Green chilli - 8 to 10 (Adjust as per your preference)
Spring onion greens - 4 to 5 stalks, finely chopped
For Sauce:
Cold pressed sunflower or canola oil - ¼ cup
Cornflour - 4 tbsp + 2 tbsp
Light soy sauce - 2 tbsp
Dark soy sauce - 1 tbsp
Vinegar - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1 tbsp
Black pepper powder - ½ tsp
Salt to taste
Instructions
Cut the block of paneer into cubes of 1-inch length and ½ inch width. Take the paneer cubes in a mixing bowl.
Drizzle about half a teaspoon of salt and 4 tablespoons of cornflour over the paneer cubes. Give a good shake to the bowl so that each paneer cube gets lightly coated with cornflour.
Heat a wok or frying pan and add about 2 tablespoons of oil; let the oil warm up.
Once the oil is nicely warm, reduce the heat and place the coated paneer cubes one by one into the oil in a single layer. Let them shallow fry without disturbance for 2 minutes on medium-low heat.
After a couple of minutes, flip the paneer cubes over and let the other side fry on low heat until both the sides become golden brown and crispy.
Fry the paneer cubes in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan; otherwise your paneer cubes will not turn out crispy.
Once all paneer cubes are fried, set them aside in a bowl until needed!
While the paneer was frying, cut the capsicums into 1-inch chunks. Also, cut the onion into large chunks and then open up the layers. Cut the green chillies into halves.
Before you start the stir frying, prepare the chilli paneer sauce by mixing both light & dark soy sauce, vinegar and sugar with about half a cup of water in a mixing bowl. Give a good mix.*
In another small bowl, dissolve 2 tablespoons of cornflour with about ¼ cup of water to make a slurry and set it aside.
Now let’s start the stir frying! Heat a wok over high heat. Once it is nicely hot, reduce the heat to medium low and add about 2 tablespoons of oil.
Swirl the wok so that oil coats the entire surface. Now add the finely chopped ginger & garlic and green chillies.
Give them a quick toss in hot oil and stir fry for just 1 minute. Then add the capsicum chunks & onion petals and stir fry them for 4 to 5 minutes on medium flame.
Once you are happy with the veggies, it’s time to add the sauce! After giving a quick stir to the sauce mixture, pour it into the wok.
Bring the heat to up to medium high and gently stir the sauce to mix it in with all veggies. Let the sauce come to a boil.
As soon as the sauce starts to boil, drizzle the prepared cornflour slurry after giving it a quick stir. Keep stirring the veggies into the sauce and slurry to mix everything up evenly.
Once the sauce starts to simmer it will start to thicken evenly; add in the fried paneer cubes at this stage.
Using a spatula keep stirring your chilli paneer gently keeping the heat on low at this stage.
Gradually the paneer cubes will soak up the sauce and get coated beautifully! The sauce will be absorbed by paneer cubes & veggies leaving you with the most luscious chilli paneer dry you ever had!
At this stage, check the seasoning - if you feel any additional salt is needed, add it now as per your taste. Also sprinkle the black pepper powder. Gently mix everything evenly.
Switch off the flame now and sprinkle chopped spring onion greens over the chilli paneer. Give a final gentle mix and your restaurant style chilli paneer is ready!
Transfer your chilli paneer to a serving bowl, garnish with more freshly chopped spring onion greens and a dash of black pepper powder, serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
*Pro tip: Do not add salt to the sauce. We will add salt at the end after tasting the final dish as soy sauces are already quite salty.
Recipe by Flavor Quotient at https://flavorquotient.com/2025/04/restaurant-style-chilli-paneer-recipe/