Discover What Is Paneer Pakora And Try Them Right Now

You might’ve heard about ‘Paneer Pakora’. If you don’t, don’t worry, we’ll help you out by defining what is paneer pakora.

Paneer pakora is probably one of the most popular vegetarian snacks in India. Everybody loves them. It is soft on the inside but with a crispy and crunchy texture on the outside. It is an all-time favorite snack that goes well in every situation as an appetizer, starter, or light meal.

What Is Paneer Pakora?

So, in response to your question, “What is Paneer Pakora?” we’ve provided the following explanation:

‘Pakora’ is actually an Indian native term for fried fritters. From Masala paneer pakora to chili garlic pakoras, there are endless varieties of pakoras that you can make. You can make all kinds of crispy pakora from various vegetables such as potato, onion, eggplant, raw bananas, cauliflower, and so forth. It can be a perfect companion to your evening cup of tea, especially during the monsoon season when you want to treat your taste buds with something spicy, hot, and crispy. 

Obviously, paneer is the key ingredient of this mouthwatering snack. It is a non-melting, fresh and soft Indian cottage cheese derived from milk by curdling it with food acid like lime juice or vinegar. Unlike American cottage cheese, the firm state of paneer allows you to cut or slice it into the shape and size of your preferences.

You can cook everything from Palak Paneer to Shahi Paneer to Paneer Butter Masala and more with paneer!

You may wonder, “What is shahi paneer?” or “What is paneer makhani?”. These are simple and tasty paneer meals that you may cook at home.

You can also make a paneer block at home or buy it online or even from your local grocery stores. Here is the best paneer brand in usa that you should check out.

All you need to do is dip paneer into the ingredients of your choice and deep fry to make it crispy and moist at the same time. Serve it with green chutney for the ultimate pakora experience.

Different Types/Styles Of Paneer Pakora

Now that you know what is paneer pakora, let us talk about the different kinds of paneer pakoras you can make at home. With pakoras, the sky’s the limit. From here are endless variations of paneer pakora that you can improvise in your kitchen. Set your imagination free. Feel free to improvise on these Paneer pakora recipes and experiment with the ingredients and flavors. Following are some of the most popular types of paneer pakora that you should definitely try.

1. Stuffed Paneer Pakora

Stuffed paneer pakora is a spicy, moist-on-the-inside, crispy-on-the-outside appetizer.

It is a classic sandwich type of paneer pakora. Take two or three slices of paneer, depending on their thickness, and stuff them with red chilli garlic or green coriander chutney or ketchup. Then coat the stuffed layers with batter and deep fry to let the chutney work its magic. 

2. Spicy Stuffed Style

This paneer snack is easy to make and super spicy with stuffing spicy ingredients in between the layers.

In this variation, you should slice the paneer but not cut it completely. Then stuff the layers with spicy ingredients like coriander leaves, ginger, and green chilies. Gently sprinkle salt over it, dip it in the batter, and fry. 

3. Paneer Bread Pakora

Here, you bring bread to the party. Start with two slices of bread, preferably a sandwich bread. Apply the chutney of your choice on each of them. You can use green or chilli chutney on one slice and sweet chutney on the other.

Now cut a slice of paneer and place it on the green chutney side to cover the entire surface. Cover it up with the other slice of bread. For convenience, cut it diagonally into two halves. Dip the bread in the batter and deep fry in hot oil until it is crispy and golden brown.

4. Tandoori Style

Tandoori Paneer Pakora is a simple pakora dish that includes paneer, curd, green chili, food coloring, baking powder, gram flour, onion, and seasonings. The key ingredient if this dish is tandoori masala.

Give those paneer pakoras a tandoori twist by marinating the paneer cubes with spicy tandoori masala for about half an hour. Then follow the same drill: dip it and fry. Don’t worry, it still counts as veg!

5. Mozzarella Cheese Pakora

Try something out of the box with mozzarella cheese sticks instead of paneer. Simply cut the cheese stick into halves, coat it with batter, and deep fry.

The frying technique also leads to variations in the types of paneer pakora. Try the double frying technique for making them extra crispy and crunchy.

First, half fry the pakoras until they are pale golden in color. Take them out and let them cool for a while. Then press on the half-fried pakoras gently with your palms or a bowl. Then deep fry them until golden brown and crispy. Although this technique is time-consuming, it’s definitely worth it.

6. Makki Paneer Pakora

Makki (corn) Paneer Pakora is a tasty deep-fried corn and paneer fritter. Take a small mixer jar and grind some fennel seeds, ginger and green chili in a coarse paste. Do not add water. Set it aside. Now, add some corn in the food processor and grind it. 

Next, take a mixing bowl, add the green chili coarse paste, grounded corn, crumbled paneer, chopped onions, chickpea flour, some salt to taste, curry and coriander leaves. Mix it. 

If the batter is dry, add a little water to make it into the perfect pakora batter consistency. Deep fry these pakoras in your frying pan and fry them until they are golden brown. You can serve these delicious pakoras with green chutney or even have it with some tomato sauce.

7. Chili Garlic Paneer Pakora

If you haven’t tried this snack yet, you’re missing out! 

Crispy paneer pakora recipe with garlic chutney is a mouthwatering snack made with cubes of fresh, soft paneer smeared in a spicy garlic chutney, sandwiched and deep-fried in gram flour batter.

Chili garlic chutney is a hot and spicy chutney made mostly from a mixture of chilies and garlic. To prepare chili garlic chutney, add garlic cloves, tomato sauce, red chilies, and salt in the grinder with 1-2 tablespoons of water. Cut the paneer block into two-inch-long strips. Spread a layer of chili garlic chutney on one side of the paneer. Place another piece of paneer on top of that, and it will look like a sandwich. Continue to do the same with the rest.

Next, add besan (gram flour), roasted cumin, turmeric powder, red chili powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix and add some water to make a semi-thick batter. Heat oil in a saucepan. Now take each paneer sandwich and dip it in the besan batter. Make sure it is coated evenly. Fry until golden brown.

You can serve this Crispy paneer pakora with some tomato sauce.

8. Aloo Paneer Pakora

Aloo Paneer Pakora is a quick and easy Indian snack recipe made with paneer, potato, gram flour, spices, and baking soda. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, these pakoras are delicious.

Paneer pieces should be dusted with dried mango powder and red chili powder. Mix and put aside. Boil one large potato and mash it when it’s done. Add salt, dried mango powder, and red chili powder to the mashed potato bowl and stir to combine. Coat each piece of paneer in the potato mixture.

Make a smooth batter using water, baking soda, salt, besan, and red chili powder. Dip each piece of potato-coated paneer in the batter once it’s ready.

Heat the oil and toss in the pakora. Fry until golden brown. Serve hot with some green chutney.

Paneer Pakora Recipe

Make sure you have all the necessary ingredients before you get started with this mouthwatering recipe. However, the items may vary depending on the type of paneer pakora.

Items required:

  • Paneer, of course. Homemade paneer is the best, or you can buy a good one from the local store. Soft paneer tastes the best. If you are using homemade paneer, it might get a little hard over time. Here’s how to make paneer soft. If you are buying, it’s better to buy them in slabs. Frozen paneer cubes are not ideal for making pakoras.
  • Flour. Use gram flour for the base of the batter. This is for the outer crust of the pakora. Experiment with spices such as garlic ginger paste, red chilli powder, coriander, carom seeds, turmeric, and salt. These spices not only make the pakoras tastier but also help to improve your digestion.
  • Add some baking powder and rice flour or cornstarch for the extra crispy texture.
  • Go with a low cholesterol vegetable oil to deep fry the pakoras. The point is to look out for health without compromising the taste.
  • Chaat Masala Powder can be sprinkled on the fried pakoras for a tangy taste.

Let’s make some paneer pakoras.

Step 1: Wash the paneer block thoroughly with water. Get rid of the moisture by wrapping it with a dry kitchen towel and pressing it with some weight for a while. This process helps to make the pakoras crispier.

Step 2: Cut the dried paneer block into slices of approximately 1.5×1.5×0.25 cubic inch. It will be easier to fry the slices evenly if they are of the same size.

 Step 3 (Optional): You can choose to marinate the paneer slice to add extra seasoning and flavor to the snacks. For this, use a mixing bowl and add an equal quantity (¼ teaspoon) of red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, and ginger garlic paste. Let the paneer soak in the flavor for at least an hour or so.

Step 4: Prepare the batter in a large mixing bowl. Mix all the essential ingredients, viz. 1 cup gram flour, 2 tbsp cornstarch or rice flour, 1 tsp each of red chilli powder, carom seeds,kasuri methi, and ginger garlic paste. Add a pinch of baking powder as well.

Add about a half cup of water slowly while using a whisk to mix well the ingredients so that batter is thick but flowing. The quality of pakoras depends on the consistency of the batter. Make sure there are no lumps. It should be just thick enough to hold the paneer inside. If it is too thick, the paneer won’t be cooked properly. 

Step 5: Take a paneer piece and coat it well by dipping it in the batter. At the same time, heat the oil to medium on a frying pan. Test the oil temperature with a drop of batter in the pan. It should float to the surface immediately without much change in color. This means that the oil is ready for deep frying pakoras.

Step 6: Gently slide the batter-coated paneer slices into the hot oil. Continue deep frying in medium heat. Give it a few minutes to turn golden brown, then flip it over to fry the other side. Do it a couple more times so that the pakoras get fried evenly.

The number of pakoras you can fry at once depends on the size of the frying pan. Do not fry too many pakoras at once. It usually takes 6-8 minutes for the pakoras to turn brown and crispy. Try the double frying technique as explained earlier if you want that extra crispy texture in your paneer pakoras.

Step 7: Use a slotted spoon to drain the excess oil off the fried pakoras. Transfer them to a plate lined with a paper towel to soak the remaining oil. 

Step 8: Paneer pakoras are best served when fresh and hot. Fry in small batches to avoid leftovers. For seasoning, immediately sprinkle a few pinches of amchur or chaat masala over them. Put some lemon wedges around. Dip it in a chutney. Accompany this snack with your favorite hot tea.

Is Paneer Pakora Gluten Free?

Yes, paneer pakora is totally safe for those with celiac disease and gluten-related disorders. Both the key ingredients (chickpea flour and paneer) are naturally gluten-free products. Therefore, you can get the essential nutrients for your body without worrying about digestion problems. However, the deep-fried pakoras are not healthy as a daily snack. 

What Does Pakora Taste Like?

Needless to say, pakora tastes delicious. It is a mouthwatering combination of soft cheese with a crunchy layer of crust. The taste of pakora depends on various factors like the freshness of the paneer, marination process, other ingredients, the thickness of the batter, frying technique, and many more.

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