An easy modern classic snack
My attempt to try a new snack didn’t workout so well and I ended up going back to the good old pakoras. The snack that I had planned to make: Paneer Popcorn, sacrificed a couple of good paneer pieces in the ill fated battle. Well, there is always a next time. As for these pakoras, they were crispy & delicious.
Paneer Pakoras sound modern classic as pakoras are a classic Indian snack & paneer has become a modern obsession. The snack is extremely easy to make. Make a batter, dunk the paneer cubes & deep fry. I marinated the paneer pieces in some spices & seasoning so that some flavor goes into the paneer & makes the snack more interesting. These pakoras are also gluten-free as they are made of chickpea flour.
Deep fried & delicious !!!
Paneer Pakora Recipe
Ingredients
- Paneer / Cottage cheese: 200 gm
- Gram Flour / Besan: 1/4 cup
- Red Chili Powder: 1/2 tsp
- Ginger-garlic paste: 1/4 tsp
- Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp
- Pepper powder: 1/2 tsp
- Lime: 1/2
- Salt
- Oil for deep frying
Preparation
- Cut the paneer into 1-inch cubes
- Marinate the panner pieces by adding pepper, lime juice & a pinch of salt. All contents in a bowl & mix well
- Take the gram in another bowl for the batter. Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, ginger-garlic paste & salt. Keep adding small quantities of water & mix to form a loose batter
Method
- Heat oil in a pan for deep frying. Once the oil is hot reduce the heat.
- Dip the paneer pieces in the batter & dunk them in the hot oil, one piece after another. Fry in batches.
- Once done, remove from the oil & place the pakoras on an absorbent paper to remove the excess oil
Alternate Options
- The spices & the seasoning used for marination can be replaced. Some of the options are: Oregano, red chili flakes, garlic paste, garam masala powder, coriander paste etc
- Marination can also be completely avoided & to balance the flavor, the batter can be made more spicy
- To make the paneere crispy, a spoon of rice flour can be added to the batter