Easy Paneer Pakora
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5.0
12 reviews
Excellent
Easy Paneer Pakora
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Paneer pakora is a popular Indian snack in which soft paneer (Indian cottage cheese) pieces are deep-fried after being coated in a spiced gram flour batter. These paneer fritters have a crispy exterior and a soft interior.
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Ingredients
- 250 grams Paneer or Cottage cheese store-bought or homemade
- oil for frying
Spices for Paneer
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder adjust to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chaat masala
For stuffed pakora
- 2 tablespoon mint cilantro chutney
- 2 tablespoon tamarind chutney
For the batter
- 1 cup gram flour (besan)
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Turmeric (Haldi powder)
- 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder adjust to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon Coriander powder (dhaniya powder)
- 1/2 teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)
- 1/2 teaspoon chaat masala
- 1/2 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- 1/3 cup water plus more as needed to make the batter
For serving
- 1/2 teaspoon chaat masala optional
- mint cilantro chutney
- tamarind chutney
Instructions
Prepare the batter
- In a bowl, add all the batter ingredients including besan and spices. Add little water as needed to make a thick flowing batter. Let it rest for 10-15 minutes. (See notes if you have less time)
Prepare Paneer
- If using store-bought paneer, blanch the paneer for 10 minutes in hot water. Cut the paneer into cubes (about 3/4 inch). You can even cut them in the desired shape like a triangle.
- (For stuffed pakora) Cut the paneer into triangles. Then make 2-3 slices of each triangle depending on chutneys you plan to stuff. Spread chutney on one side and place the other triangle on top.
Deep Fry
- Heat oil in a kadai or deep fryer on medium-high flame. You can use any neutral tasting oil with a high smoking point. Once the oil reaches the smoking point, you can test the oil by immersing a few drops of batter in the hot oil. The oil is ready to fry pakoras if the batter droplets rise to the surface quickly and gradually.
- Dip the prepared paneer pieces in the batter and coat them nicely with the batter. Add the batter-coated paneer slices carefully to the medium-hot oil. Remember do not overcrowd the kadhai. Using a slotted spoon, remove the paneer pakora. To remove excess oil, place them on paper towels.
- Fry till the paneer fritters are golden and crisp on all sides. Use a slotted spoon to turn them few times while they cook evenly.Using a slotted spoon, remove the paneer pakoras and transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to drain excess oil.
Serve
- Serve paneer pakora hot or warm, sprinkled with chaat masala, and accompanied by mint cilantro chutney or tomato ketchup and masala chai.
Notes
- Batter:
- Rice flour: Traditionally, the batter is made with only gram flour. However you can add 1-2 tablespoons of rice flour as this makes the pakoras crunchy, while keeping them gluten-free.
- Frying:
- The batter should be thick, easy to coat and not runny.
- Ensure the batter is lump free. You can use a whisk or an electric mixer to mix the batter.
- In case you are in a hurry, and don't have time to let the batter rest, add a pinch of baking soda to the batter. This will make the pakoras crunchy.
- Frying the pakora in very hot oil will quickly brown or burn the outside batter, leaving the inside batter undercooked and raw.
- Frying the pakoras at a low temperature causes the pakora to absorb more oil, resulting in oily pakoras.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
309kcal
(15%)
Carbohydrates
21g
(7%)
Protein
16g
(32%)
Fat
18g
(28%)
Saturated Fat
10g
(50%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
1g
Monounsaturated Fat
0.5g
Cholesterol
41mg
(14%)
Sodium
627mg
(26%)
Potassium
273mg
(8%)
Fiber
4g
(16%)
Sugar
4g
(8%)
Vitamin A
176IU
(4%)
Vitamin C
1mg
(1%)
Calcium
319mg
(32%)
Iron
2mg
(11%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 309 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 309kcal | 15% |
| Carbohydrates | 21g | 7% |
| Protein | 16g | 32% |
| Fat | 18g | 28% |
| Saturated Fat | 10g | 50% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 0.5g | 3% |
| Cholesterol | 41mg | 14% |
| Sodium | 627mg | 26% |
| Potassium | 273mg | 6% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 176IU | 4% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 319mg | 32% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
12 reviews
Excellent
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