Schezwan Paneer Sliders (Stovetop, 30 Min)
Spicy schezwan paneer tucked into soft pav buns with mint mayo, schezwan mayo, and a melty cheese pull. One pan, no oven, 30 minutes from craving to first bite.
Equipment
- Wide nonstick pan or kadai (for the filling)
- Flat tawa or wide nonstick pan (for the stovetop "bake")
- Heavy lid (a kadhai lid works) to trap steam and melt the cheese
Ingredients
For the schezwan paneer filling
- 200 g paneer cut into small 1 cm cubes
- 1/2 cup chopped red onion about 1 small
- 1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper capsicum
- 1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup sweet corn frozen and thawed, or boiled
- 2 tbsp schezwan chutney Ching's, or the homemade version in notes
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro coriander leaves
- 1/2 tsp chaat masala
- 1/4 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/2 tbsp neutral oil
For the two mayo spreads
- 4 tbsp mayonnaise vegan or regular; divided
- 1 tbsp mint chutney store-bought or homemade
- 1 tbsp schezwan chutney
For assembly
- 12 pav ; slider buns soft Indian dinner rolls; brioche, or Hawaiian rolls also work
- 5 to 6 cheese slices pepper jack, Amul cheese, or mozzarella; cut to fit the buns
- 2 tbsp salted butter melted, for brushing the tops
Instructions
Make the two mayo spreads
- In a small bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons mayonnaise with 1 tablespoon schezwan chutney. This is the schezwan mayo for the top buns.
- In a second small bowl, whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons mayonnaise with 1 tablespoon mint chutney. This is the mint mayo for the bottom buns. Set both aside.
Cook the schezwan paneer filling
- Heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in a wide pan on medium heat. Add the chopped onion and both bell peppers. Sauté for 3 minutes until the peppers soften but still hold a little crunch.
- Add the corn and paneer cubes. Stir gently for 1 minute so the paneer warms through without breaking.
- Stir in 2 tablespoons schezwan chutney, chaat masala, and salt. Coat every cube and taste a piece; add another teaspoon of chutney if you want more heat.
- Stir in the chopped cilantro and pull the pan off the heat. The filling should look glossy and barely wet, not soupy. If it looks soupy, simmer 1 more minute uncovered.
Toast and assemble
- Slice the pav buns horizontally, keeping bottoms and tops in their connected slab if your packet is joined.
- Spread mint mayo on every bottom half and schezwan mayo on every top half.
- Spoon about 1.5 tablespoons of filling onto each bottom and leave a 1 cm rim around the edge. Layer half a cheese slice over the filling, then close with the schezwan-mayo top.
- Brush the tops generously with melted butter.
Stovetop "bake" on a covered tawa
- Heat a flat tawa or wide nonstick pan on low. Place the assembled sliders on the dry tawa, butter-side up.
- Cover with a heavy lid and let them sit for 4 to 5 minutes. The cheese will melt, the buns will warm, and the bottoms will pick up a soft toast.
- Lift the lid, brush a little more butter on top if you like, and serve hot.
Notes
Quick schezwan sauce from scratch (5-min cheat). Soak 8 to 10 dried Kashmiri red chilies in hot water for 10 minutes. Drain, then blend with 6 garlic cloves, 1 inch ginger, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon vinegar, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 2 tablespoons of the soaking water. Sauté the paste in 1 tablespoon oil for 2 minutes. For closer-to-bottled heat, add 2 to 3 fresh green chilies before blending.
Spice dial. Mild kid-friendly batch uses 1 tbsp schezwan in the filling, plain mayo on top, and mozzarella. Medium uses 2 tbsp schezwan + 1 tbsp schezwan mayo + pepper jack. Fiery uses 3 tbsp schezwan plus 1 chopped green chili in the filling, 2 tbsp schezwan mayo, and pepper jack with a few chili flakes.
Don't overfill. Stick to roughly 1.5 tablespoons of filling per slider with a 1 cm rim. Overfilled sliders fall apart and the filling slides out the back.
Cheese over filling, never under. Under the filling, it never melts properly. Over the filling, the lid traps steam and you get the gooey pull.
Pav freshness test. Press the bun gently. If it springs back, it is fresh. If it stays dented, microwave it under a damp paper towel for 15 seconds before assembling.
Make-ahead. Assemble cold sliders up to 6 hours ahead, keep covered in the fridge, and do the covered-tawa step right before serving. Anything longer and the bottom buns start to soften from the mint mayo.
Vegan and gluten-free swaps. Use vegan mayo, swap paneer for firm tofu (pressed for 10 minutes first), use vegan cheese slices, and pick gluten-free slider buns.
Mayo substitute. Use 2 tablespoons of hung curd (Greek yogurt works) in place of mayo for each spread. Whisk in 1/4 teaspoon sugar for the schezwan version to balance the acidity. Spread in a thin layer rather than a thick one.
Storage. Best eaten hot off the tawa. Leftover assembled sliders keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours; reheat covered on a low tawa for 3 to 4 minutes to bring the cheese back to melt without drying the buns.
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