with soy sauce and spring onions.

Ingredients
serves 2
200g paneer, cut into bite-sized cubes
1 tsp root ginger, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3cm celery, finely chopped
4 spring onions, (white part finely sliced)
3 green chillies, deseeded, cut into 2 cm strips
1 green pepper, sliced into
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp red chilli sauce (see below)
1 tbsp cornflour (mixed with 3 tablespoons water)
1 tbsp sesame oil
salt to taste

for the batter
50ml cornflour
50g plain flour
1 tsp soy sauce
0.5 tsp white pepper
pinch of baking powder
125ml water
salt

for the red chilli sauce
10 whole dried red chilies
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp sesame oil

for garnish
4 spring onions (green part cut into thin batons)

oil for deep-frying


Method
Firstly prepare the red chilli sauce.  Roughly chop the dried red chillies and soak them in hot water for 30 minutes.  Drain and blitz the chillies into a paste by either using a hand blender or a pestle & mortar. Add the garlic cloves, brown sugar and salt and grind down to a paste. Then add the tomato paste and rice vinegar and mix well.

Heat the sesame oil in a small pan to a high temperature.  Add the chilli paste and stir in well. Remove from the heat straight away.  Set aside. (Store left overs in an air-tight container.)

Next, mix together all the batter ingredients in a bowl gradually adding the water until you make a smooth thick batter.  Don't make the batter too thin.

Dip the paneer into the batter then deep fry in hot oil until the batter is golden brown.  Drain on kitchen paper and set aside.

In a large wok or frying pan heat a tablespoon of sesame oil to a high temperature then add the ginger, garlic, celery, spring onion and green chillies. Cook for a minute.

Add the green pepper, soy sauce, red chilli sauce, extra tomato paste and the cornflour paste.  Reduce the temperature to a medium and cook until the sauce thickens. Add a splash of water if it thickens too quickly.

Add fried paneer pieces and stir in well so that all the paneer pakoras are coated in the chilli sauce. Taste and season with salt. Cook for a further few minutes. The sauce should now be thick and sticky.

Serve garnished with the spring onion greens.