Lockdown Dish: Lat Mai Paneer

It's a lockdown Saturday evening, The West Wing is playing on the television, and my mind is off to Lat Mai Paneer. Lat Mai Paneer is known by various names — dry chilli paneer, dry Schezwan paneer. They all mean paneer dipped in a cornflour-and-flour batter, fried till golden brown, and tossed in soy sauce, chilli sauce, and vinegar.

Indians love paneer. To the world it might mean fresh cheese, but to Indians it is the go-to dish for every special occasion — perhaps the only Indian cheese, and one Indians still make fresh at home. Try making paneer at home; if you can endure the hours in the kitchen, you'll never go back to store-bought.

Indo-Chinese cuisine first took hold in the eastern part of India (Kolkata), so it carries an eastern cooking style. Had the early Chinese settlers first landed in Punjab, Indo-Chinese cuisine would have looked different — it would have had dollops of butter and ghee in every dish.

Our local Inchin's Bamboo Garden closed years ago, and the drive of forty-five minutes to the Schaumburg one — for a curbside pickup during a pandemic — sounded unappealing. So I tried making Lat Mai Paneer at home. And I'm happy to inform you: it was a success!

Ingredients: Chilli Paneer Dry (serves 4)

• 300 g (about 10.5 oz) paneer
• 7 tbsp cornflour
• 7 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 tbsp garlic, minced
• 4 tbsp ginger, minced
• 4 green chillies
• 1 red onion
• 1 green capsicum
• 1 red capsicum
• 1 tsp red chilli sauce
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp vinegar

Process

1. Make a batter of the plain flour and cornflour with the water.
2. Add salt, 1 tbsp ginger, and the garlic to the batter.
3. Dip the paneer pieces in the batter and deep-fry until golden.
4. Heat oil in a wok; add cubed onion, capsicum, ginger, and garlic.
5. Sauté for a minute, then add the sauces and vinegar.
6. After exactly one minute, add the fried paneer pieces and toss.

Now take out your favorite white plate, serve this delicious appetizer, and enjoy!

Originally published June 2020.