Air fryer recipe · Starters
Air-Fryer Schezwan Paneer
Soft paneer cubes crisped golden and coated in fiery, garlicky schezwan sauce.
- 30 minTotal time
- 190°CAir fryer
- 5Serves
- VegetarianDiet
Nutrition per serving
- 210kcal
- 14.0 gprotein
- 7.1 gcarbs
- 14.1 gfat
- 1.2 gfibre
Per serving, about 5 servings. Figures are estimates from standard ingredient databases, not medical, dietetic, or nutritional advice.
Ingredients
- Paneer cubes250 g
- Cornflour2 tbsp
- Schezwan sauce3 tbsp
- Garlic, minced1 tbsp
- Capsicum & onion1 cup
- Soy sauce1 tbsp
Method
Coat the paneer
Toss the paneer cubes with cornflour, a pinch of salt and pepper so they wear a thin, even shell. That light dusting helps them brown and firm at the edges in the air fryer without the cubes drying out inside.
Saute aromatics
Fry the garlic until fragrant, then add the onion and capsicum chunks and stir-fry until just softened but still crisp. Keep the heat high so the edges catch and char, which is where that smoky wok flavour comes from.
Add the schezwan
Stir in the schezwan sauce, soy and a splash of water, then let it bubble and thicken into a clingy coat. Reducing it until it just holds on a spoon means it wraps the paneer instead of running to the bottom, then keep it warm and ready.
Ready to fold
Keep the sauce warm and loose beside the fryer, ready to receive the paneer straight from the basket. Plan to fold gently rather than stir hard, because rough handling breaks the soft cubes and knocks off the crisp shell you are about to build.
Air-fry the paneer
Arrange the cubes in a single layer, give them a light oil mist and air fry at 190°C for 12 min, turning once, until golden at the edges. Fold the hot paneer gently into the warm sauce so it coats the outside while staying soft inside, then serve.
