Chop 200 grams paneer in cubes and take them in a bowl.
Add 1.5 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder, 1.5 teaspoons lemon juice and salt as required.
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.
making batter for paneer koliwada
In another mixing bowl take ½ cup besan (gram flour).
Then add ½ teaspoon cumin powder, ½ teaspoon garam masala powder, ½ teaspoon ajwain, 1 teaspoon chaat masala and 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder.
Now add 4 tablespoons water.
Mix very well to get a thick batter without any lumps.
Add the marinated paneer cubes in the batter.
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.
frying paneer koliwada
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.
Coat the paneer cubes evenly with the batter and drop them gently in the hot oil.
Fry on medium flame and do not over crowd the kadai. Add depending on the size of the kadai. You can fry paneer in two to three batches. Alternatively you can even pan fry or shallow fry the paneer cubes.
When one side is golden, turn over with a slotted spoon and continue to fry.
Turn over a couple of times more and fry till the paneer cubes are golden and crisp.
Remove with a slotted spoon draining the extra oil in the pan. Do not over do the frying part as then the paneer cubes can become dense and hard.
Remove paneer koliwada on kitchen paper towels for extra oil to be absorbed. This way continue to fry the remaining paneer cubes.
Sprinkle chaat masala and then serve paneer koliwada hot with a side of sliced onions, lemon wedges and mint-curd chutney.