Chilli paneer is possibly the most popular Indo-Chinese vegetarian dish. Invented obviously in India as paneer is made with milk, even though it does look like a cousin of tofu. The use of dairy is not very common in China as far as I know.
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| Chilli paneer |
I never order chilli paneer when at a Chinese restaurant, but make a version that is easy to make and quick to put together. Tastes quite good too. The recipe template that I use is that of chilli chicken. A dish that my father had taught my mother to make even before I was born and which I have learnt by observing her as a kid. The joke among food lover goes that chicken is the paneer of the non-veg world!
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| Chilli paneer with egg Hakka noodles on Thanksgiving |
I made chilli paneer along with egg Hakka noodles last night for our young friend and neighbour, Gia, @diningwithmao on Instagram. She makes us most beautiful desserts every other day and is a friend of the #kittykarmakars. Our cats, Baby Loaf and little Nimk,i and has looked after them right from the beginning. We had invited her over for dinner as her parents were travelling.
I later learnt on Instagram that it was Thanksgiving yesterday. The American festival, which along with Halloween, has become quite popular on Indian Instagram of late!
A little internet search told me that the Thanksgiving tradition of celebrating the harvest came to north America from Europe and is celebrated in a number of countries today. While each version has its own symbolism and cultural foundation, there is no denying that if there was ever a year to feel thankful, then this was the one. Thankful for the fact that despite it being a horrible year, we have our smiles still, our health, our home and people in our lives that look out for us.
Perhaps chilli paneer and egg Hakka noodles was not that bad a menu for Thanksgivings after all, eh?
It does trace its origins of an immigrant culture and how it left its influence on the mainstream. In this case the Chinese immigrants in Kolkata who eventually gave birth to what we know today as ‘Indo-Chinese.’
Do try the recipe. Even if you are not vegetarian. Fresh paneer is the key.
In the spirit of #supportsmallbusiness, let me add that the fresh paneer and vegetables were from Lalu’s at Pali Market. The chilli paste used was by chef Seefah from Thailand who runs Seefah, Hill Road, along with our husband, Karan Bane.
Do read my mother, Rekha Karmakar’s, story about how she learnt to cook Chinese food.
My egg Hakka noodles recipe:
