Chilli paneer is one of my favourite indo- chinese recipes. Paneer a cheese curd, which is popular in India and works perfectly with this spicy sweet sauce. Using a cheese may sound weird, but it is the perfect veggie alternative to chicken.

Ingredients:

• 2 paneer blocks (you can find this in the asian fridge section of major supermarkets)
• 3 tbsp cornflour
• 6 cloves of garlic- 2 grated and 4 finely chopped
• 1 inch ginger, grated
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 chillies (ideally green ones), sliced
• 2 peppers (green or red), cubed
• 1 onion, cubed
• 3 spring onions, chopped
• A bunch of coriander, chopped

For the sauce:

• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
• 3 tbsp hot chilli sauce
• 3 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar

Method:

1. Cut the panner block into cubes.
2. In a bowl, mix the cornflour, 2 grated garlic cloves and about 1/4 of the grated ginger in a bowl. Add a few tbsp water to make a paste.
3. Cover the paneer in this mixture.
4. In a frying pan add 2 tbsp oil. Shallow fry the panner for 5-10 minutes on a medium heat until the pieces are crispy and brown.
5. Put this to one side.
6. In the same pan, heat a bit more all and add the remaining garlic, ginger, cumin and chilli. Fry for a few minutes.
7. Then add the onion and peppers.
8. In a bowl, mix together all the sauce ingredients and add this to the pan.
9. Cook for 5-10 minutes, until soft, then add the paneer back to the pan.
10. Add a few tsp cornflour to the pan to thicken the sauce.
11. Sprinkle on the spring onions and coriander.