The Paneer Pakora recipe is a delicious and rich dish prepared with the Paneer or Indian cottage cheese. Made with Paneer, spices and flour, it is a delightful yet easy-to-make dish.
Paneer Pakora Recipe – An overview
If you are looking for an easy-to-prepare and yummy evening snack, Paneer Pakoras should be the excellent choice for your craving. The crispy texture outside and the soft Paneer inside will make the Paneer Pakoras something very unique. It can be easily prepared within 30 minutes, making it one of the fastest-prepared dishes.
Pakoras in Hindi mean fried fritters. Any Indian cooking that involves the Pakoras is typically made with gram flour, and this is the same with Paneer Pakoras as well. The Paneer Pakora recipe is one of the most common snacks found in most Indian restaurants. Despite primarily being a North Indian dish, it has moved ahead to become an all-India dish today.
Ingredients & Substitutes
- Paneer – 350 gram
- Besan (Gram Flour) – 200 Grams
- Red chilli powder – ½ teaspoon
- Coriander Powder – ½ teaspoon
- Chat masala – 1.5 teaspoon
- Salt to taste
- Oil – for frying
How to Make Paneer Pakora?
Preparation
- Set aside your ingredients to prepare Paneer Pakoras.
- Slice the Paneer into small cubes or squares. Make sure that they are biteable size
- Take a cup of Besan in a mixing bowl
- Sprinkle Garam masala, chat masala and coriander powder on the Besan
- Whisk them all together. You can add water, whisking it until smooth and thick.
- Add the Paneer cubes to the flour batter and toss them to coat the paneer with the flour evenly
Making paneer pakoras
- Heat oil in a frying pan or kadai. Make sure that the oil is hot enough so that the pakoras would be crispy enough.
- Carefully drop the soaked paneer cubes in the oil. Do not overcrowd the pan with the Pakoras.
- Fry till golden brown and crispy. You may need to fry them for around three to four minutes.
- Remove the Paneer Pakoras from the pan
- Drain the oil on paper towels.
- Serve Served with Mint chutney or tamarind sauce, it’s a popular and irresistible treat.
Expert Tips to your Paneer Pakora recipe stand out
While it is quite easy and simple to follow the Paneer Pakora recipe, following a few extra tips can help make it a little different to taste. It can perhaps bring a variation to the dish.
- Make sure to maintain a batter consistency – Let your batter for the Paneer pakora recipe be thick yet flowing. Do not make it thin and runny. You will not be able to coat the Pakoras if the batter is thin.
- Use Homemade Paneer – While there is no harm in using the paneer available in the market, it is a good idea to use homemade paneer. This will give a better freshness and richness to your Paneer Pakoras.
- Be innovative with slicing Paneer – You can be creative when it comes to slicing the paneer for the recipe for Paneer Pakora. If you are cooking for a huge group, you can cut them into square, rectangular and round shapes.
- Use different spices and seasoning – Each time you make the Paneer Pakora, experiment with the spices and seasoning. However, the spiciness should be much more minimal. In any case, you can adjust the spices based on your preferences.
- Add a leavening agent – You can add a leavening agent, such as baking soda or baking powder, to make the pakoras crispy and fluffy. Add not more than one pinch of baking soda or ¼ teaspoon of baking powder to the batter.
- Avoid low flame – Frying the Pakoras on low flame or warm oil can make the Pakoras absorb more oil. This can make the pakoras soggy and oily.
Paneer Pakora Recipe
Ingredients
- 350 grams Paneer, cut into cubes
- 1 cup 1 besan (chickpea flour)
- 1 teaspoon One of turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
- ½ teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
- Salt to taste
- Oil for deep frying
Instructions
- Whisk together the besan, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, baking soda and salt.
- Add water to the batter, whisking until it is smooth and thick.
- Add the paneer cubes to the batter and toss to coat evenly.
- Heat oil in a deep fryer or pot to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Carefully drop the paneer cubes into the hot oil and fry until golden brown and crispy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Remove the paneer pakoras from the oil and drain on paper towels.
- Serve immediately with chutney or your favourite dipping sauce.
Frequently Asked Question
The typical batter for the Indian Paneer pakora is prepared with besan or chickpea flour. It is mixed with spices such as turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, baking soda, and salt. You can add water depending on the consistency of the batter required. Ensure that the batter is thick and flowing for a better coating while frying.
Yes, you may use any type of Paneer for the Paneer Pakoras. However, if you have fresh Paneer, you will have a freshness and richness that is unique to Paneer dishes. Most of the cooks prefer using homemade Paneer for the added richness. If you are using the Paneer available in the market, make sure to follow the instructions on the pack.
Yes, you can prepare Paneer Pakora without deep frying. You can either bake them or air fry them. When baking, you can do so in a preheated oven at 400 degrees F. However, baking or air-frying may not give the rich results of deep frying. In any case, if you are health conscious, you can consider these options.
You can check out different variations of the Paneer Pakora and can use other spices, such as cumin powder, coriander powder, or ginger powder. You may also add a few vegetables to the batter. A few good examples are onions, carrots, or green bell peppers. Another variation may be stuffing the Paneer cubes between coriander or garlic chutney.
Yes, you can easily reheat Paneer pakoras. You can reheat them in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F. You may also reheat them in an air fryer or a toaster.
