Paneer pakora is a deep-fried Indian snack made using paneer (Indian cottage cheese, Indian spices, and chickpea flour. It is crispy and crunchy from the outside and soft on the inside. Learn to make the best paneer pakoda using my simple and easy recipe. I have also included a few variations, tips, and tricks in the post. Read along!
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About the Recipe
Paneer pakora is a popular Indian deep-fried snack recipe where soft paneer (Indian cottage cheese) pieces are dunked in a spiced gram flour batter and then deep-fried. These paneer fritters are crispy from the outside and soft from the inside.
These pakoras make for a perfect tea-time snack. Serve it with spicy tangy green chutney and masala chai on the side for an unforgettable Indian-style snack experience.
Paneer pakora comes together in under 30 minutes using simple pantry ingredients. They are super easy to make and perfect for those monsoon days when you want to eat something hot, crispy, and delicious.
I have a little secret tip to make these pakoras extra crispy, and that is double frying them. Make these nuggets using my easy recipe and I can assure you you will not be disappointed. I have listed a few variations of paneer pakora in the post which you can try too.
These Paneer Pakora are,
- Super easy
- Protein-rich
- Gluten-free
- Addictive
- Just like the ones served at the North Indian restaurants
- Perfect for monsoon and winters
If you are looking for more pakora recipes, I have you covered
Ingredients
To make these crispy paneer fritters, you will need –
Paneer – You can use either homemade or store-bought paneer.
Buy paneer slabs from the refrigerator section of any Indian grocery store. Do not buy the cubed frozen one as the cube size is sometimes very small and not ideal to make the pakoras.
Gram Flour Batter – The base of the batter to make the outer covering of the pakoras is gram flour (chickpea flour). It is mixed with a few spices like Kashmiri red chili powder, ginger garlic paste, carom seeds (ajwain), and Kasuri methi. Carom seeds not only add to the flavor but also helps with digestion.
You will also need rice flour and baking powder for extra crispiness. Cornstarch can be added in place of rice flour.
Oil – You can use any vegetable oil or even mustard oil to fry the pakoras.
Chaat Masala Powder – Once the pakoras are ready, sprinkle some chaat masala powder on top. It adds a nice tangy taste. You can try my homemade chaat masala recipe. It’s easy and super economical.
How to make Paneer Pakora?
Wash 0.5 lb (250 g) paneer slab with water and wrap it in between a kitchen towel. Press the slab using some weight for 10-15 minutes to get rid of any moisture. This step is very important to get crispy pakoras.
Cut the paneer into small cubes or rectangles. Keep the size of the pieces the same so that they fry evenly.
Stir together 1 cup chickpea flour, 2 tablespoon rice flour, 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder, 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste, 1 teaspoon carom seeds, 1 teaspoon Kasuri methi, salt to taste, 1 pinch of baking soda in a large mixing bowl.
Add (½-3/4 cup) water little by little and whisk to make a thick but runny batter. The consistency of the batter is very important for perfect pakoras. It should be slightly thick so that it can hold the paneer cubes and coat them well. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes on the counter.
Heat vegetable oil for frying in a skillet over high heat.
Once the oil is very hot, reduce the heat to medium. Add the paneer pieces to the batter and coat them well.
Drop the pieces in hot oil and fry on medium flame until nicely browned and crispy 6-8 minutes).
Note – For extra crispy pakoras, double fry the pakoras. Fry them on medium heat until lightly browned and drain on a plate. Now heat the oil again until it is very hot. Drop a few pakoras in very hot oil and fry on high heat until nicely browned. The first frying cooks the covering but it also leaves some moisture in the oil which can hamper the crispiness. When we heat the oil once again, all the moisture is evaporated and when the pakoras are fried a second time in very hot oil, they turn out very crispy and crunchy.
Drain the pakoras using a slotted spoon on a plate lined with a kitchen towel. Sprinkle chaat masala all over the pakora and serve them hot.
Pro Tips By Neha
Consistency of the chickpeas flour batter is very important, it should neither be too thick nor too thin. It should have a medium consistency, where it easily sticks to the paneer cubes.
You can cut paneer in different shapes to make it look appealing.
Do not add turmeric to the batter. The reaction between baking soda and turmeric makes the pakoda reddish in color.
Double fry to make it extra crispy.
For a healthy version, you can either bake or air fryer it. But the deep-fried ones taste the best!
Frequently Asked Questions
Make the spiced batter as per the recipe. Coat the paneer cubes with the batter and arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spray or brush oil on top. Bake them at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) for about 10-15 minutes or until they turn golden brown.
To make paneer pakora in an air fryer, make the batter as mentioned in the recipe. Coat the paneer pieces with the batter and arrange them on the basket of the air fryer in a single layer. Spray with oil.
Close the basket and air fry the pakora at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes. Make sure to turn the pakora once in the middle of cooking. Spray or brush more oil if needed.
Firstly, if the oil is not hot enough, the pakoras will soak up the oil. Secondly, if the gram flour batter is too thin, it will also soak up the oil. So make sure you get these two things right.
Variations
Chutney Sandwich – You can stuff two paneer slices with some green chutney and red garlic chutney. Now coat it with gram flour batter and deep fry.
Aloo Stuffed – You can stuff two paneer slices with some spicy potato masala in the same way as the chutney sandwich.
Tandoori – Marinate the paneer cubes with some tandoori masala for about 30 minutes. Dip them in the gram flour batter and deep fry.
Serving Suggestions
I love to serve this delicious paneer pakoda along with coriander mint chutney or sweet tamarind chutney. Sometimes, when I am in the mood to eat something spicy, I also serve it along with my favorite, Schezwan sauce. Kids love it with tomato ketchup.
You can also stuff these Pakoras in between two breads and make a yummy sandwich.
Do not forget to serve a hot cup of adrak wali chai or filter coffee on the side.
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Recipe Card
Paneer Pakora Recipe
Ingredients
- 0.5 pound paneer
- 1 cup chickpea flour (besan)
- 2 tablespoons rice flour
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)
- 1 teaspoon Kasuri methi
- salt (to taste)
- 1 pinch baking soda
- vegetable oil (for frying)
- 1 teaspoon chaat masala powder
Instructions
- Wash 0.5 lb (250 g) paneer slab with water and wrap it in between a kitchen towel. Press the slab using some heavy weight for 10-15 minutes to get rid of any moisture. This step is very important to get crispy pakoras.
- Cut the paneer into small cubes or rectangles. Keep the size of the pieces same so that they fry evenly.
- Stir together 1 cup chickpea flour, 2 tablespoon rice flour, 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder, 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste, 1 teaspoon carom seeds, 1 teaspoon Kasuri methi, salt to taste, 1 pinch of baking soda in a large mixing bowl.
- Add (½-¾ cup) waater little by little and whisk to make a thick but runny batter. The consistency of the batter is very important for perfect pakoras. It should be slightly thick so that it can hold the paneer cubes and coat them well. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes on the counter.
- Heat vegetable oil for frying in a skillet over high heat.
- Once the oil is very hot, reduce the heat to medium. Add the paneer pieces to the batter and coat them well.
- Drop the pieces in hot oil and fry on medium flame until nicely browned and crispy (6-8 minutes).
- Note – For extra crispy pakoras, double fry the pakoras. Fry them on medium heat until lightly browned and drain on a plate. Now heat the oil again until it is very hot. Drop a few pakoras in very hot oil and fry on high heat until nicely browned. The first frying cooks the covering but it also leaves some moisture in the oil which can hamper the crispiness. When we heat the oil once again, all the moisture is evaporated and when the pakoras are fried a second time in very hot oil, they turn out very crispy and crunchy.
- Drain the pakoras using a slotted spoon on a plate lined with a kitchen towel. Sprinkle chaat masala all over the pakora and serve them hot.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!