Who doesn’t like paneer? Be it a vegetarian or a non-vegetarian, a kid or an old man, paneer is one dish which is liked by everyone. I have seen even people disliking milk yet loving paneer. Yes! Paneer is such a versatile food that it can be served as a starter, a side dish, in a salad, as a sweet or even as a main course. One bite into a paneer dish takes us to heaven and back.
Paneer pakora is a snack recipe in which cottage cheese (paneer) is marinated with besan flour and other spices and deep fried in oil. It is crispy on the outside and soft inside that one bite into this pakora makes the paneer melt in our mouth.
It is a very easy and tasty snack recipe which can be made in no time. Also, it requires only ingredients that are always available in every kitchen. So, for a hot crispy snack on a rainy evening, this paneer pakora would be my option and it can be enjoyed with hot coffee or tea.
Just thinking about it makes me hungry. And believe me when I say that the word paneer is magical as it made me write this much about it.
You can also see my rasgulla recipe which is also made by curdling milk, the only difference is that while making the chhena some moisture is retained while in paneer it is pressed hard to release all the moisture. Anyways, enjoy having this paneer pakora with your family. Happy cooking and eating!
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Paneer Pakora
Ingredients
- 200 grams paneer, cut into cubes
- 3 tbsp besan
- 1 tbsp rice flour
- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1/8 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/8 tsp pepper powder
- 1/4 tsp garam masala powder
- 1/8 tsp amchur powder or dry mango powder
- 1/4 tsp dried mint leaves
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic-green chilli paste
- a few coriander leaves, finely chopped
- salt, as per taste
- water, as required
Instructions
- Cut the paneer into equal cubes and assemble all other required ingredients.
- Add all the ingredients except paneer and water to a bowl.
- Mix the contents in the bowl and add water, a few drops at a time and keep incorporating it with the other dry ingredients to form a batter.
- Mix everything to form a batter which is not too thick nor too thing. It should be able to coat the paneer without sliding off the surface of the paneer. Refer picture for consistency.
- Now, add the paneer to the bowl and mix it along with the semi-thick batter so that it coats the paneer well.
- Meanwhile, in a kadai add oil to deep fry the paneer.
- You will know that the oil is ready when a small ball of batter dropped in the oil, sizzles and rises to the top.
- Now, add the paneer pieces and fry it till it becomes golden brown in color.
- Fry the paneer pieces from all sides to make sure it gets cooked evenly.
- Line a plate with an absorbent paper and transfer the paneer pieces from the oil to the plate. Similarly fry the remaining paneer pieces.
- Serve paneer pakora hot with tomato ketchup or green chutney.
Notes
- Cut the paneer pieces equally to make sure it gets cooked evenly.
- I have added dried mint leaves. You can add fresh mint leaves too or even kasuri methi for more flavor.
- I have used homemade garam masala. Refer to my recipe for making garam masala at home.
- Do not add a lot of water while preparing the batter as the batter will become very thin. Add a few drops of water at a time and mix it with the dry ingredients to get the right consistency of the batter.
- Make sure the batter coats the paneer pieces from all the sides.
- Do not have the kadai on high flame while frying the paneer pieces as the outer coating might burn.
- Also, do not have the kadai on low flame too as the paneer might absorb more oil.
- Lining the plate with an absorbent paper makes sure the excess oil from the paneer is absorbed.
- Serve hot as paneer will turn hard when it cools down.
Yummy snack…. Great taste
Thanks! Enjoyyy:))
superb tastes too good