Vegetable Enchiladas with Paneer

Picture this: tender-crisp peppers, sweet corn kernels, succulent tomatoes, and chunks of paneer sautéed to perfection, then wrapped in a warm tortilla and blanketed with a velvety enchilada sauce that’s equal parts smoky and spicy. Say hello to Vegetable Enchiladas.

This recipe of Vegetable Enchiladas is my Indian vegetarian version of the traditional Mexican enchiladas. For this vegetarian enchiladas recipe, we are layering the tortillas, paneer, and vegetable filling, and sauce in a skillet. I find it much easier to assemble enchiladas this way, rather than fill and fold each tortilla individually. I also feel that in my skillet enchilada version, we get more filling (my favorite part) per serving.

I don’t like to buy pre-made enchilada sauce as they are filled with additives. With this recipe, you will also get my easy recipe for homemade enchilada sauce. You can make the enchilada sauce at home or buy it, your choice. 

Once you have the enchilada sauce and the filling ready, it takes less than 10 minutes of hands-on time to assemble the Paneer and Vegetable Enchiladas Skillet. It goes in the oven for 30 minutes and you have a delicious dinner on the table.

Whether you’re a fan of Indian food or Mexican cuisine, or just love trying new dishes, this recipe is a must-try. So, get ready to spice up your dinner routine and indulge in this mouthwatering Paneer and Vegetable Enchilada recipe.

Let’s get started.

What are Enchiladas?

Enchiladas are a traditional Mexican dish made by wrapping a tortilla around a filling and covering it with a chili pepper sauce. The tortilla is usually filled with meat, beans, cheese, vegetables, or a combination of these, and then rolled up and placed in a baking dish. The sauce used to cover the enchiladas is typically made from chili peppers, tomatoes, onions, and other seasonings, and may be spicy or mild depending on the recipe. Enchiladas are often topped with cheese and baked until hot and bubbly.

Components of Paneer and Vegetable Enchiladas Skillet

The filling

The filling for this vegetarian enchiladas is Indian style with paneer and vegetables.  I have used corn, red and green peppers, and tomatoes as my veggies.  You can also add onions and carrots if you wish. 

The homemade enchilada sauce

You can use a store-bought enchiladas sauce for this recipe but homemade is so much better and takes only 5 minutes of hands-on time to make. 

Tortillas

I have used 10-inch flour tortillas to make this skillet enchiladas recipe.  If you are using gluten-free corn tortillas or any other smaller-size tortillas, you will need to overlap them when assembling to cover the whole skillet. 

Cheese

Use shredded cheddar cheese or any other Mexican-style cheese. 

Ingredients used to make this Vegetable Enchiladas recipe

For the Filling:

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 cup diced green pepper, ½ inch pieces
• 1 cup diced red pepper, ½ inch pieces
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 1 cup diced paneer, ½ inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin powder
• Salt to taste
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro

For the Sauce:

• 3 tablespoons cooking oil
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 8-ounce can of tomato sauce
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• Salt to taste

For Assembly:

• 3 Large Flour tortillas
• 2 cups Mexican-style shredded cheese

For Serving:

• Sour cream
• Avocado slices

How to make Vegetable Enchiladas

There are 3 main steps to make these Vegetarian Enchiladas:

Make the Filling

1. Heat oil in a skillet. Once heated, add the peppers and cook for 3-4 minutes on medium flame. Add the frozen corn and cook for 2 more minutes. 
2. Add red chili powder, cumin powder, and salt, and cook for 2 minutes. Now add the chopped tomatoes and paneer pieces.  Stir to combine and heat through.  Add cilantro and turn off the flame. 

Make the Enchiladas Sauce

1. In a saucepan heat oil.  When heated, add flour and paprika, and chipotle chili powders.  Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes on medium to low flame, ensuring that it does not burn.
2. Now add the tomato sauce, salt, cumin powder, and vegetable stock. 
3. Bring it to a boil and cook for 2-3 minutes. 

Assemble

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. Use a large round 9-10 inches oven-safe cast iron/glass skillet/pan to assemble the enchilada. 
3. Place a flour tortilla at the bottom of the skillet.  Add a generous layer of enchilada sauce on top of the tortilla.  Layer half of the paneer and vegetable filling on top of the sauce.  1/3 of the cheese goes next. 
4. Repeat the process with tortilla-enchilada sauce filling and cheese. 
5. The last layer is just the tortilla, enchilada sauce, and cheese. 
6. Cover with foil and bake covered for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for further 15 minutes. 
7. Remove from the oven and rest it for 10 minutes before cutting and serving. 
8. Serve with a side of sour cream, slices of avocadoes, and extra enchilada sauce. 

Tips for making these Vegetable Enchiladas

Here are a few tips that will help you make the best version of this Vegetable Enchilada recipe

• The size of the tortillas you use should be close to the size of the skillet/pan you use to assemble and bake the enchiladas.  I have used a 9-inch cast iron pan for this recipe. 
• I used chipotle chili powder (smoky and hot) to make the enchilada sauce.  If you cannot find it, you can use regular red chili powder.  Adjust the quantity as per your spice tolerance level. 
• Homemade enchilada sauce can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week and in the freezer for 2-3 months. 
• Make a double batch of the enchilada sauce and use half and freeze the other half for later use. 
• The paneer and vegetable filling and enchilada sauce can be meal-prepped over the weekend.  If you do that, your weeknight meal will only take 10 minutes of your hands-on time to assemble. 
• When meal prepping the paneer and vegetable filling, make a double batch.  Use half of it to make this vegetarian enchilada recipe and use the other half for quesadillas or can also be eaten as a roti/sabji meal. 

FAQs – Paneer and Vegetable Enchiladas recipe

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Recipe Card – Vegetable Enchiladas with Paneer