Air fryer recipe · Starters
Dragon Paneer
Crisp paneer fingers in a bold sweet-hot dragon sauce flecked with cashew and pepper.
- 26 minTotal time
- 200°CAir fryer
- 6Serves
- VegetarianDiet
Nutrition per serving
- 620kcal
- 26.3 gprotein
- 30.5 gcarbs
- 46.8 gfat
- 3.1 gfibre
Per serving, about 6 servings. Figures are estimates from standard ingredient databases, not medical, dietetic, or nutritional advice.
Ingredients
- Paneer fingers250 g
- Cornflour3 tbsp
- Red chilli sauce2 tbsp
- Tomato ketchup1 tbsp
- Cashews10
- Capsicum dice1/2 cup
Method
Coat the paneer
Pat the paneer fingers dry and roll them in cornflour seasoned with salt and pepper. A snug, dry coat is what lets the edges turn golden and firm, while a damp surface just steams the paneer soft in the basket.
Crisp the fingers
Mist the paneer with oil and air fry at 200°C for 8 minutes, turning once. Pull them out while the outside is crisp but the centre is still soft, because paneer left too long in the heat turns rubbery and dry.
Cook the dragon sauce
Saute the cashews and capsicum for a minute, then stir in the chilli sauce, ketchup and a splash of water. Let it bubble into a glossy, clingy sauce, cooking off the extra water so it grips the paneer rather than running off.
Toss and finish in the air fryer
Coat the crisp paneer in the dragon sauce and air fry at 200°C for 5 min. This final blast sets the glaze onto the fingers with caramelised, smoky-sweet edges while keeping the centres soft.
