cheese balls recipe with step by step photos. this is an easy to prepare tasty and fool proof recipe of cheese balls made with potatoes, gram flour and cheese.
there are many ways of preparing cheese balls. i tried the traditional method of making these, but the final result was not good. half of the cheese balls, came out perfect and half of them broke in the oil. it was something to do with the temperature of oil that led to the breaking of them.
this cheese ball recipe is different as it has a secret ingredient – gram flour aka besan. traditionally gram flour is never added in a cheese ball recipe. but this recipe is unique and uses gram flour instead of all-purpose flour. addition of gram flour makes this a foolproof recipe and thus home chefs can make this tricky recipe easily without struggling.
recently when making cheese stuffed bread pakora, i mixed some grated cheese with the leftover besan batter and made pan fried pakoras. to my surprise these pakoras with gram flour, tasted damn good than the cheese balls i had made with all purpose flour (maida).
so i tried making cheese ball with mashed potatoes and gram flour (besan). the result was crisp cheese balls with a cheesy interior. this recipe was a success and much liked. hence sharing the recipe.
cheese balls can be served as a party snack or starter. serve cheese ball with tomato ketchup or coriander chutney or mint chutney.
preparation to make cheese balls
1. boil 3 small potatoes (100 grams) in a steamer or pressure cooker or an electric cooker. boil the potatoes till they are completely cooked.
2. when the potatoes become warm, peel them and mash very well in a mixing bowl. there should be no moisture while peeling, chopping and mashing the potatoes. allow the potatoes to come at room temperature before you add the remaining ingredients.
3. grate 60 grams cheese and keep aside. in cup measurement, the amount is ½ cup tightly packed grated cheese. you can use either cheddar cheese or processed cheese. if using amul processed cheese cubes, then use 3 cubes.
making potato cheese ball mixture
4. to the mashed potatoes, add ¼ tsp black pepper crushed or ⅓ tsp black pepper powder, a pinch of garam masala (optional) and 1.5 tbsp chopped coriander leaves or parsley leaves.
5. add 3.5 to 4 tbsp gram flour/besan. you can also add 2 to 3 tbsp all purpose flour/maida or corn starch.
6. mix very well.
7. then add the grated cheese and two pinches of black salt. add salt accordingly as cheese already has salt in it. you can even add rock salt or regular salt instead of black salt.
8. mix the cheese with the rest of the potato mixture very well. check the taste and add more salt or crushed black pepper if required.
making cheese ball
9. make small balls from the mixture and make one tiny ball to test while frying.
10. heat oil for deep frying in a kadai or pan.
11. when the oil becomes hot, add the tiny cheese ball. the temperature of oil can be from 170 to 190 degrees celsius/338 to 374 degrees fahrenheit. the oil has to be hot, otherwise the cheese balls may break.
12. in a minute, the tiny cheese ball will begin to get golden. when the tiny cheese ball does not break, then you can easily fry the other balls. if it breaks, then you have to add 1 to 2 tbsp besan to the mixture again. keep the same temperature while frying by increasing or decreasing the flame.
13. add the remaining balls taking care of the volume and space of the pan/kadai. do not overcrowd. since i used a small kadai, i added four cheese ball.
14. with a slotted spoon, turn over when the potato cheese balls become golden.
15. fry them turning a couple of times, till the cheese ball are evenly golden all over and crisp.
16. remove fried cheese ball on kitchen paper towels.
serve cheese balls hot with tomato ketchup or mint coriander chutney or mint chutney.
tips for making cheese ball
- both besan and potatoes work together as binding agents. before frying cheese balls, first test with a tiny cheese ball in hot oil. if it breaks, then you have to add 1 to 2 tbsp besan to the mixture and do the test again.
- while frying the oil has to be hot, otherwise the cheese balls may break. the temperature of oil can be from 170 to 190 degrees celsius.
- for the type of cheese, you can use either cheddar cheese or processed cheese. i am not sure about mozzarella cheese as i have not tried making cheese balls with it.
- as a kid friendly snack, i have kept the spices minimal. as it suits you and your family’s taste buds, you can increase the spices. you can also add spices and herbs like green chilies or red chili powder to make these cheese balls spicy.
- the recipe makes for 9 to 10 small cheese ball and can be easily double or tripled.
few more delicious cheese recipes !
- mac and cheese – a delicious homemade macaroni and cheese recipe with step by step pics.
- alfredo pasta – pasta alfredo is a creamy pasta made with mixed veggies.
- cheese biscuits – these yummy biscuits have a crisp texture on the outside and are soft on the inside like bread.
- corn cheese balls – easy, tasty and a no-fail recipe of corn cheese balls – fried as well as baked version.
cheese ball
INGREDIENTS
- 100 grams potatoes or 3 small or 2 medium or 1 large potato
- 60 grams cheese or ½ cup grated cheese tightly packed
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper crushed or ⅓ teaspoon black pepper powder - add as required
- 1 pinch garam masala - optional
- 1.5 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves or parsley leaves
- 3.5 to 4 tablespoon besan (gram flour) or 2 to 3 tablespoon arrow root flour or corn starch or all purpose flour
- 2 to 3 pinches black salt or regular salt or rock salt
- oil for frying
INSTRUCTIONS
preparation
- boil 3 small potatoes (100 grams) in a steamer or pressure cooker or an electric cooker. boil the potatoes till they are completely cooked.
- when the potatoes become warm, peel them and mash very well in a mixing bowl. allow the potatoes to come at room temperature before you add the remaining ingredients.
- grate 60 grams cheese and keep aside. in cup measurement, the amount is 1/2 cup tightly packed grated cheese.
- you can use either cheddar cheese or processed cheese. if using amul processed cheese, then use 3 cubes.
making cheese ball mixture
- to the mashed potatoes, add 1/4 tsp black pepper, crushed or 1/3 tsp black pepper powder, a pinch of garam masala (optional) and 1.5 tbsp chopped coriander leaves or parsley leaves.
- add 3.5 to 4 tbsp gram flour (besan). you can also add 2 to 3 tbsp all purpose flour or corn starch.
- mix very well.
- then add the grated cheese and two pinches of black salt. add salt accordingly as cheese already has salt. you can even add rock salt or regular salt instead of black salt.
- mix the cheese with the rest of the potato mixture very well. check the taste and add more salt or crushed black pepper if required.
- make small balls from the mixture and make one tiny ball to test while frying.
frying cheese balls
- heat oil for deep frying in a kadai or pan.
- when the oil becomes hot, add the tiny cheese ball. the temperature of oil can be from 170 to 190 degrees celsius.
- the oil has to be hot, otherwise the cheese balls may break.
- when the tiny cheese ball, does not break, then you can easily fry the other balls. if it breaks, then you have to add 1 to 2 tbsp besan to the mixture again. keep the same temperature while frying.
- add the remaining potato cheese balls.
- with a slotted spoon, turn over when the balls get to become golden.
- fry them till they are evenly golden all over and crisp.
- remove them on kitchen paper towels.
- serve cheese balls hot with tomato ketchup or coriander chutney.
NOTES
tips for making cheese balls
- the recipe can be doubled or tripled.
- the potato has to be drained very well. even some moisture or water in the potatoes will make the mixture sticky.
- as a kid friendly snack, i have kept the spices minimal. however you can increase the spices to suit your taste buds.
- you can also add spices and herbs like green chilies or red chili powder to make these cheese balls spicy.
Excellent recipe. Kids loved it and mind you, these are very choosy kids.
thank you anu for the feedback and for sharing that your kids loved the cheese balls. glad to know. happy cooking.
Thank u! gonna try this for my kid, hope he likes the sweet taste as well as the cheese. By this way i can give him a healthy and tasty snack. Thank you for your recipe.
welcome sumitha. hope your son likes the cheese balls.
Can i use sweet potato, instead of normal potato?
yes you can use sweet potato. with sweet potato the cheese balls will have some sweet taste.
Hi
Can we freeze these balls. Nice recipe will try it for sure. Tried a couple of ur recipes n they were great. Thanks for the post. Miss you on u tube though.
yes you can freeze them. thanks for the feedback on other recipes. i don’t get time to do videos. it takes a lot of time, thus i am not doing any cooking videos.
Hi I would like to just clarify if not using besan, I should use corn flour and maida …how much of corn flour and how much of maida
you can use 3 tablespoon maida and 1 tablespoon corn flour. before frying test a small cheese ball. if it breaks, then add 1 to 2 tablespoon more maida.
Thank you so much for sharing the recipe my daughter loves it.
Welcome Anna. Glad to know this.
Nice chese balls , i like it. thanku very much
welcome harsha.
Dear Dassana,
I am planning to make these on this weekend. I have one query though can I use mozzarella cheese?
Thank you.
shabistab, mozzarella cheese can be tricky as it is a soft cheese. so i am not sure how it will react while frying. i would suggest to use pizza cheese which is mixture of cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese or use a mix of both cheddar and mozzarella cheese. hope this helps.
Hi Amit,
Can these be cooked in bulk and frozen and then reheated again in oven?
Thanks
D
if done this way, the crisp texture is lost. what i would suggest is make the balls and then freeze. when you want to eat, remove them from freezer and let it come to room temperature. if there is any extra moisture then wipe it. then fry the cheese balls.
The recipe is great and we enjoyed it! I come from Switzerland, that’s to say a country committed to cheese :). I used some Vacherin Mont-d’Or, which is an alpine and tasty cheese, added a bit less flour (Vacherin is aged and doesn’t contain much water) and because it’s strong added some more coriander leaves to the paste. Again, very tasty. We have a famous cheese balls recipe here called “Malakoff”, made principally with flour, eggs and milk, but without potatoes. It’s also damn tasty but a bit too fat^^. That’s why I Iove this recipe with potatoes. Congrats and thanks for sharing!
thanks molina for sharing these bits of info. i have heard of malakoff but never made them. but i did try cheese balls with flour, butter and cheese and i did feel they were heavy. but they tasted good 🙂 potatoes are a nice substitute in most dishes at times. thanks for sharing the feedback on the recipe too.
Hi Dassana,
I am not good at cooking. My in-laws always ask me to make new dishes. So, you are life saver for me. I tried this cheese ball recipe, but they are not cooked from inside. I cant understand what is the problem.
priyanka, when frying always fry on medium heat. the oil should not be very hot. if the oil is very hot, then the outer part gets fried quickly, but the inside remains under cooked. medium hot oil also ensures even frying.
Hi dassana,
Most of Ur recipes I have tried came out really delicious….keep up the good work….i want to ask can I add some steamed green peas to the potato mixture?
thanks salma. you can add steamed green peas. you can also check this recipe of corn cheese balls and instead of sweet corn add green peas.
recipe here – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/corn-cheese-balls-recipe/
Is cheddar cheese fine to make this balls?
Rins, you can try. i think it should work.
I tried cheese balls today following the recipe exactly.they turned out absolutely amazing.it was really yummy.
Thanks Sirisha. Glad to know this.
I tried these cheese balls following the recipe exactly . They turned out absolutely amazing . All the guests loved these and asked for the recipe. Addition of besan worked out really well for me as my daughter is gluten free and can’t have maida. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe .
Welcome Shama. Glad to know this. Thanks for your positive feedback.
hi, in step 5, should we add maida in place of besan.. or in addition to besan? thank u in advance
tanu, you can add maida in place of besan. just check one small piece in oil. if it breaks, then you may need to add half to 1 tablespoon more of maida.
Hi I’m making recipes from ur post since long time all recipes turn out awesome In this recipe ive added corn making it more delicious plus substitutes with Maida it gives different texture and taste at last I dusted some bread crumbs too try it
thanks komal. adding corn will make it more tasty. i know maida gives a different texture and taste. and breadcrumbs too will give a nice crisp texture. thanks for sharing the variations you have done. i am sure the cheese balls must have been delicious.
cool!!!!
thanks.
Hello 🙂 Five stars for the tasty cheese balls.
My potato mixture was not dry like yours. What could be the reason? I added little besan still it was quite sticky. It didn’t burst in the oil though.
Thanks 🙂
Welcome Zehra. The potato has to be drained very well. Even some moisture or water in the potato will make the mixture sticky.
Hi! Do you have a recipe for plain cheese balls I mean without potato
no ruchi. i did try plain cheese balls with flour a couple of times, but they always burst in oil 🙁
Once in a restaurant, they served cheese balls made with macaroni. They tasted delicious. Would you have a recipe for that?
I am a bit skeptical about cheese balls with besan, though (in the same breath let me add) based on experience i believe that all your recipes are a sure success….
… And thanks for offering such a wonderful collection of veg recipes!!
there are many recipes for cheese balls, so difficult to gauge which one was made in the restaurants. you can try these too. they taste different than the regular cheese balls but the taste is too good. thank you chhandashree.
Hi Dasanna,
I am a long time silent follower and admirer of you and your way of easy cooking, recipes, tips and so on….you are really admirable !
Honestly telling sometimes I tried few recipes from many websites, but never were total success. But i felt the hard work you do to analyse so many ingredients, flavors etc. before finally posting them, for any recipe.I liked almost everything which i have prepared from following yours.
Thanks for making survive the young generation people in cooking arena !
thanks for writing roja and also thanks for this encouraging comment. feels nice to read comment like yours and it because of readers like you that i am motivated and encouraged to share more recipes.
I really love all your recipes. I recently got married and moved to US. I don’t have to call mom all the time for recipes(time difference makes it more difficult) All thanks to you. Try adding some rajasthani recipes. Its difficult to find good rajasthani recipes over internet 🙁 And i really liked your earlier layout of homepage rather than this one. But its good you keep experimenting. Thanks a lot. Hope you are also coming up with a book.
thankyou for your honest feedback chandni and let us know if you are looking for any specific recipes. book could be a future thing but thankyou so much 🙂
You are a life saver. I am living in a remote area and in my third trimester, I get cravings for different things all the time which I don’t get here. And here’s where you save my day by these amazing recipes. I love your website. Thank you so much
we are pleased to know we could help you thankyou for your positive words and all the best 🙂 niharika.
Nice recipe i tried it and it was very tasty 🙂
thankyou aruna 🙂
Hi
I have been folowing this site for 6 months now. And it is the best of all the veg cooking sites ever.
You have plethora of recipes; you present it brilliantly, makes it easier for people like me to follow. Amazing work. Keep it up. Good bless you.
This is my go to site if i want to check a recipe or learn or just want new ideas.
I can’t thank you enough for making this site.
Lots of love.
we are quite pleased to know this garima 🙂 thankyou for your kind and encouraging words. you are always welcome dear.
Can the batter be made a day in advance without affecting the taste or texture?
you can try. however i do not how the mixture would react when frying.
I tried this today it was absolutely yum. Thank you so much.
thankyou niki so much and you are welcome 🙂
Very nice recipe , I tried it and my son liked it very much. Thanks for sharing such a nice recipe.
thanks and welcome neerja.
These pakoras were easy to make. They turned out to be super delicious and yes amul cheese gives a real yummy taste. Thnx!!! i also added ginger, garam masala, and chili powder this brings wonderful taste to every bite ?
thanks again riya. yes different flavors can be added.
Hi
I must tell you that I am workng but I have recently taken a break from work to spend more time with family.. And I am doing quite a lot of cookng.. Thanks to you for this.. As I first check your recipe and then proceed.. And all the dishes turn out perfect.. Be it chilly paneer, manchurian dry and gravy, butter naan, aaloo kofta and so on..
I am definitely gong to try this too.. I know both my daughters are going to love it
Thanks a lot!!
thank you shraddha for the encouraging comment and happy cooking.
Really it’s amazing, your recipes are very good ,I use to try everything.I love it
thanks sridevi.
Hi Dassana,
Very nice recipe and kids friendly too.can we use the unfried cheese balls as paratha stuffing?
thanks uma. i don’t know. you have to give it a try.
If u use this mixture for parantha filling ..u will get raw gram flour taste ..without gram flour n all purpose flour ..u can use cheese n potato mixture for stuffing
Nice one… I love your all recipes…..
thanks sneha
Hi can I add some vegetables like onion or cabbage to the cheese balls
avoid adding any veggies as they will release water or moisture and the cheese balls can break in oil while frying.