Paneer Chile Dry

By Zainab Shah

Updated October 11, 2023

  • A shallow pink bowl holds paneer chile dry, with glazed fried cubes of paneer in a chile-soy sauce on top of white rice with slivered scallions.
    Nico Schinco for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
30 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Rating
4(510)
Comments
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Served at restaurants on both sides of the Pakistan-India border, this spicy, sticky paneer’s popularity is testament to China’s culinary influence on the region. The word “dry” in the title references the preparation’s consistency compared to more saucy, gravy-rich dishes. Coating paneer in batter then frying it gives the mild fluffy cheese a crispy crust, then tossing it in a thick chile-soy sauce imbues it with salt and heat. Onion and bell pepper provide just enough fresh, sweet relief until the next bite. The dish forms a deluge of pleasurable textures and fiery flavor in 30 minutes. If you’d like, you can substitute tofu for the paneer and skip the batter frying.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch

  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving

  • ¼ teaspoon Kashmiri red chile powder (or other mild red chile powder)

  • 1 pound paneer (store-bought or homemade), cut into ¾-inch cubes (see Tip)

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce (preferably dark soy sauce)

  • 2 tablespoons ketchup

  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar

  • ¼ cup vegetable or other neutral oil

  • 3 whole dried red chiles (such as dundicut or Thai), stems removed

  • 3 fresh green Thai or serrano chiles, sliced

  • 1 tablespoon garlic paste or freshly grated garlic

  • 1 teaspoon ginger paste or freshly grated ginger

  • 1 bell pepper, halved, seeded and cut into ¾-inch pieces

  • 1 medium onion, halved and cut into ¾-inch pieces

  • 2 scallions, sliced

  • Rice (optional), for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

40 grams carbs; 79 milligrams cholesterol; 641 calories; 16 grams monosaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 17 grams saturated fat; 42 grams fat; 1 gram trans fat; 2 grams fiber; 1325 milligrams sodium; 27 grams protein; 7 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large bowl, mix flour, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, ½ teaspoon black pepper and the Kashmiri red chile powder with ¼ cup water to form a smooth, thick paste. Add paneer and, using your hands or a spatula, coat evenly.

  2. Step 2

    In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, ketchup, rice vinegar and remaining 1 teaspoon cornstarch; set aside.

  3. Step 3

    In a large frying pan or wok, heat the oil for 45 seconds on high. Add paneer pieces and fry undisturbed until paneer starts to change color, 10 to 30 seconds. Flip to fry the opposite side until paneer starts to turn golden, 10 to 30 seconds more. Remove paneer pieces and set aside.

  4. Step 4

    To the same pan, stir in dried red chiles, fresh green chiles, garlic and ginger; cook for 30 seconds. Stir in bell pepper and onion and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until onion and bell pepper soften, 3 to 5 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    Return the paneer to the pan and stir until everything is thoroughly mixed. Stir the soy sauce mixture then pour it into the pan. Cook, stirring, until the sauce evenly coats the paneer, onion and bell pepper, about 3 minutes. Top with additional black pepper and the scallions. Serve with rice or on its own.

Tip

  • If you’re using store-bought paneer, soak the cubes in warm water for 10 minutes for a light and fluffy texture.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
510 user ratings
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Comments

Susan

To make about a cup of paneer (although it’s easy to multiply), bring a quart of whole milk to a boil. Remove from heat. Add 2 T. white vinegar. Let it stand for 10 minutes. Pour into a cheesecloth-lined sieve. Gather the cheesecloth in your hand and gently squeeze to remove the excess whey. Transfer the "bag" of curds to a small plate. Put another plate on top and put a weight (like a big can of tomatoes) on top. Refrigerate for up to 2 days. It will be firm enough for this recipe in an hour.

Durham

This is a very easy and tasty dish! Even my kids loved it (I made it less spicy than the recipe). One of the best dishes I've made from this website.

td

Would halloumi work?

Catherine

cooking this was SO messy. flavors were solid, but please know that you're going to have to deep clean your range after this

jp

We liked this recipe but it did have a bit of heat (and we love spice) so we've dialed that back, added more veg and are going to try substituting tofu at some point to see how that tastes. I also seasoned the rice with cilantro and lime (we used lime to cut back on some of the heat and I liked the taste combo).

jessi

excellent. just be sure to reduce the amount of chili peppers if you can’t handle heat. it’s quite hot.

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