Paneer Crispy is that perfect combination of sweet, spicy and tangy with crispy paneer bites. It’s a street-style Indo-Chinese favorite that everyone loves!
Crispy, pan-fried paneer is tossed in a fabulous sweet and tangy sauce. It’s incredibly easy to make with a handful of simple ingredients and is ready in under 30 minutes!
They are also totally delicious!
They’d make the perfect party appetizer or evening snack! So good that everyone will keep coming back for more!
Why you’ll love this
- This Paneer Crispy recipe takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish and requires only a handful of ingredients.
- Each cube of paneer is perfectly coated in a delicious sauce and is crispy on the outside while still being soft on the inside.
- It’s packed with protein and is low-carb. Plus the paneer is pan-fried instead of deep-fried, making it a great snack option for the health-conscious.
Ingredients for Paneer Crispy
Paneer: It is also known as cottage cheese. Use good quality paneer, either store-bought or homemade, so that the flavors are well absorbed and the paneer doesn’t get soggy upon cooking.
Oil: I prefer to use vegetable oil for this paneer starter, but coconut oil would work in its place too.
Ginger and Garlic: Fresh ginger and garlic give the best flavor, but if you are in a hurry ginger garlic paste will work too. I’d recommend about 1 teaspoon of ginger garlic paste in place of the ginger and garlic in this recipe.
Green chillies: I have used two finely chopped green chillies here, but feel free to up or reduce the heat according to your preference.
Soy sauce: Light soy sauce will work well for this recipe. It adds saltiness and flavor as well as gives a light bronze glow to the dish.
Ketchup: Tomato ketchup for adding a hint of sweetness.
Chilli Sauce: Green chilli sauce for adding a bit more heat to the dish.
Cornstarch: You will need this for coating the paneer before stir-frying, and also for thickening the sauce mixture to give it a sticky texture.
Capsicum: For adding some crunch and color.
Onion: I have used one small onion finely chopped for flavor, along with half of an onion, cubed, for tossing along with capsicum in the end.
Sesame seeds: I like to add a pinch of sesame seeds to garnish and for added flavor.
Spring onion: To top it off with some finely chopped green onion for garnish.
Salt and Pepper: For seasoning the paneer pieces.
How to make Paneer Crispy – Step by Step
Toss paneer in cornstarch: In a bowl, add paneer, cornstarch, salt and pepper. and toss to coat the paneer pieces well. Then splash just a tablespoon of water and toss the paneer pieces well to coat evenly on all sides.
Shallow fry paneer: Heat some oil in a non-stick pan or a wok on medium-high heat, then add the cornstarch-coated paneer cubes to it in a single layer. Cook them for 2-3 minutes on each side until they’re golden brown. Take them out to a plate and set it aside.
While the paneer is cooking, prepare the sauce by mixing the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Also, prepare cornstarch slurry by mixing a tablespoon of cornstarch in a tablespoon of water and set aside.
Make the sauce: In the same pan, heat some oil on high heat and toss in ginger, garlic and green chillies. Saute for a minute then add the finely chopped onions.
After about half a minute, add soy sauce, ketchup and chilly sauce along with 1/2 cup of hot water. Stir well, then immediately add the cornstarch slurry to the mixture.
The sauces will soon start to bubble and sizzle nicely, at which point the fried paneer should be tossed in, along with the diced capsicum and onion. Toss everything well so that everything is coated well in the sauce.
Garnish with spring onions and sesame and serve right away!
Serving Suggestions
This would make a great appetizer for parties! Make a double or triple batch and put them out with toothpicks and serve them as finger food to a hungry crowd. It’s also a great snack option for Afternoon Tea.
Or go ahead and make a meal out of it! Serve it up with some plain rice and salad for a quick and easy midweek dinner!
Storage
If you have any leftovers, which you most probably won’t, store them in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a pan or in the microwave. However, keep in mind that the paneer cubes will lose some of their crispiness and will get soggy after it sits in the sauce for a while.
Tips
- Since this is an Indo-Chinese dish, everything is to be cooked fast, on high heat stirring continuously. So have everything prepped before you start cooking.
- Take care to use good quality paneer to ensure that the paneer cubes imbibe the flavors well as well as retain the crunchiness even after adding to the sauce.
- Make sure the paneer cubes are in a single layer in your pan. Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to cook them in 2 batches.
- For some extra flavor, lightly toast the sesame seeds before sprinkling them over the dish.
Paneer Crispy – Restaurant Style
Ingredients
- 200 grams paneer, cut into cubes
- 3 tbsp cornflour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 1 tbsp red chilli sauce
Stir Fry
- 4 tbsp Oil
- Half of a medium sized onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 tbsp ginger, minced
- 1 tbsp garlic, chopped
- 1 green chilli, slit lengthwise
- 1 small capsicum, cut in squares
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp spring onion, chopped
Instructions
- Add paneer, cornstarch, salt and pepper to a bowl and toss to coat the paneer pieces well. Splash a tablespoon of water just to get the coating to stick to the paneer. Toss and set aside.
- Heat some oil in a non-stick pan or a wok on medium-high heat. Add the cornstarch-coated paneer cubes to the pan in a single layer. Let the paneer cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown.
- While the paneer is cooking, prepare the sauce by mixing the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Also prepare cornstarch slurry by mixing a tablespoon of cornstarch in a tablespoon of water,
- Once the paneer is crispy on all sides take them out to a plate and set aside.
- In the same pan, heat some oil on high heat and toss in ginger, garlic and green chillies. Saute for a minute then add the finely chopped onions.
- After about half a minute, add soy sauce, ketchup and chilly sauce along with 1/2 cup of hot water. Stir well, then immediately add the cornstarch slurry to the mixture.
- The sauces will soon start to bubble and sizzle nicely, at which point lower the heat and toss in the fried paneer along with the diced capsicum. Toss everything well so that everything is evenly coated in the sauce.
- Garnish with spring onions and sesame and serve right away!
Notes
- Since this is an Indo-Chinese dish, everything is to be cooked fast, on high heat stirring continuously. So have everything prepped before you start cooking.
- Take care to use good quality paneer to ensure that the paneer cubes imbibe the flavors well as well as retain the crunchiness even after adding to the sauce.
- Make sure the paneer cubes are in a single layer in your pan. Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to cook them in 2 batches.
- For some extra flavor, lightly toast the sesame seeds before sprinkling them over the dish.
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