Paneer Patties is an easy and quick cottage snack made with a handful of ingredients like Indian cottage cheese, mashed potatoes, cornflour and seasonings.
4 to 5tablespoonsoil or ghee for frying, or as required
Instructions
Boiling potatoes
Rinse potatoes thoroughly in fresh water.
Boil the potatoes with some salt and water in a stove top pressure cooker or Instant pot.
Once the pressure inside the stovetop pressure cooker drops naturally then only open the lid. Check the potatoes with a fork or knife. The fork or knife should pass easily through the potatoes. If not then pressure cook for some more time.
Allow the potatoes to become warm or cool. Then peel them and mash the potatoes in a bowl with a potato masher or fork.
Making paneer patties
Finely crumble or grate the paneer and add it to the mashed potatoes.
Also add black pepper powder (or crushed pepper), cornflour and salt as required.
Mix the mixture really well. There should be no lumps. The mixture should be smooth and even. If the mixture is slightly loose, then add some more cornflour. Cornflour binds the patty mixture. So when you fry the paneer tikki in oil, they do not crumble or fall apart.
Check the taste. Add more seasoning of pepper and salt, if required.
Now take a some portion of the mixture in your hands. Shape them into balls and then flatten them. Make even sized paneer patties of the entire mixture.
Frying paneer patties
Heat a well seasoned cast iron skillet or tava. Reduce the heat to medium-low or medium. Once the skillet becomes hot then add 2 to 3 tablespoons oil or ghee and spread it with a spoon or spatula.
Place the patties on the skillet and on a medium-low to medium heat fry the paneer patties till they turn golden brown. Turn them when one side is golden and continue to fry the second side until golden and crisp. Turn them for a couple of times as required for even frying.
This way fry them in batches depending upon the size of the skillet. You can add some more oil if needed while pan frying.
You can even shallow fry or deep fry the paneer patties. If deep or shallow frying then use oil and not ghee. If you are using a non stick tava, then you can use ghee or butter.
When browned and crisp from both sides, you can remove paneer tikki from the pan. Place the fried tikkis on absorbent napkins to absorb excess oil if any.
You can also place them in a mesh strainer to keep the crispiness
Serve paneer patties with tomato ketchup or mint chutney or coriander chutney or tamarind chutney.
Notes
Use potatoes with a higher starch content.
Remember to make this dish with fresh paneer and not rancid paneer. Best is to use homemade paneer.
If the tikki is falling apart while frying then add 1 to 2 tablespoons more cornflour in the mixture. Mix and shape the patties again.
Ensure that the boiled potatoes are drained well and don't have any water logged inside them.
Instead of cornflour you can use breadcrumbs, rice flour, arrowroot flour or tapioca starch.
I have kept the seasonings basic. But feel free to add more ground spices like red chili powder, garam masala powder, dry mango powder or chaat masala powder according to your preferences.
In the recipe, instead of black pepper you can also use white pepper or red chili powder.
The recipe can be scaled to make a smaller portion or a larger portion of the paneer patties.
If you prefer add herbs like coriander leaves or mint leaves or ginger to the patty mixture.