Indian chilli paneer with a Chinese twist

Serves  3-4
This dish was born out of Chinese immigration to India in the eighteenth century and the culinary fusions that were created from it.
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Ingredients

4 large
garlic cloves
12g (1 scant tbsp)
roughly chopped root ginger, (peeled weight)
2 tbsp
tomato ketchup
2 tbsp
tomato purée
3 tbsp
dark soy sauce
3 tbsp
cornflour, (cornstarch)
2 tbsp
all-purpose flour
300g (101⁄2oz)
paneer, cut into 2.5cm (1in) cubes
4 tbsp
vegetable oil
1 small
red onion, cut into 2.5cm (1in) cubes
1 small
green or red bell pepper, cut into 2.5cm (1in) cubes
3 - 6
green chillies, stalks removed, pierced with a knife
1 ½ - 2 tsp
white wine, or rice vinegar, to taste
1 large
spring onion, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 tsp
salt
1⁄4 tsp
freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

Instructions

1. Blend the garlic and ginger until smooth, adding a little water to help the blades turn. 2. Separately, mix together the tomato ketchup, tomato purée and dark soy sauce. 3. Lastly, stir together the cornflour, flour and 4–5 tbsp water and gently stir in the paneer. 4. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large, wide frying pan over a medium heat. Add the paneer in a single layer; if it does not fit, brown it in 2 batches (don’t throw away the flour slurry). Fry the paneer, turning, until golden on all sides. Take out of the pan and place on kitchen paper to blot off excess oil. 5. Add the remaining oil to the pan. Add the garlic and ginger paste and cook over a medium heat until it is just starting to colour. 6. Add the onion, pepper, chillies and a small splash of water to stop the garlic from darkening too much. Stir-fry for 4 minutes or so, splashing in a little more water if the garlic is getting dark. 7. Add the paneer, the ketchup mixture, vinegar and 2 tsp of the flour slurry, with a good splash of water from the kettle. Stir-fry until the whole thing comes together into a lovely sticky sauce. 8. Add the spring onion, season to taste and serve.

Nutrition

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