Paneer Fajita

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Paneer Fajita

Paneer Fajita is a simple, easy and delicious recipe of paneer, onions and peppers, sautéed in a delicious Mexican spice blend and served with tortilla, guacamole, sour cream and salsa.

Paneer Fajita is a recipe inspired from the Tex-Mex cuisine. I was reading about the origins of fajita (I know! Like we all do!) and came across an interesting translation. ‘Faja’ is the Spanish word for ‘strip’, and, with ‘ita’ added to the end, it means ‘a little strip’, meaning the ingredients for fajitas are always cut into long strips.

This is my weekday cheat dish as it is ready under 30 minutes, healthy and super delicious! It is almost a one pan dish!
It is super easy and really full of flavour, and it makes clean-up in the kitchen a breeze. The key to this recipe is mixing all of the raw ingredients and spices in a bowl before adding it to the pan to make sure all of the great flavour from the spices is coating everything.

Other recipes you might like are Vegetable Quesadilla, Mexican Bhel, 6 Layered Fusion Mexican Rice Dish, Chipotle Roasted Tomato Salsa and Guacamole.

Ingredients

450 grams paneer cut into strips
1-2 peppers cut into strips
1-2 sliced onions
1 teaspoon oil

For the Marinate
2 teaspoons avocado oil
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon grated garlic
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon barbacoa spice
½ teaspoon paprika powder

To Serve
tortillas
Guacamole
Sour cream
Salsa

Directions

Step-1

Mix together oil, cumin powder, garlic, salt, barbacoa powder and paprika. Taste to adjust the seasoning according to your taste.

Step-2

Take the onions, peppers and paneer in a bowl and add the marinate. Mix together and leave it aside for 30-40 minutes.

Step-3

Heat a pan and add 1 teaspoon oil. When the oil is hot, add the marinated paneer, onions and peppers and cook on high heat for 5-6 minutes until the vegetables are slightly cooked and charred. We want the vegetables to be crunchy so do not overcook them. Too much cooking can make paneer quite chewy too.

Serve immediately with tortillas, guacamole, salsa, and sour cream.

Tips & Variations

I sometimes roast the peppers, onions and paneer in the oven. Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180/Gas 6. Bake the marinated vegetables and paneer for 20-25 minutes.
I like using smoked paprika as it gives a delicious smokiness to the fajita.
You can also make this fajita with Halloumi or tofu.
I have used barbacoa spice mix. If it is not available, then you can use any other fajita spice mix or make your own. To make the barbacoa spice mix- mix together salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, ancho chillies, oregano, ground cumin, ground allspice, and ground bay leaf.
I prefer using avocado oil as it has neutral flavour and a high smoke point, making it ideal for high-heat cooking. Saying that, any other oil like olive oil, vegetable oil would work too.
I sometimes add boiled beans like pinto beans, kidney beans, black beans or chickpeas while sautéing for extra flavour and texture.
You can also add other vegetables like broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, courgette, baby corn and aubergine.