Hearty Paneer Chilli

Until recently, I was afraid to cook with paneer. I just did not understand how it could be used in everyday cooking. Having cooked with paneer a few times now, I am a huge fan of the taste and texture it brings to ordinary ingredients.

In this rather quick recipe, I paired paneer with capsicum/green bell pepper, and those two combined create an amazing flavor. At first I thought, I would add more East Asian flavor to this recipe, but then I decided to stick to the South Asian spice palette to avoid any unpleasantries on Tuesday night. 😛 Would you like to see an East Asian variation? Let me know in the comments!

This dish can be served with quinoa, rice, or flat bread. I will be taking leftovers in a wrap for lunch tomorrow. Why not, right?

So without any more story around paneer, let me list what you’d need to make your Tuesday evening slightly brighter. 🙂

Ingredients:

• Oil (1/4 cup)
• Onion (1 large chopped)
• Ginger Garlic Paste (2 tablespoons)
• Green chillies (4 chopped)
• Tomato paste (3 teaspoons) or tomatoes (3 chopped)
• Turmeric powder (1/4 teaspoon)
• Garam masala (1/2 teaspoon)
• Red chili powder (1 teaspoon)
• White pepper (1 teaspoon)
• Salt (to taste)
• Green bell pepper (1 chopped)
• Paneer (250-300 grams)

Method:

• Sauté the onion in oil.
• When the onion is golden brown, add the ginger garlic paste.
• Once the ginger garlic paste is fragrant, add chopped green chillies, tomatoes/tomato paste, and all the spices. Cook this mixture until oil separates.
• Now add the green bell pepper and cook until it is 80% cooked. Add water if needed to make more gravy.
• Once the bell pepper is cooked, add paneer and gently mix. Cover and cook for five to ten minutes. Voila!

Tips:

• Garnish with chopped coriander if you’ve it on hand.
• Serve with naan, wholewheat chapati/tortilla or rice.
• Use leftovers to make a wrap for lunch on the go.