Paneer Pakora is a deep fried snack of soft paneer cubes coated with a spiced, savory gram flour batter and fried until crispy and golden. It is also a popular snack that is made with Paneer. With a lovely crispy outer texture and tender paneer within, this yum North Indian style Paneer Pakoda recipe comes together under 30 minutes and is sure to become your favorite.
About Paneer Pakora
‘Paneer’ is the protein-packed ‘Indian cottage cheese’ and ‘pakora or pakoda’ is the Hindi term for ‘fried fritters.’ Since, in this recipe, the star ingredient is paneer, it is rightly named as Paneer Pakora or Paneer Pakoda.
Like I said, Indian cuisine has a variety of pakoras made with different vegetables or with paneer or cheese. In Indian cooking, the flour that we always include to make fritters or pakodas is gram flour. The same goes for this Paneer Pakora too.
Skinned small black chickpeas are ground finely or coarsely to make gram flour, which is also known as besan in Hindi.
It makes for an essential ingredient, not just for the batter of almost every pakoda but also used to make other dishes like Kadhi, some sweets like Besan Ladoo, Besan Burfi, etc.
Paneer is fresh, non-melting Indian cottage cheese made by curdling milk with a food acid. Paneer is also a firm cheese and can easily be cut or sliced in various shapes.
The texture of paneer is totally different from the American cottage cheese. Thus, it is also easily used to make the Paneer Pakoda as it holds its shape while getting deep-fried in hot oil.
Paneer Pakora is also a popular pakora variant that you will find in many Indian restaurants or street side stalls or eateries. Especially, in the northern parts of India. There are a number of variations to the recipe too.
About My Recipe
As I have mentioned above, to make this snack paneer cubes or squares are coated with the spiced gram flour batter and deep fried.
After deep frying them golden and crisp, the outer crust has a nice flavorful crispy texture of the gram flour batter with a tender and soft paneer inside. These delish pakoras are best served with Coriander Chutney or even Tamarind Chutney.
In the gram flour batter, I add carom seeds (ajwain) and asafoetida, both of which helps in digestion. I also add some more ground spices. The addition of carom seeds give the batter a lovely thyme like aroma and flavor.
I also use mustard oil for deep frying and I like the pungent flavor it imparts to the pakoda. If you are not a fan or do not prefer mustard oil, feel free to use your preferred oil for deep frying.
These two ingredients – carom seeds and mustard oil, greatly enhance the flavor and taste of the pakoda, making a remarkable difference and setting this recipe apart from the others.
Don’t worry, if you do not have mustard oil, but be sure to include the carom seeds in the batter for the best flavor.
Pakora or pakoda are a favorite snack for most Indians. Best enjoyed during monsoons or the rainy season, there is also a myriad of pakoras that are made in Indian cuisine. Many of these, with regional variations too.
In our home, we have a ritual to make assorted pakoras with paneer as well as different veggies.
Mostly potato, cauliflower, onion, spinach and Paneer Pakoda are on this list. We usually make these for dinner and serve with Roti and Mint Chutney.
How To Make Truly Crispy Pakora
Generally, when I make this Paneer Pakoda or any other pakora, I fry them once. But at my in-law’s place, they use a unique frying technique of frying the pakoras twice.
The pakora are half-fried or until pale golden and placed on kitchen paper towels. When the half-fried pakoras become warm or cool, they are pressed lightly between the palms or with a bowl. Then, fried again for the second time until super crisp and perfectly golden.
I usually don’t implement this method because it is time consuming and makes the pakoras more calorie-laden. But you can give it a try, as double frying does really make the pakodas very crispy.
Which Oil To Use For Frying
At home, we usually fry any pakora in mustard oil. Frying in mustard oil gives a very good taste and flavor. Mustard oil has a high smoking point which makes it good for deep frying.
If you do not prefer the flavor of mustard oil, then use any oil with a high smoking point. Peanut, sunflower, safflower and avocado oil are some good options.
How to make Paneer Pakora
Preparation
1. Measure and keep aside all the ingredients for making Paneer Pakoda.
2. Slice 125 to 150 grams paneer (Indian cottage cheese) into cubes or squares.
For best results, use homemade paneer.
Make Batter
3. In a mixing bowl or vessel, take 1 cup besan (gram flour).
4. Now, add the following spices:
- 1 pinch turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)
- 1 to 2 pinches of garam masala powder
- 1 pinch asafetida (hing)
- salt as required
5. Mix with a wired whisk or spoon.
6. Pour ⅔ to ¾ cup water in parts.
Tip: Depending on the quality of besan, the water proportion will vary. You need to get a medium consistency flowing batter. So, keeping this consistency in mind, add water bit-by-bit and mix until you get a perfectly medium consistency flowing batter.
7. Use a wired whisk to mix the batter. Make a medium consistency flowing, smooth batter without any lumps.
The batter can be medium-thick but do not make it thin and runny.
Make Paneer Pakora
9. Heat mustard oil for deep frying in a kadai or pan.
Tip: Don’t worry, if you do not have mustard oil. Simply fry pakoda in sunflower oil, peanut oil or any other neutral oil with a high smoke point.
8. Dip the paneer cubes into the batter. Coat them evenly with the batter.
10. When the oil becomes medium hot, gently and carefully add the batter-coated paneer cubes in it. Keep the heat to medium or medium-high.
Tip: To check if the oil is medium-hot, add a few drops of batter to the hot oil. If it comes up on the surface quickly and gradually, the oil is ready for frying pakoras.
11. When one side is light golden, gently turn over the pakodas with a slotted spoon and continue to fry the second side.
12. Flip a couple of times for even frying. When the pakora looks crisp and golden, remove it with a slotted spoon, draining the excess oil.
Place the fried Paneer Pakoda on kitchen paper towels, for the extra oil to be soaked. Similarly batter coat the paneer cubes and fry in batches.
14. Serve Paneer Pakora hot, as it tastes best when consumed hot.
Serving Suggestions
Below are the few ways you can serve and savor the scrumptious Paneer Pakora at home:
- With chutneys and condiments: Serve Paneer Pakoda sprinkled with some chaat masala powder. Do not skip as it brings a lot of flavor. If you do not have chaat masala, then sprinkle with a mix of roasted cumin powder, black salt and dried mango powder (amchur powder). Pair with a dipping sauce like tomato ketchup, mint chutney or coriander chutney.
- With evening chai (tea) or coffee: Paneer Pakora can be had as a snack with a cup of Masala Chai or Coffee.
- With Indian flat bread, roti, phulka or chapati: If you are really fond of pakoras, then you can make the Paneer Pakoda and have it with roti, chapati, phulka, like we do. They also taste good with bread.
Variations
As I said earlier, there are many ways that you can experiment with the basic recipe of Paneer Pakora and make new variations. Some of these are:
- Stuffed Paneer Pakoda: In the stuffed version, the paneer slices are sandwiched between coriander chutney, tamarind chutney or red chili garlic chutney, batter-coated and then deep-fried. Obviously with the zesty chutneys on the paneer, this variant tastes better than the plain version.
- Spicy Stuffed Paneer Pakora: A simple variation for a spicy stuffing is to place some finely chopped green chilies, ginger and coriander leaves sprinkled with a bit of salt in an almost sliced paneer. Meaning the paneer is not cut completely. Then, batter-coat and deep-fry.
Expert Tips
- Paneer: The best results can be achieved obviously with homemade Paneer. If using frozen paneer, follow directions on the pack before proceeding with the recipe.
- Slicing paneer: You can make decorative shapes from a paneer block, if you plan to make a large batch for a party. The shapes can be round, square, triangle or rectangle. I usually prefer to slice paneer in a square or rectangular shape.
- Spice levels: The spicing in my recipe is minimal. So, there is a balance in the taste and the pakora is not overly spicy. If you prefer, adjust the ground spices according to your likings. In fact, a pakoda is never spicy. The coriander chutney that is served with it can be spicy.
- Batter consistency: The batter should have a medium-thick to medium and flowing consistency, not thin or runny. A thin batter will absorb more oil, making the pakora loaded with oil and soggy.
- Leavening ingredient: I have not included baking soda or baking powder in this recipe. You can add, for fluffier and crispier pakora. About 1 pinch baking soda or ¼ teaspoon baking powder will give you the best results.
- Baking and air frying: I’ve not had great results with baking or air-frying pakoras. But you can try. Bake or air fry at a moderately hot temperature of 180 degrees C (356 degrees F). Preheat oven or air-fryer for 10 minutes.
FAQs
The oil has to be at medium or medium-high heat. The right temperature for frying is between 180 to 190 degrees C.
To check the hotness, if you do not have a frying thermometer – add a few drops of batter to the hot oil. It should sizzle and come up quickly and gradually. You can begin frying then.
If the batter stays at the bottom of the pan, the oil is cold. When it comes up very quickly and gets too much browned or burnt, the oil is very hot.
Firstly, do not make the batter thin or runny. More water in the batter will result in the pakora absorbing more oil while frying. Also, frying on low heat or in warm oil will make them absorb much oil, resulting in oily pakoras.
Pakodas are deep-fried foodstuffs. So obviously, enjoyed occasionally and not every day.
More Pakoda Recipes To Try!
Pakora Recipes
Pakora Recipes
Pakora Recipes
Pakora Recipes
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Paneer Pakora Recipe (North Indian Style)
Ingredients
- 125 to 150 grams Paneer (Indian cottage cheese)
- 1 cup or (100 grams) gram flour (besan)
- 1 pinch turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon Red Chili Powder or cayenne pepper, add as required
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
- 1 to 2 pinches Garam Masala or add as required
- ½ teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)
- ⅔ to ¾ cup water or add as required
- salt as required
- mustard oil – for deep frying, as required, * check point no 7 in the notes
- ½ to 1 teaspoon Chaat Masala – for sprinkling on pakora
Instructions
Preparation
- Slice paneer into cubes or squares
- Add gram flour into a mixing bowl.
- Next add turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala powder, asafoetida, carom seeds and salt. Mix well.
- Pour ⅔ to ¾ cup water in parts and mix well.
- Use a wired whisk to mix the batter. Make a medium-thick to medium consistency, flowing and smooth batter without any lumps.
- Depending on the quality of gram flour, the water proportion will vary. You need to get a medium-thick to medium consistency flowing batter. Thus add water bit by bit and mix until you get a perfect consistency.
Making Paneer Pakora
- Heat mustard oil or your preferred oil for deep frying in a kadai or pan. Keep the heat to medium or medium-high heat.
- To check if the oil is medium-hot, add a few drops of batter to it. If the batter droplets comes up on the surface quickly and gradually, the oil is ready for frying pakora.
- When the oil becomes medium-hot, add the batter coated paneer cubes carefully in the medium-hot oil.
- When one side is lightly golden, gently turn over the pakora with a slotted spoon. Continue to fry the paneer pakora until golden and crisp.
- Remove the paneer pakora with a slotted spoon. Place them on paper towels to remove excess oil.Fry the remaining batches of pakoda in the same way.
- Serve Paneer Pakora hot or warm, sprinkled with some chaat masala and paired with coriander chutney or tomato ketchup.
Notes
- Batter consistency: Make a medium-thick to medium consistency flowing batter. Do not make the batter thin or runny. Batter with a thin consistency will absorb more oil making the paneer pakora soggy. If the batter is too thick, the outer crust will become doughy and dense.
- Soggy oily pakora: Frying at a low heat or in a warm oil will make the pakora absorb more oil resulting in an oily pakora.
- Burnt pakora: Frying in a very hot oil, will make the pakora quickly browned or burnt from outside leaving the inside batter undercooked and raw.
- Paneer: Homemade paneer is the best choice to make paneer pakora. If using frozen paneer follow the directions on the pack.
- Slicing paneer: You can make decorative shapes like round, square, triangle or rectangle from a block of paneer if you plan to make a large batch for a party.
- Spices and seasonings: The spicing in my paneer pakoda recipe is minimal. So there is a balance in the taste and the pakora is not overly spiced or spicy. If you prefer, adjust the ground spices according to your taste preferences.
- * Oil: As I have mentioned above in the post use any oil that has a high smoke point for deep frying.
- Baking & air frying: I did not have great results when baking or air-frying paneer pakora. But you can bake or air fry them at a moderately hot temperature of 180 degrees celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit). Preheat oven or air-fryer for 10 minutes.
- Leavening ingredient: I have not included baking soda or baking powder. Feel free to add these for a fluffy and crispy paneer pakora. About 1 pinch of baking soda and ¼ teaspoon of baking powder will give you the best results.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
Paneer Pakora recipe from the archives was first published on October 2013.
In Uttar Pradesh for paneer pakoda we using different combination of spices- crushed or whole black pepper, asafoetida and cumin seeds. For sprinkling – chaat masala or mix of amchur and black salt. This is very tasty combination for paneer pakoda. No any chilly powder, garam masala, haldi or ajwain.
this paneer pakoda recipe is a punjabi recipe. we make paneer pakoda this way at home. thanks for sharing the utttar pradesh version. you can try this punjabi paneer pakoda version as well and you will like it. ajwain gives a good taste, aroma and helps in digestion also.
Hi dassana,
In this recipe you’ve mentioned to press the pakoras before re-frying. I was wondering what is its purpose? Does pressing make them crisp?
Ruchi, yes they taste good and are crisp as well.
Hi, thank you for your hard work. I just had a quick question, could you make this with frozen paneer and what will be the correct way to thaw it so it can be incorporated with the recipe. thank you.
with frozen paneer, you will have to allow the paneer to come at room temperature. then proceed with the recipe.
Wonderful and sooooooooo Delicious
thanks kaviya
I love Pakoras, But i want to make Ice-Cream pakoras. No its true, here in Surat city there are shops where they sell ice cream pakoras. can you please share the recipe?
sanjana, i know the recipe but only tried once. i will try to add the recipe.
I love paneer pakora….but I use to add a little of garlic/ lasan chutney which is always available in my fridge, and they tastes so awesome ….cant describe…
thanks krupali for sharing this tip. i am sure this way the paneer pakoras would taste great.
i love it…so easy process to make
I like it. Wow.
wow what a taste.
Pakora looks absolutely delicious! This is what i really need in this cold/rainy day with hot cup of tea!
thanks medha