Paneer Pakoda, Punjabi Paneer Pakora Recipe with step by step photos
Like Paneer Pakoda-
I absoluetly love paneer and paneer pakora | Punjabi style paneer pakora | paneer pakoda | how to make paneer pakora | is one of my favourite recipes. If you are also a paneer lover given below are some delicious recipes made using paneer :
Preparation for the Paneer pakora-
Paneer or cottage cheese is a popular cheese in India. It is made using only two ingredients, milk & an acidic agent. Our website has a detailed recipe to make homemade paneer with step by step photos. You can refer this recipe and prepare soft, fresh paneer block at home. If not, then you can easily buy fresh paneer from a local dairy or packaged frozen paneer. In case, the frozen paneer is too hard, you can submerge it in hot water for 15-20 minutes & then use it.
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Place the paneer block on a chopping board and cut into cubes. You can even chop them into strips if you like. If the cubes have a lot of moisture, then press and wipe off excess moisture or else it may splutter in oil.
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For the Paneer Pakora dry powder-
Naturally, paneer has a bland flavour which actually makes it a versatile ingredient as it easily absorbs all the flavours. For making tongue-tickling Paneer pakoda, we will make a spice-mix. In a bowl, take 1/4 tsp of carom seeds.
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Add chilli powder. The quantity can be adjusted as per the spice you prefer.
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Add garam masala.
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Next, add coriander-cumin seeds powder.
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Add a little dried mango powder for a tangy hint.
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Add turmeric powder.
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Add chaat masala for a more chatpata flavour.
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Finally, add salt to taste.
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Mix well with a clean spoon and our dry powder for Paneer Bhajia is ready.
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For the Paneer Pakoda Batter-
To prepare the batter for Paneer pakoda, in a deep bowl, take 1 cup of besan
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For a spicy hint, add little chilli powder.
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Add some turmeric powder to give a yellow hue to the batter.
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Furthermore, add 2 pinches of asafoetida. It helps aid digestion.
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Add 1 tbsp of hot oil. This helps in giving the Paneer Pakora’s crispy texture.
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Add 2 tbsp of chopped coriander.
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Add a pinch of baking soda and salt to taste.
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Add around ½ cup of water. The quantity of water will depend upon the quality of besan.
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To prepare the batter for paneer pakora | Punjabi style paneer pakora | paneer pakoda |, in a deep bowl, take 1 cup of besan
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How to make Paneer Pakora-
For making crispy Paneer Pakoras, in a deep bowl take the paneer cubes.
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Sprinkle the prepared dry masala powder.
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Toss gently or else the paneer will crumble and break. Alternatively, you can even slit the paneer in the center and stuff with dry spice mix instead of coating it outside.
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Heat the oil in a deep non-stick kadhai, dip each masala paneer cubes in the batter one by one.
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Carefully drop a few paneer cubes at a time. Fry the Paneer pakoras in small batches as you don’t want to drop the temperature of oil suddenly by over-crowding the pan.
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Deep-fry on a medium flame till golden brown in colour from one side. Do not stir in the initial few seconds or else the batter will stick to the slotted spoon.
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Flip and fry to cook the Paneer pakoras evenly from all sides.
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Remove the Paneer pakoras using a slotted spoon and drain on absorbent paper to remove excess oil.
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Serve the paneer pakodas immediately with green chutney and tomato ketchup.
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