First peel and take 3 small to medium potatoes, 1 medium carrot and ⅓ cup green peas in a stovetop pressure cooker.
Add 2 cups water and pressure cook for 3 to 4 whistles on medium to high heat. When the pressure settles down naturally, then only open the lid.
You can also boil the veggies in a pan or Instant pot adding water as required.
Drain all the water and let the veggies cool down completely.
In a mortar-pestle take green chili, garlic cloves and ginger (all chopped).
Crush to a semi-fine paste. Keep aside.
Crumble the paneer finely. You can even grate paneer. You will need 1.75 cups grated or crumbled paneer. Cover and keep aside.
Making paneer cutlet
Take the boiled veggies in a mixing bowl or pan.
With a vegetable masher mash the veggies.
Add the crushed ginger+garlic+green chilli paste.
Add the spice powders - turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and garam masala powder.
Add the crumbled paneer.
Add rice flour and salt as required. Instead of rice flour, you can also use corn starch, arrow root flour or roasted besan (gram flour) or sattu flour.
Next add chopped coriander leaves.
Mix everything very well. Do check the taste and if required add more salt.
Take a portion of the mixture and shape them into cutlet.
In a plate take rava (semolina) in a plate. Place the paneer cutlet on the rava. Coat well and dust off the excess rava. Make all cutlets this way and coat them with rava. Keep aside.
Instead of rava, you can also use crushed oats, rice flour, bread crumbs, or crushed corn flakes.
Frying paneer cutlet
Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a pan or tawa or skillet. Keep the heat to medium-low or medium. When the pan becomes hot then place the paneer cutlet.
When the base is golden, flip gently using a spatula without breaking them.
Fry the second side too without golden. Flip a couple of times till the cutlet are crisp and golden.
Place them on kitchen paper towels to remove excess oil. If needed add more oil while frying. Fry the paneer cutlets in batches this way.
Serve paneer cutlet hot with any sauce or chutney or dip. I generally serve them with coriander chutney or mint chutney or tomato ketchup.
They make for a delicious tea time snack. For best taste have them hot or warm.
Notes
Do not deep fry these paneer cutlets as they can break.
If you want to bake them for a healthier version, then bake at 180 degrees celsius in a preheated oven till the tops are golden and crisp. Brush some oil on the cutlets before baking.
You can use veggies like carrots, french beans, potatoes, cauliflower, corn, beetroots, green peas (fresh or frozen), corn, broccoli etc.
Use fresh paneer. Instead of paneer you can use tofu.
You can adjust the quantity of spice powders as per your preferences. e.g if making them for small kids then don't add green chili, reduce ginger garlic and consider skipping or reducing other spice powders.
For preparing gluten-free cutlets, coat the cutlet either in rice flour or gram flour or you can altogether skip coating them with any flour.