Chili Paneer

- LW

Very delicious dry, vegetarian curry. I like to serve it with roti or another Indian bread, like naan or paratha. The amounts in this recipe are very approximate, so feel free to season to taste.

The following ingredients can be found at Indian grocery stores: green chilis (tiny but concentrated hot chilis), curry leaves, paneer, roti, red chili powder and ginger-garlic paste. You can also make your own ginger-garlic paste by food processing equal parts ginger and garlic.

Ingredients
1 block paneer

1 egg

2 teaspoons ginger-garlic paste, divided

salt to taste

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1-2 teapoons ground coriander

1 medium onion

2 green chilis (you can chop them finely after removing the seeds, or you can cut off the top and slit the chilis down the middle and put them in whole; I usually do the second way, as it allows the heat to get into the dish but then I can discard the chilis later so I don't bite into them)

2 bell peppers (any color you like; I like a mix of red and yellow), chopped into 1 inch pieces

about 7 curry leaves

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon chili garlic paste or sriracha

1/2 teaspoon red chili powder (you can buy this at an Indian grocery store or just use something hot like cayenne)

1-2 tsp. lime juice

<p class="MsoNormal">1/2 cup chopped cilantro

<p class="MsoNormal">canola oil for frying

Directions
<p class="MsoNormal">Cut the paneer into 1-inch cubes.

<p class="MsoNormal">Mix together egg, 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste, cornstarch and a few tablespoons water. (You could add a pinch of turmeric here too if you wanted.) Toss paneer in egg mixture.

<p class="MsoNormal">Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in a heavy pot on the stove. Fry paneer cubes until golden brown on all sides. Remove with slotted spoon onto a plate covered with paper towels. (You can also fry them in the deep fryer for about 1 minute at 375.)

<p class="MsoNormal">In 1-2 tablespoons oil, sautee cumin seeds, onion, and green chilis over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until soft. Add 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste and sautee 5 more minutes. Add ground coriander and ground cumin and sautee for 1-2 more minutes until spices are fragrant.

<p class="MsoNormal">Add a few tablespoons of water to the pan to deglaze. Add chopped bell pepers and cook until still crunchy but not raw tasting, about 5-7 min. Salt to taste.

<p class="MsoNormal">Add curry leaves, soy sauce, chili garlic paste or sriracha, and red chili powder. Cook for 1 minute. Add lime juice and stir.

<p class="MsoNormal">Turn heat to low, add paneer back in and cook until warmed through. Mix in cilantro.