Paneer stir-fry
Instructions
Stir-frying done right
To master stir-frying, prepare all ingredients and cut vegetables into similar sizes for consistent cooking. Heat your wok until a drop of water sizzles away, showing it is ready for cooking. Keep everything moving in the pan with stirring or tossing to cook evenly and maintain bright colours and textures. Do not overcrowd the wok, as this will lower the temperature and cause steaming instead of frying. If needed, cook in smaller amounts. High heat is essential for quick cooking, keeping vegetables crisp and giving paneer a golden edge.
Best oil for stir-frying
Sunflower oil is the top choice for stir-frying paneer because it has a high smoke point and does not add any extra flavour. This allows the paneer to brown nicely without becoming greasy, perfect for the high temperatures required for a great stir-fry. You can also use vegetable, avocado, or olive oil. These alternatives also withstand high cooking temperatures.
FAQ: Questions about paneer stir-fry
Below, you will find answers to common questions about this recipe. Learn how to prepare and store paneer stir-fry to get the most out of it.
Ingredients
|
Sunflower oil
|
2 tbsp |
|---|---|
|
Spring onions, thinly sliced
|
4 |
|
Garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
|
2 |
|
Fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
|
1 |
|
Root ginger, peeled and grated
|
3 cm |
| 450 g | |
|
Shitake button mushrooms
|
100 g |
|
Sugar snap peas
|
150 g |
|
Tenderstem broccoli
|
200 g |
|
Bok choy
|
2 |
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Hoisin sauce
|
2 tbsp |
|
Low-salt soy sauce
|
2 tbsp |
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Sesame oil
|
1 tbsp |
To serve
|
Noodles
|
400 g |
|---|
Speedy paneer stir-fry with crisp vegetables and mushrooms
A quick meal with exciting ingredients and delicious flavours, what is not to like? Our speedy paneer stir-fry takes less than thirty minutes to prepare and still allows you to savour incredible flavours and aromas. It embodies the very idea of stir-fry, where ingredients are cooked rapidly over high heat. Here, we pair a classic vegetable selection of crisp greens and delicate shitake mushrooms with golden-brown paneer. Paneer is an Indian cheese that excels at being fried to trigger its sweetness and mildly crisp texture. It is the perfect meal when you need a fast go-to dinner on a busy night.
Explore the vast world of paneer-based dishes with our great selection. Try our recipe for an easy-to-make paneer sandwich, scrumptious paneer butter masala, or a tasty paneer Buddha bowl.
Subtle heat and a bright spiciness from red chilli and ginger
Build your powerful flavour base right from the beginning with a kick from a few warm spices. Red chilli and ginger make for an excellent pairing, each providing different nuances of heat for the stir-fry. Both are classic additions to any spicy, Asian-inspired dish, which is why we had to include them. Red chilli offers a more pronounced, familiar spice level, while ginger is known for its bright warmth. They pair especially well with the rich paneer cheese.
Rich and salty sweetness with umami notes
Paneer itself has a mild flavour and is great at soaking up flavour from other ingredients. In this case, we present a delightful combination of soy and hoisin sauce. Together, they explore a wide range of nuances, spanning from the rich and sweet hoisin sauce to the saltier, more umami-focused soy. Adding the combo at a late stage lets the paneer absorb the sweet and savoury sauce for maximum goodness.
Nutty and aromatic finish with sesame oil
For a fully rounded Asian-inspired meal, mix in a dose of sesame oil with the soy and the hoisin sauce. In stir-fry cooking, sesame oil is often used as a finishing touch, mixed into the dish toward the end to add a nutty and aromatic finish. See the oil more as a rich dressing that adds to the flavours rather than a means to fry ingredients. A single tablespoon should be enough, but if you prefer stronger or milder sesame notes, feel free to adjust accordingly.
Enjoy with noodles
Serve your paneer stir-fry with warm noodles to make a satisfying main course. Soft noodles are a classic companion to stir-fried veggies and paneer. They complement the intense flavours from the chilli and the sauces as well as the crisp veggie textures. The noodles are prepared in no time, making them suitable for a quick lunch or dinner at home.
Experiment with the recipe
Stir-fries invites you to get creative. For instance, all the vegetables are easily changed depending on your liking. If you are out of shitake mushrooms, other mushrooms such as oyster or portobello are great alternatives. Oyster mushrooms impart a delicate, slightly sweet and earthy flavour with a velvety texture that absorbs sauces well, while portobello mushrooms offer a rich, meaty flavour with umami undertones. Carrots, red peppers, canned baby corn, and kale all offer the desired earthy flavours and crisp texture suited for stir-frying.
