Sweet Chili Paneer
This sweet chili paneer recipe is totally crave-worthy. The paneer is lightly battered, pan-fried until golden then mixed with stir-fried onion and green pepper and the most delicious sweet and sticky sauce.
If you love sweet and sticky dinner recipes, also try our sticky sesame honey shrimp with ginger broccoli and our sweet and sticky mango chutney chicken.
What is chili paneer?
Chili paneer is a little like a stir fry with a sweet and sticky sauce made with Asian flavors and Indian paneer. It's an Indo-Chinese dish that's popular for good reason. We think that it's the very best way to eat paneer.
Chili paneer is often served as a starter, but we like it best served as a main course with a side of rice.
What is paneer?
Paneer is a soft, Indian-style cheese. It has a very mild flavor and is similar to (but not exactly like) halloumi.
Medium-firm tofu is a reasonable vegan substitute for paneer.
You'll find paneer in many grocery stores. It's usually sold in plastic wrapped packages and looks similar to tofu.
How to make this chili panner recipe
There are three parts to making chili paneer, and each are very simple.
- The Paneer. Make a simple batter with flour, water, salt, and pepper then mix in the paneer. Now pan-fry the battered paneer in a little bit of oil.
- The Sauce. Mix the sauce ingredients together. So easy!
- The Veggies. Quickly stir-fry the veggies then mix in the paneer and the sauce.
Can I make chili paneer without the batter?
While you can fry the paneer without the batter (like we do in our easy palak paneer), it will change the recipe. The batter makes the paneer crispy and gives the sauce something to hold onto.
So we recommend that you batter the paneer. You can see in the picture below just how deliciously crispy it gets. You won't be disappointed!
Complete the delicious meal
Chili paneer is a one-pan recipe and all it needs to make it a complete meal is a side of perfect basmati rice or cauliflower rice.
If you'd like a few more vegetables with dinner, here are our favorites:
- Roasted Tandoori Cauliflower with Tahini Yogurt
- Garlic Butter Asparagus
- SautƩed Green Beans with Garlic
- Golden Roasted Turmeric Cauliflower
- Sweet Curry Corn with Mango Chutney Butter
More paneer recipes
Sweet Chili Paneer
If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!
Ingredients
The Paneer
- ā cup cold water
- Ā¼ cup all-purpose flour, gluten-free, if needed
- Ā¼ teaspoon EACH: sea salt and pepper
- 12 ounces 350 grams paneer (cut into 1″ pieces)
The Sauce
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
Everything Else
- 4 tablespoons cooking oil, avocado works well
- 2 tablespoons finely minced ginger
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- Optional: spicy green chili pepper, minced
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 red onion, chopped
- Minced cilantro, to serve
Instructions
- Whisk the water, flour, salt, and pepper together in a medium-sized bowl. Add the paneer and mix it so that it is coated lightly in the batter.Āā cup cold water, Ā¼ cup all-purpose flour, Ā¼ teaspoon EACH: sea salt and pepper, 12 ounces 350 grams paneer (cut into 1″ pieces)
- Add the cornstarch and soy sauce to a small bowl and mix well. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and mix once more.Ā2 teaspoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the pieces of paneer then discard the remaining batter. Fry the paneer until golden brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Once brown, remove the paneer from the pan and discard all but 1 tablespoon of the oil.Ā4 tablespoons cooking oil
- Add the ginger, garlic, and (if using) the spicy pepper to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Add the bell pepper and onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, or just until the veggies begin to soften.Ā2 tablespoons finely minced ginger, 4 cloves garlic, Optional: spicy green chili pepper, 1 green bell pepper, 1 red onion
- Return the paneer to the pan and pour in the sauce. Mix everything together and let it thicken for 1 minute. Serve with a little cilantro sprinkled on top.Ā
Notes
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Had some paneer in the fridge and went looking for a recipe on Pinterest and found yours. Happy that I did! It was great! Loved the flavor and the sweetness. Will be making this one again!
Hi Kristen
Just wondering, can you freeze the Chilli Paneer.
Cheers
Barb
I haven’t tried so I can’t say for sure. My guess is that it wouldn’t be as good after it thaws as the crispiness of the paneer is one of the best parts of this.