Paneer is a fun cheese to cook with and it lands somewhere on the texture wheel between tofu and chicken breast, which makes it pretty versatile. Trying to cut back on soy, I’ve started using Paneer on occasion in my vegetarian stir fries. Aside from that, it’s just tasty. The most difficult part about this recipe is the 10 minutes or so it takes to prep the veggies. I utilized my wok and cooked this dish on a high temperature and so it was on the table in less than 30 minutes. Serve this stir fry up with leftover rice of choice or naan.

Paneer Broccoli Stir Fry

Ingredients: 

1 small pkg fresh Paneer, cubed

1 head Broccoli, tough stems removed and rough chopped

1/2 Sweet Onion, quartered and sliced

1 Red Bell Pepper, stem and seeds removed and chopped into bite size chunks

1 sprig fresh Curry Leaves, optional

2 Thai Bird Chilies, optional

1 clove Garlic, minced

1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds

2 Green Cardamom pods, lightly crushed

1/2 tsp Curry powder

1 tsp Garam Masla

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

2 – 3 tsps Ghee or Oil of Choice

1/4 cup Water

Salt and Pepper to taste

Method: 

Heat a wok over a med high flame until the wok is hot. Turn on your vent hood, if you have one or open a window as things could get smokey while frying the spices. Add in the Ghee, Curry Leaves, Fenugreek seeds, Thai Bird chilies, and Cardamom pods and fry the spices 3 – 5 minutes until fragrant. The curry leaves and Fenugreek seeds may “pop” as well so have a lid handy just in case. Once the spices are fragrant, remove the Curry Leaves and Cardamom pods and discard.

Add in the onion and bell pepper and saute until just cooked through, about 3 – 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook about 1 minute longer. Stir in the Curry, Garam Masala, and Turmeric powder until well combined and cook about 2 minutes longer. Toss in the broccoli, 1/4 cup water, and stir until well combined. Continue to cook until the broccoli is fork tender and all the water has evaporated, 5 – 10 minutes. To finish, stir in the Paneer, tossing everything together, and cook until the Paneer has just warmed through, about 3 – 5 minutes. Serve immediately with rice or naan. Garnish with fresh cilantro and toasted onion, if desired.