Paneer Pakora Recipe (Paneer Pakoda)
Paneer Pakora is a deep-fried Indian snack made using paneer (Indian cottage cheese, Indian spices, and chickpea flour. Learn to make the best paneer pakoda using my simple and easy recipe.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- 250 grams paneer
- 1 cup besan (chickpea flour, gram flour)
- 2 tablespoons rice flour
- ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)
- 1 teaspoon Kasuri methi
- ½ teaspoon salt
- oil for frying
- 1 teaspoon chaat masala powder
Instructions
Prepare The Paneer
- Rinse the paneer slab with water and wrap it in a kitchen towel. Press the slab using a weight for 10-15 minutes to remove any moisture. This step is very important for crispy pakoras.
- Cut the paneer into small cubes or rectangles. Keep the size of the pieces the same so that they fry evenly.
Make The Batter
- Stir together chickpea flour, rice flour, chili powder, turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste, carom seeds, Kasuri methi, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Add water (approx ½ cup) 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 to hold and coat the paneer cubes well.
- Let the batter rest on the counter for 10 minutes.
Fry The Pakora
- Heat oil for frying in a pan 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 a few pieces in hot oil and fry on medium flame until nicely browned and crispy 6-8 minutes). Do not overcrowd the pan; fry the pakora in batches.
- Drain the pakoras using a slotted spoon on a plate lined with a kitchen towel. Sprinkle chaat masala powder all over the pakora and serve them hot.
- Note – For extra crispy paneer pakora, double fry them. 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 hot oil and fry on high heat until nicely browned. The first frying cook the covering but leaves some moisture in the oil, which can hamper the crispiness. When we heat the oil once again, all the moisture evaporates, and when the pakoras are fried a second time in very hot oil, they turn out very crispy and crunchy.
- Repeat with the remaining batch.
Video
Notes
Consistency of the chickpea flour batter is very important; it should neither be too thick nor too thin. It should have a medium consistency, easily sticking to the paneer cubes.
Nutrition
Calories: 320kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 115mg | Potassium: 267mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 200IU | Calcium: 317mg | Iron: 2mg
