Paneer popcorn recipe with step by step pics. Paneer popcorn is easy to make crispy snack that does not take much time to prepare. These crunchy paneer bites can also be called as paneer nuggets.
To get the crispiness, I have used crushed oats, though even breadcrumbs can be added. The outer coating of paneer popcorn is similar to the crust of Veg nuggets recipe i had shared earlier.
This recipe is lightly spiced and not spicy or pungent. However, you can definitely increase the quantity of the spice powders in case you wish to have some heat in the nuggets.
Some more tasty paneer snack recipes shared are:
These Paneer Nuggets are simply fab as a snack or starter when accompanied with tomato ketchup or any green chutney like coriander chutney or mint chutney or sandwich chutney.
How to make Paneer Nuggets (Paneer Popcorn)
1. In a grinder jar take ½ cup rolled oats or quick cooking oats. You can also use bread crumbs instead of oats.
2. Using the pulse option grind at intervals of a few seconds till the oats are coarsely crushed. Do not grind to a fine powder. Keep the crushed oats aside.
3. In a mixing bowl take 200 grams of paneer or 1.5 cups of paneer cubes.
4. Add the following ingredients:
- ¼ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon dry parsley
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper powder (or 2 to 3 pinches)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt (or 2 to 3 pinches)
You can use mixed herbs or any herb of your choice.
5. Mix very well but gently taking care the paneer cubes do not break.
6. In another bowl, take ½ cup besan. Add 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste, ⅛ teaspoon turmeric powder or 2 to 3 pinches, ¼ teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder and 1 pinch baking soda. Also add salt as required.
7. Add 5 to 6 tablespoons of water in parts and mix.
8. Mix to a thick batter without any lumps.
9. Now dip each paneer cube in the batter and coat it well. Slid off the excess batter from the paneer cube.
10. Place the paneer cube in the crushed oats.
11. Roll the paneer cubes on the oats and coat it with the oats. Do crumb coating with all the paneer cubes and keep them aside. Otherwise it becomes messy to crumb coat and fry simultaneously.
Frying paneer popcorn
12. In a kadai or pan heat oil as required for deep frying. You can use any neutral flavored oil.
Check a tiny portion of the batter in the oil. If it comes up gradually and steadily on top, the paneer cubes can be fried.
13. Add the crumb coated paneer cubes in the hot oil. Fry on medium heat. Don’t overcrowd the kadai.
14. When one side is light golden, turn over and fry the second side till light golden.
15. This way turn over a couple of times and fry paneer popcorns.
16. Fry till the outer crust looks crispy and golden.
17. Remove the paneer popcorn on paper towels to absorb extra oil.
18. This way fry the remaining paneer cubes in batches till crisp and golden. Do not fry the paneer cubes too much as then they become dense.
19. Serve paneer nuggets hot with any sauce or chutney or dip of your choice like mint coriander chutney or sandwich chutney or pudina chutney.
They make for a good party snack or tea time snack. For the best taste and texture have them hot or warm when they are prepared.
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Paneer Popcorn
Ingredients
for paneer marination
- 200 grams Paneer or 1.5 cups paneer cubes
- ¼ teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon dry parsley
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper powder or 2 to 3 pinches
- ⅛ teaspoon salt or 2 to 3 pinches
for crumb coating
- ½ cup besan (gram flour)
- 1 teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric powder or 2 to 3 pinches
- ¼ teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder
- 1 pinch baking soda
- salt as required
- 5 to 6 tablespoons water
- ½ cup rolled oats or quick cooking oats
other ingredient
- oil for deep frying
Instructions
preparation for paneer popcorn recipe
- In a grinder jar take ½ cup rolled oats or quick cooking oats. You can also use bread crumbs instead of oats.
- Using the pulse option grind at intervals of a few seconds till the oats are coarsely crushed. Do not grind to a fine powder. Keep the crushed oats aside.
making paneer popcorn
- In a mixing bowl take 200 grams paneer or 1.5 cups paneer cubes.
- Add ¼ teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder, ¼ teaspoon dry parsley, ¼ teaspoon oregano, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper powder (or 2 to 3 pinches) and ⅛ teaspoon salt (or 2 to 3 pinches). You can use mixed herbs or any herb of your choice.
- Mix very well but gently taking care the paneer cubes do not break.
- In another bowl, take ½ cup besan (gram flour). Add 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste, ⅛ teaspoon turmeric powder or 2 to 3 pinches, ¼ teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder and 1 pinch baking soda. Also add salt as required.
- Add 5 to 6 tablespoons water in parts and mix.
- Mix to a thick batter without any lumps.
- Now dip each paneer cube in the batter and coat it well. Slid off the excess batter from the paneer cube.
- Place the paneer cube in the crushed oats.
- Roll the paneer cubes on the oats and coat it with the oats. Do crumb coating with all the paneer cubes and keep them aside. Otherwise it becomes messy to crumb coat and fry simultaneously.
frying paneer popcorn
- In a kadai or pan heat oil as required for deep frying. Check a tiny portion of the batter in the oil. If it comes up gradually and steadily on top, the paneer cubes can be fried.
- Add the crumb coated paneer cubes in the hot oil. Fry on medium flame.
- When one side is light golden, turn over and fry the second side till light golden.
- This way turn over a couple of times and fry paneer popcorns.
- Fry till the outer crust looks crispy and golden. Do not fry too much as then paneer cubes become dense.
- Remove the paneer popcorn on paper towels to remove excess oil.
- This way fry the remaining paneer cubes in batches till crisp and golden.
- Serve paneer nuggets hot with any sauce or chutney or dip of your choice.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Paneer Popcorn post from the archives first published on March 2018 has been republished and updated in January 2023.
Hi Dassana!
Huge fan of you! Love all your recipes and keep trying them very often. I have tried a couple of others’ too but I always feel that you explain so well whereas in some other sites it’s not clearers put and so the reader gets misled and the dish doesn’t come out well. Kudos to you for doing a great job and keep up the good work. Thanks for sharing your amazing secrets 😊
Hi Pritika, thanks so much. For recipes it is always better to give clear explanation so that readers can follow it well and come up with an excellent result. I am glad that all these small tidbits that I share are helpful. Thanks again and welcome.
DEAR DASANNA,
My daughter just saw two of your recipes and now thinks that cooking so easy. 🙂 She has asking me pack these snacks for tomorrow’s lunch box..
thanks to you!
thats cute. welcome vidhya and i hope you enjoy cooking these and your daughter enjoys eating them. thanks.
Dear Dassana, your recipes are simply amazing and easy to follow. A humble request if you could please share a recipe of vegetable samosa pie, I’d be really grateful
thanks sumaja. currently i am working on the backend of the website and doing all tech related work. trying to make the website more reader friendly in terms of content, layout and web design. so it will take me some time to add new recipes on blog. i have taken your recipe request though.
in the meantime, you can easily make a samosa pie following the instructions from the recipes listed below. i am sharing an apple pie recipe. from this recipe refer to the method of making crust for the samosa pie. it is a detailed post and also shows how to seal the pie. also sharing samosa recipe link. from this samosa recipe you refer to the method of making the potato filling. for a vegetable filling, reduce the potatoes from the recipe and add peas, carrots and beans or any vegetable you prefer. i am also giving a link for singara which is the bengali variation of samosa. the filling for singara has a mix of cauliflower, peas and potatoes. happy cooking and baking.
1: apple pie – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/apple-pie-recipe-vegan-apple-pie/
2: samosa – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/samosa-recipe-punjabi-samosa/
3: singara – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/singara-recipe/