I love peppery and spicy food, and absolutely love experimenting with these basic ingredients. It was one of these experiments that led to the creation of this Pepper Paneer recipe, that is super easy and incredibly flavourful. You can easily serve this with some roti (or any other flatbread), or in a tortilla wrap for the ultimate fusion, or even some fresh rice.
This recipe calls for plenty of spices, but all easily found at your local grocer. The combination of fennel, cumin, clove, and star anise forms a really warm base for this recipe and you definitely don’t want to skip on anything! Pepper is definitely the important ingredient, but if you think the pepper heat is plenty for you, feel free to omit the additional chilli that I use in my recipe. If you find the heat too much from the pepper, then I suggest adding a touch of honey to sweeten down the recipe without compromising the overall flavour.
Paneer is an Indian style cottage cheese used all across the country in curries. You can find paneer at your local grocery, usually alongside the other cheeses. If you are using store bought paneer, it’s absolutely essential to take the time and soak the paneer in hot salted water for at least 10 minutes. This will completely soften the paneer and actually clean off the flavour of the preservative. This is a step you definitely don’t want to skip.
If you want to create a vegan version of the recipe you can absolutely substitute paneer with tofu. There is a minor tweak in the recipe if you want to use tofu – it’s important to fry the tofu and develop some colour on each side of the chunks. This will help the tofu maintain shape and structural integrity while mixing it through the pan.
My top tip for Indian cooking – always keep a glass of water with you while cooking. This will help you if and when you need to regulate the temperature, slow down the cooking and/or prevent burning. If the mixture starts getting too dry and smokey, add dashes of water to slow down the process as you lower the flame of your stove top. This is a really critical step to ensure you get all the flavours you want, without any bitter burnt bits.
Watch me make this awesome recipe right here:
As always, here is the recipe card.
Pepper Paneer
Equipment
- Fry pan
- Small bowl
Ingredients
- 400-500 g paneer
- 1 medium white onion, chopped fine
- ½ inch stick of ginger, grated
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small tomato, chopped fine
- 1 tbsp. tomato paste
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1½ tbsp. ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp whole fennel seeds
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- 2 cloves
- 1 star anise
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 curry leaves
- 2 cardamom pods
- 1-2 cm stick of cinnamon
- ½ cup water
- 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 green chili, chopped optional
Instructions
- Chop the paneer into small cubes roughly ½ inch in size
- Soak the paneer in warm salted water, in a bowl. Set this aside for 10 minutes
- In the meantime, heat the oil in a pan or pot
- Add the whole spiced to the pan and use a wooden spoon to lightly press them in the oil
- Add the chopped onions, chilli and a pinch of salt. Cook these for a couple of minutes until softened
- Add the remaining spiced and mix through well followed by the garlic and ginger. Cook these until the raw smell is cooked off
- Add the chopped tomatoes and mix through well. Season with salt and add a few tablespoons of water at a time to prevent the pan from getting too dry and develop a sauce
- Add ¾ of the black pepper and mix through really well
- Drain the paneer then add it to the pan and mix well through all the spices ensuring each piece is well coated. Cook the paneer for at least 5 minutes to develop some colour
- Serve hot with fresh coriander leaves along with roti or rice
If you like this recipe, or any others, please let me know! Leave me a comment and tell me what you would like to see. We have plenty of amazing Indian recipes coming up soon, including delicious Diwali specials and tasty street food too!
