Recipe- Perfect For Monsoon Paneer Pakora

Paneer pakora is a easy and tasty Indian snack recipe made with paneer or Indian cottage cheese, chickpea flour or gram flour and some spices. This is a best monsoon snack that tastes wonderful with masala chai or ginger chai. Vegetarian and gluten free.

Ingredients

For Paneer Marinade

200 grams paneer cut into small cubes
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon ginger garlic paste

For Pakoda Batter

3/4 cup chickpea flour gram flour/ besan
3 tablespoons rice flour
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon ajwain seeds
1/4 teaspoon chaat masala powder
2 tablespoons hot oil
1 teaspoon Salt
3/4 cup Water
Oil for deep frying

Method

- Cut paneer into 1 inch cubes or batons.

- Place the paneer cubes in a mixing bowl and add 1/4 teaspoon red chilli powder, 1/4 teaspoon garam masala , 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder and 1/4 teaspoon ginger garlic paste.

- Toss and mix the seasonings well with paneer cubes. In the meanwhile heat oil for deep frying in a deep heavy pan or kadai for frying the pakoras.

- Combine 3/4 cup gram flour besan , 3 tablespoons rice flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add salt to taste, a pinch of chaat masala powder. Next add 1/8 teaspoon ajwain seeds or carom seeds, a big pinch of chili powder to the flours.

- Now remove 2 tablespoons hot oil from the pan and add to the batter ingredients. Adding hot oil yields super crispy pakora.

- Now add 3/4 cup water and mix well to form a batter. Make a thick yet flowing batter. Add water little by little and not at one go. The batter should be thick yet flowing without lumps.

- Before frying check the oil temperature, just drop a small bit of gram flour batter to the oil. If it raises steadily after a second oil is ready for frying.

- If using a candy thermometer the oil temperature should read 375 F or 190 C. Now using a spoon dip each marinated paneer cube into the batter and coat very well.

- Drop the batter coated paneer slices in the hot oil. You can fry 6-8 at a time depending on the size of the size of the pan.

- Stir gently and fry the paneer pieces until they turn crispy and golden from all sides in medium flame.

- Drain the fried paneer pakoda using a slotted spoon to a strainer or kitchen tissue.

- Transfer the fried punjabi paneer pakora to a serving plate and sprinkle with chaat masala or mango powder (amchur) and place some lemon wedges.

- Serve paneer pakodas hot with your favorite chutney or sauce like green chutney, chilli garlic chutney, mint chutney etc.