Paneer Pakora Paneer Pakoda Recipe

While it was nice and warm last week, the temperatures dropped again this week! And when it is this cold or rainy, the one and only snack that we love are pakoras. If you follow my blog, you know that I don’t frequently share deep-fried foods, that’s coz I hardly make any. As much as we love a variety of pakoras, I resist the urge to make them. So this time when I made paneer pakora the traditional way, I just had to share it with you guys! Coz honestly, I know it’s going to be a while I make them next. Sometimes it is best to enjoy to your heart’s content and satiate those cravings, isn’t it ??

SO ANYWAY, WHAT IS PANEER PAKORA?

A Punjabi pakora or pakoda is a sort of fritter made with gram flour (besan) and spices. Onion pakora happens to be the most popular kind, a common street snack all across India. You can make a pakora of any vegetable or even meat. In this case, we use paneer (Indian cottage cheese) which is coated with a spiced, thick gram flour batter, and deep-fried. Pakora is ideally not a healthy food dish when it’s made by deep-frying, but hey, sometimes you just have to indulge!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE CRISPY PANEER PAKORA

You don’t actually need a recipe to make this paneer cheese pakora. The two main ingredients are paneer and gram flour here, and of course some salt to season. Besides besan, adding rice flour is a good option if you like a really crispy paneer pakora. I love to add rice flour in these kinds of batter for some extra crispiness. The remaining ingredients that are spices can be varied as per your tastes. Baking soda is another optional ingredient and not a necessity, but I like to add just a tad bit for a lighter batter. You may feel free to omit it. Though I recommend adding some carom seeds, since it aids in better digestion of the gram flour. I’ve used some ginger garlic paste, chaat masala, turmeric, and red chilli powder. That’s about it. If you like a spicy paneer pakora, add more chilli powder and some chopped green chillies to the batter. I avoid making it too spicy since the kids eat it too. At times, after I’m done frying a portion of the pakoras for the kids, I increase the heat levels in the remaining batter. So, you can consider doing that too.

PANEER PAKORA VARIATIONS

Bored of just the plain paneer pakoras? Then I’ve got some interesting variations to try.

Stuffed paneer pakora/paneer pakora with filling: Sandwich 3 paneer pieces (like a club sandwich) with green chutney and sweet chutney or ketchup. Then dip it in the besan batter and deep dry. Paneer bread pakora: Take two slices of sandwich bread. Apply green chutney on one side, and sweet chutney on the other side. Place a paneer slice (the same size as the bread slice) on the bread slice with the green chutney. Cover with the other bread slice. Cut into diagonals. Dip the bread in the besan batter and deep fry until golden brown. Mozzarella cheese pakora: For a completely different twist, use mozzarella cheese sticks instead. Cut each mozzarella cheese stick into 2, dip in the batter and deep fry.

MORE SNACK RECIPES

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STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE PANEER PAKODA | COTTAGE CHEESE PAKORA

1.Cut the paneer into 1.5 x 1.5-inch square, about 1/4 inch thick. Set aside. Also, add oil in a wok and heat it on medium heat.

2.In a bowl, add all the ingredients (from besan to coriander leaves) for the batter. Mix well with a whisk. Add water, in increments until you have a thick batter. I used about 1/2 cup and 2 tbsp of water.

3.Check if the oil is ready for deep-frying. Check by dropping some batter in the oil, it should rise and float immediately, but the color should not change. Dip one paneer piece in the batter, transfer carefully in the hot oil, deep-fry on medium heat. Once it is golden brown on one side, flip and let the other side turn golden brown. Transfer to a plate lined with an absorbent kitchen napkin. Taste and adjust the seasoning if required before frying up all the other paneer pieces.

4.Repeat the same process with remaining paneer pieces. You may fry in batches depending on the size of your wok. If you do not wish to deep-fry you may also shallow fry them in an inch of oil in a flat skillet. 5.Transfer the deep-fried paneer pakoras to a plate lined with an absorbent kitchen napkin. Sprinkle chaat masala and serve immediately. This tastes best when it is fresh, as leftovers will get soggy. So fry only as much as you need.

NOTES

Did you enjoy this easy paneer pakora recipe? I would love to hear from you if you do try it out! I’d appreciate it if you could rate and leave a review below in comments, as it helps others know the recipe better too. You can also share your feedback and suggestions at [email protected]. Thanks so much 🙂