Paneer Tacos with Avocado & Chipotle Sour Cream

Step 1

1 Prepare the ingredients & make the sauce If you prefer to use an oven to warm the tortillas instead of a microwave, preheat the oven to 375°F. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Quarter the lime. Halve, peel, and thinly slice the onion. Medium dice the cheese. Halve the cucumbers lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise. Cut out and discard the core of the cabbage; thinly slice the leaves. Roughly chop the peanuts. Halve and pit the avocado. Using a spoon, remove the avocado from the skin, then thinly slice. Top with the juice of 2 lime wedges and season with salt and pepper. Cut off and discard the stem of the pepper; remove the core. Halve lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise. Thoroughly wash your hands and cutting board immediately after handling. In a bowl, whisk together the sour cream, the juice of the remaining lime wedges, and as much of the chile paste as you'd like, depending on how spicy you'd like the dish to be. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 2

2 Pickle the onion In a small pot, combine the, sugar, half the sliced onion, vinegar, and 1/2 cup of water; season with salt and pepper. Heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until the sugar has dissolved. Turn off the heat. Set aside to cool at least 10 minutes.

Step 3

3 Cook the vegetables In a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the sliced pepper and remaining sliced onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 7 to 9 minutes, or until lightly browned and softened. Transfer to a plate. Wipe out the pan.

Step 4

4 Brown the cheese In the same pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium until hot. Add the diced cheese (carefully, as it may pop). Cook, without stirring, 1 to 2 minutes, or until lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until crispy and browned. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; immediately season with salt.

Step 5

5 Make the slaw Meanwhile, reserving about 3 tablespoons of the pickling liquid, drain the pickled onion. In a large bowl, combine the sliced cucumbers, sliced cabbage, chopped peanuts, pickled onion, and reserved pickling liquid. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to thoroughly combine.

Step 6

6 Warm the tortillas & serve your dish If using the microwave, wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel; microwave on high 1 minute, or until heated through. If using the oven, wrap the tortillas in foil and place directly onto an oven rack; warm 7 to 9 minutes, or until heated through. Transfer to a work surface and carefully unwrap. Assemble the tacos using the warmed tortillas, cooked vegetables, sliced avocado, browned cheese, and chipotle sour cream. Serve the tacos with the slaw on the side. Enjoy!