PANEER WITH BELL PEPPERS

Paneer / Our kind of Cottage Cheese......we can really do wonders with it......from exotic starters to regular comfort curry to creamy shahi paneer,  paneer korma to chilli paneer. I wonder if ever the Mughal Badshas had it or not..... Neither did I see something like chilli paneer at any Chinese restaurant or in food courts here in Singapore, they eat Tofu, not paneer. That does not mean they are anything less in taste or we stop experimenting with it in future. Being too much of a favourite with me and our son..... I keep it handy in my refrigerator..... A dear friend was asking for some simple, regular recipes for Paneer...... hence, I may quite bore the World with paneer....... a pain for those who are not paneer maniacs. My friend is a busy professional, heads an NGO, she doesn't really have time to spend much time in kitchen. This recipe may help her. I quite like the Indian / South Asian version of Chinese food. Similar to this dish of Paneer with Bell Peppers we have tasted in different restaurants back home. We need different coloured bell peppers, onion, paneer [Indian Cottage Cheese] to do this, made aromatic with minced ginger and garlic. Let us do this easy vegetarian starter dish together.

INGREDIENTS :

Paneer : 200 gm
Bell Peppers (red, yellow, green) : 1 each (cubed)
Green Chilli : 3 to 4 (slitted)
Ginger (minced) : 5 gm
Garlic.  (minced) : 5 gm
Soy Sauce (light): 4 tablespoon
Salt : A little (as per your requirement )
Cornflour : 1 + 1/2 tsp.
Onion : 1 big (cubed)
Oil : 1 tbsp 

METHOD :

Soak paneer pieces in warm water {if frozen} for at least 2 hours.

Take half of each of bell peppers, cut into small squares. Wash, keep aside.

Mix cornflour in half cup water, keep aside.

Heat oil in frying pan. Drain water from Paneer, apply little salt, 1tsp cornflour on them. Mix well. 

Add them to oil, lightly fry, take off. Place onto tissue paper.

Add washed minced garlic, ginger; stir  quickly. When they release aroma, add in onion pieces. Saute until they turn pink.

Add washed bell peppers, slitted green chillies. Add a pinch of baking powder as they help to retain the original colour. 

Stir cook for two minutes, add the fried paneer pieces. Saute for another 2-3 minutes.

The paneer and vegetables should not turn brown and the veggies should remain crunchy. 

At this stage, add soy sauce and salt. Stir. 

Add cornflour mixed water. Stir for a minute. Garnish.

We should always have it hot.