Chilli Paneer

5 from 1 vote

This chilli paneer features crispy paneer cubes, tossed with onions and bell peppers in a flavorful spicy sauce. You can make this easy and delicious chilli paneer recipe within 25 minutes.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: air fryer, Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian, Indo-Chinese

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 518kcal

Author: Sonia

Ingredients

To air fry paneer:

500 g paneer chopped into cubes
¾ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon red chilli powder or paprika powder
1 ½ tablespoon olive oil

For stir fry:

2 tablespoon olive oil
2-2½ tablespoon garlic-ginger paste see notes for quantities
5 green chillies sliced
½ cup spring onions green onions/scallions, finely chopped
2 onions (medium) yellow/brown, sliced
2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
2 tablespoon tomato puree concentrate or tomato paste
2 tablespoon coriander/cilantro
1 red bell pepper sliced
¾ green bell pepper sliced
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Instructions

Air Fry Paneer

Preheat the air fryer to 180°C/350°F.
In a medium bowl, add the chopped paneer cubes, turmeric and red chilli powder and toss the paneer to evenly coat. Add olive oil and toss again so paneer is evenly coated.
Line the preheated air fryer tray with baking/parchment paper, add the paneer (making sure the paneer cubes are spaced out and not overlapping) and air-fry for 10-15 minutes, or until crispy and golden.
Once cooked, using a spatula, transfer the paneer onto a plate lined with kitchen/paper towel(s) to drain any excess oil and set aside.

Chilli Paneer stir-fry

Heat oil in a medium/large non-stick pan, then add the garlic-ginger paste and sauté for 30 seconds on medium-high heat.
Add slices green chillies and cook for another 30 seconds.
Add the sliced onions and chopped spring onions/scallions and cook for 5 minutes, stirring intermittently (every 30 seconds – 1 minute).
Add soy sauce and tomato puree/paste (concentrate) and stir to coat the onions and cook for another minute.
Stir in the fresh coriander/cilantro and bell peppers, add salt and water and continue cooking for 2 minutes.
Stir in the air fried paneer cubes to evenly combine.
Add lemon juice and cook for another 30 seconds. Serve and enjoy.

Notes

Air fryer substitute: if you do not have an air-fryer, you can bake at the paneer (for 15-20 minutes) at 190°C/370°F (fan) or shallow fry in a non-stick wide frying pan, until crispy and golden.
Garlic-ginger paste: to make the garlic-ginger paste for this recipe I used 18 garlic cloves and a small chunk of ginger (6g ginger). Add the garlic and ginger in a small stick blender and blitz into paste (you can add 1-2 tablespoons of water to help make the paste smooth), this entire paste was added to the stir-fry. If you prefer a milder flavor, add less garlic or ginger, alternatively add a smaller quantity of the paste and you can freeze the remaining paste (transfer into an ice cube tray or small air-tight container to freeze)

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