Paneer Koliwada (Fried Paneer)

One of the Paneer Recipes that is loved by all at my place is the Paneer Koliwada. It is a quick, crispy and tasty fried vegetarian snack made with marinated and spiced batter-coated paneer cubes. The batter is gluten-free and made with gram flour (besan). This Fried Paneer originates in Mumbai and is well known there. You can enjoy this paneer snack as a starter or a snack.

About Paneer Koliwada

The famous fish and prawn koliwada when turned into a vegetarian version, becomes Paneer Koliwada. Even some restaurants serve both Paneer Koliwada and its non vegetarian versions.

As I share only vegetarian recipes on my website, my Paneer Koliwada is made entirely with vegetarian ingredients.

Instead of fish or prawns, fresh paneer cubes are used to create a delicious, crispy, and flavorful snack that stays true to vegetarian cooking.

Paneer Koliwada is basically marinated and batter-fried paneer cubes. The recipe looks similar to Amritsari Paneer but the taste is very different.

The batter of this Paneer Koliwada recipe is a simple one made of gram flour (besan), which is spiced with carom seeds, cumin powder, garam masala powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, ginger, garlic and chaat masala powder.

In this recipe, the carom seeds add a unique flavor profile similar to thyme. They also aid in digestion. The other remaining ground spices and herbs also contribute to the overall flavor and taste.

As the batter is made from gram flour the recipe is gluten-free. You could easily make the batter with chickpea flour instead of gram flour.

There are many ways this Paneer Koliwada can be made. This recipe is how I prepare it at home using simple everyday ingredients.

Why This Recipe Is Called Paneer Koliwada

This particular recipe is not in any way related to the Koli (fishing) community of Maharashtra, in Western India.

Koliwada is the colonies of kolis or fishermen in Mumbai. It is called such, as the recipe of Prawn Koliwada was invented in one such colony, the Sion Koliwada.

Since then, it has become very popular all over Mumbai. During our stint in Mumbai, on occasions, we used to get food from a few particular eateries (dhabas) in Sion Koliwada.

Their Punjabi food used to be awesome and I still remember the taste of the various dishes that were served there.

With this Paneer Koliwada recipe, I have just tried and given a tribute to this lovely regional cuisine that is apart of the everyday life in Mumbai. I’m sure, the moment you’ll try it, you too will fall in love with it.

You can serve it as a snack or even as starter with North Indian main course recipes like Dal Makhani, Rajma Recipe, Dum Aloo or Dal Tadka.

Also, adding a side of freshly sliced onions, lemon wedges and some Mint Chutney to the hot Paneer Koliwada is a super idea. Make sure you also sprinkle some Chaat Masala on the fried paneer cubes.

How to make Paneer Koliwada

Marinate Paneer

1. Chop 200 grams paneer in cubes and take them in a bowl.

2. Add 1½ teaspoons ginger-garlic paste, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder and salt as required.

For ginger-garlic paste, you can even crush 1 inch ginger and 4 to 5 medium-sized garlic cloves in a mortar-pestle.

3. Add 1½ teaspoons lemon juice.

4. Gently mix everything with your hands without breaking the paneer cubes. If you are unable to mix, then toss the bowl, so that the ingredients get mixed. Cover the bowl and marinate for 20 to 30 minutes.

Make Batter

5. In another mixing bowl, take ½ cup gram flour (besan).

6. Then, add ½ teaspoon cumin powder, ½ teaspoon garam masala powder, ½ teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain), 1 teaspoon chaat masala powder and 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder.

7. Now, add 4 tablespoons water.

8. Mix very well to get a thick batter without any lumps.

If the batter looks very thick, then you can add some more water.

Batter Coat Paneer Cubes

9. Add the marinated paneer cubes in the batter.

10. Gently mix well with your hands or a spoon without breaking the paneer cubes. Check the taste of the batter and if required, you can add more salt.

Make Fried Paneer Koliwada

11. Heat oil for deep frying in a kadai or pan. Add a tiny portion of the batter in the oil. If it comes up gradually and steadily, the oil is ready for the paneer cubes to be fried.

12. Coat the paneer cubes evenly with the batter and drop them gently in the hot oil.

13. Fry on medium heat and do not over crowd the kadai. Add, depending on the size of the kadai. You can fry the paneer in 2 to 3 batches.

Alternatively, you can even pan-fry or shallow-fry the paneer cubes.

14. When one side is golden, turn over with a slotted spoon and continue to fry.

15. Turn over a couple of times more and fry till the paneer cubes are golden and crisp.

16. Remove the fried paneer cubes with a slotted spoon draining the extra oil in the pan. Do not overdo the frying part as then the paneer cubes can become dense and chewy.

17. Remove Paneer Koliwada on kitchen paper towels for extra oil to be absorbed. This way continue to fry the remaining paneer cubes.

18. Sprinkle chaat masala powder and serve Paneer Koliwada hot with a side of sliced onions, lemon wedges and mint chutney or Coriander Chutney or any green chutney of your choice.

This Paneer Koliwada recipe from the blog archives was first published on September 2017. It has been updated and republished on May 2024.