If you like Sriracha and soy sauce, you’ll love this Indo-Chinese appetizer
I’ve heard people say that Sriracha is the hipster ketchup. But—despite my MacBook Pro, my desire to sit in Starbucks and write stuff, and my black-framed glasses—I’m 90 per cent sure that I’m not a hipster. I am, however, 100 per cent sure that most university students own or have a roommate who owns a clear bottle with that tell-tale green top, filled with red chilli-garlic sauce.
Sure, you can use garlic and chilli paste of any kind but Sriracha is easier because you can use it like hipster ketchup and enjoy it with a bunch of food rather than buying yet another bottle of something you’ll only use for one recipe and then forget in the back of your pantry until moving day.
If you’ve never had paneer, it’s an Indian cheese that is best described as a compressed cottage cheese. It’s more like tofu in the sense that it doesn’t melt when it is heated, but it definitely tastes more like a dairy product. Unlike cheese, you have to cook it before you eat it. Don’t just buy it, open it, and eat it. Paneer is one of my favourite things to eat, so I’ve introduced a lot of dinner guests to it and I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who hasn’t liked it.
Ingredients
1 block of paneer (they only come in one size and are usually near the yogurt in the dairy aisle; you could also use tofu if you don’t do dairy)
1 to 5 bell peppers, cut into large cubes
1 to 2 small red onions, cut into large cubes (optional)
1 tablespoon of grated ginger root (remove the skin and then use the tiniest side of your cheese grater, should be around one inch of ginger)
Thai or bird’s eye chilli peppers to taste (I used two—one red and one green)
2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil (one for paneer marinade and one for sauce)
2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce (soy sauces ranges in saltiness, add a teaspoon and then taste before deciding to add more)
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin (1/2 a teaspoon for paneer marinade and 1 teaspoon for sauce)
1/4 teaspoon red chilli powder or cayenne powder
Pinch of salt
1 lime, to finish
Directions
Cut paneer in half lengthwise and then cut into nine to 10 slices widthwise so that you’re left with about 18 to 20 cubes.
Heat a frying pan on medium heat.
In a medium bowl add one tablespoon of olive oil, the chilli powder of your choice, half a teaspoon of cumin, and a pinch of salt. Mix well with a fork or whisk.
Add paneer pieces into the spice and oil mixture. The best way to coat the paneer is mixing using your hands, because a fork or spoon will probably make the pieces break.
Add all of the marinated paneer pieces to the heated frying pan. Cook until golden brown on one side (about four minutes), flip and cook until golden brown on other side. Remove from heat.
Heat a big pot over medium, add another tablespoon of olive oil, onions, and chilli peppers. Cook for five minutes until onion is slightly browned. This part may make you sneeze. Power through it.
Add Sriracha sauce, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, ginger root, one teaspoon of ground cumin, and bell peppers.
Put lid on the pot and cook for 10 minutes.
Add cooked paneer, stir well, and cook for five more minutes with the lid on.
Transfer to serving dish. Garnish with slices of lime or top with the juice of one lime (or to taste). If you’re not using lime then you’ll need to add more salt.
Chilli paneer is actually an appetizer on most Indo-Chinese restaurant menus, but when I was a university student, it became a main dish for me. All I did was add some garlic naan from the grocery store and I was content. Speaking of grocery store naan, here’s a quick tip: ignore the ridiculous “400 degree fahrenheit for two minutes” baking directions on the package and just cook them in a frying pan; it’s faster and won’t turn the naan rock-hard if you’re off by ten seconds. What are we—oven scientists?
Photos by Mirali Almaula/The Ontarion.