Paneer Pakora

Paneer Pakora is a quick and delicious deep-fried Indian snack made using paneer (Indian cottage cheese), gram flour, and some spices.

Recipe Source Link:https://www.mygingergarlickitchen.com/paneer-pakora/

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RECIPE INGREDIENTS

» For Paneer Pakora

• 450 grams Paneer
• 1 cup besan (gram flour)
• 2 tablespoons rice flour
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1/2 teaspoon carom Seeds (ajwain)
• 1/4 teaspoon garam masala powder
• 1/2 teaspoon chaat masala powder + more for sprinkling
• 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
• Water as required
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• Green Chutney and Red garlic chutney for filling Paneer
• Oil for frying

» For serving

• Chopped coriander leaves
• 1 teaspoon chaat masala powder for sprinkling
• Mint coriander chutney
• Masala Chai

RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS

» Prepare paneer for pakoara

1. Wrap paneer into 2-3 kitchen towels and press to remove the excess moisture. Cut paneer into 1-inch cubes or rectangles. TIP: Cut all cubes in equal size, otherwise the frying time would be different for all the pakoras. Also, pakoras look even and nice.
2. To make chutney sandwich paneer pakoras, slit each cube from the middle keeping the other side intact. Fill the centers with red garlic chutney, or mint coriander chutney. To make regular paneer pakoars, you can simply sprinkle paneer cubes with chaat masala powder and rub gently so that powder coats the paneer pieces from all sides. Refrigerate them for 10 minutes to marinate. During this resting time, bland paneer cubes would absorb the flavors from chutney/chaat masala. This way, they would come out more flavourful after frying.

» Make Besan Batter

1. Add gram flour to a medium mixing bowl. Also, add rice flour, salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder, cumin seeds, carom seeds, garam masala powder, chaat masala powder. Whisk well. Add coriander leaves and whisk again.
2. Add water a little at a time and whisk well to make a smooth and thick-flowing consistency batter without any lumps. The amount of water will depend on the quality of besan you have used, so adding water in parts is highly recommended. So keep adding water until it gets the thick-flowing batter consistency. Keep it aside to rest for 10 minutes.

» Fry Paneer Pakora

1. Heat enough oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat. After 10 minutes, add baking soda and whisk well until the batter is light and fluffy. Once the oil becomes hot, turn the heat to medium. To check if the oil is hot, drop a few drops of batter into the hot oil. If it comes up on the surface quickly, the oil is hot enough for frying pakoras. Dip the paneer cubes into the prepared batter to coat and then carefully drop them into the hot oil.
2. Fry the pakoras on medium heat. Once the bottom side is lightly golden, gently flip the pakoras with a spoon. Fry them from all sides until they are golden and crisp. Drain on an absorbent paper-lined plate to remove excess oil. Sprinkle hot pakoras with some coriander leaves and chaat masala powder. Serve hot with chutney, ketchup, and chai!

RECIPE NOTES

1. Batter consistency - The perfect consistency batter is the key to making the best paneer pakora. Remember to make a thick yet pouring consistency batter. The batter should not be either too thick or too runny. The pakoras would not cook through if the batter is too thick, and they would absorb too much of the oil and turn soggy if the batter is runny.
2. Frying - Always fry pakoras on medium heat. High heat would make pakoras quickly brown (or will burn) from the outside, and they would remain raw and uncooked from the inside. Low heat would make pakoras soggy and oily, as they would absorb too much oil.
3. Paneer - For making pakoras, it is advisable to use fresh and soft paneer. Homemade paneer is the BEST, you store-bought also works here. If the paneer you are using is too hard, then add to the hot water for 10 minutes and it will become soft. If you are using frozen paneer then thaw it according to package instructions and before use.
4. Slicing paneer - I have cut paneer into 1-inch squares. You can also slice them into other shapes such as triangles, rounds, or rectangles. Or, cut them into other decorative shapes such as hearts and stars, to make them look appealing.