Paneer Pakora is an easy, and irresistible Indian snack. With a golden, crispy coating on the outside and creamy paneer inside, every bite is elevated by the flavors of Indian spices. This is a two-in-one recipe. You can prepare it with a chutney-filled layer, or keep it classic by simply dipping paneer cubes in the spiced gram flour batter and frying them to perfection.
I am sharing both traditional deep fried as well as air fried version, which also turns out so good.
Pakoras, or pakodas are crunchy fritters hugely popular in south asian cuisine. In India, no conversation about snacks feels complete without mentioning pakoras and samosa, especially during evening tea time. And of course, nothing complements their crunch better than a steaming cup of masala chai.
Cutting Paneer for Pakoras
Cut the paneer into medium-thick slices. About ½ inch thickness works best.If the slices are too thin, the paneer will harden while frying and won't feel soft inside. If they are too thick, the pakora may feel heavy and the batter-to-paneer ratio won't balance well.
Shapewise, you can cut them into rectangles, squares, or triangles, whatever shape you like. I like to cut into rectangular slices (like small slabs) because they hold the coating well.
Why Layer Of Chutney?
You might wonder why I bother adding a layer of chutney when I could simply dip the paneer in batter and deep-fry it. It's a little trick I picked up during our road trips in India. We often stopped for snacks, and one memorable eatery served paneer pakoras with a layer of green chutney tucked inside.
I thought it was brilliant. Paneer on its own can sometimes feel a bit bland or dry, but that chutney brought a kick of flavor that made all the difference.It does take a bit of extra effort, a few more minutes to spread chutney between the paneer pieces, but trust me, the taste is absolutely worth it.
You can use any kind of chutney you like. Garlic chutney and sweet tamarind chutney also work well with paneer.
Pakora Batter
Since paneer has a very mild taste, your pakoras taste only as good as the batter. If your batter has right consistency and is properly spiced, the pakoras will be crispy and delicious.
- Sift the besan (gram flour) and rice flour together. Rice flour makes pakoras extra crispy, so I always add it. If you don't have rice flour, you can use cornstarch instead (check recipe card for quantities).
- When making the batter, add water slowly and whisk well to avoid lumps. If you pour too much water at once, the besan will clump and take longer to smooth out.
- The batter should be thick (but not too thick) and coat the paneer well (watch the video to get an idea). It should be flowing not be runny. When you lift the paneer, the batter should fall back slowly in ribbons from the spoon/whisk similar to a pancake batter.
- Mix in a little baking soda. As soon as the batter hits the hot oil, the soda creates tiny air pockets, and that makes the pakoras light and crunchy.
- For spices, use coarsely crushed ones instead of powders. Powders like red chili or amchur (dry mango powder) darken while frying. I like adding green chili paste to add a kick to the batter. After frying, sprinkle hot pakoras with chaat masala for a tangy, salty kick.
- Season the batter well. It should taste slightly saltier and spicier than usual, because saltiness reduces a bit after frying. I keep the spices classic with crushed cumin seeds, ajwain (carom seeds), coriander seeds, and kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves).
How To Make Paneer Pakora
To make regular pakoras, simple cut paneer into cubes. Sprinkle with spice powders and salt. Let stand for 10-15 minutes. Dip the spice coated paneer in the batter and deep fry.
To make chutney stuffed paneer pakoras, take a block of paneer and start by cutting it into long batons. Then you slice the batons halfway lengthwise to make space for the chutney but do not slice all the way through. Watch video and images to get a visual understanding.
Cut into into slightly large cubes. Add ¼ teaspoon of thick chutney in between. You will get a chutney stuffed paneer sandwich. Dip it into the besan batter and deep fry.
Air-Fried Paneer Pakora
- Use malai paneer or full fat paneer. When air frying, the softness of the pakora depends on the quality of the paneer. These won't taste as good with reduced fat paneer. However you can certainly use reduced fat paneer for deep fried version.
- Keep the batter consistency thick and clingy without dripping (like hummus).
- Preheat your air fryer for 2 minutes. Spray the rack of air fryer with oil so that the pakora do not stick. Coat the pakoras in batter and layer in a single layer on the air fryer rack. Spray with oil and air fry at 360 F for 7-8 minutes. Flip and airfry for another 2-3 minutes until fully crisped up.
- The only thing I did not like about air fried pakoras was that they didn't taste that great once they cooled down , lets say 30 minutes later. So serve and eat while still warm.
Crispy & Spicy Paneer Pakora (2 ways)
Ingredients
For the Regular Paneer Pakora
- 250 g paneer I use whole milk paneer
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder (hot)adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon chaat masala powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- oil for frying (approximately 1.5 cup)
- chaat masala for sprinkling on pakoras after frying
Chutney Stuffed Pakora
- ¼ cup Green chutney
- ¼ cup Tomato chutney
For the Pakora Batter
- 1.5 cup besan gram flour
- 4 tablespoon unsweetened rice flour
- 1 teaspoon green chillies (hot!), adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds coarsely crushed
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds coarsely crushed
- ⅛ teaspoon ajwain carrom seeds
- ½ teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda optional
- ¾ teaspoon kasuri methi crushed between palms
- 1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- ⅔-3/4 cup water or as needed
Instructions
Make the Pakora Batter
- In a large bowl, add every thing listed under the pakora batter and while adding water slowly, mix to make a not too thin or thick batter. I used a little under ¾ cup water. Pakora batter is ready! For deep frying- the batter should be thick yet flowing like ribbon when dripped for a height.(kind of like pancake batter). For air frying- the batter should be thick and clingy (similar to hummus).
For regular paneer pakoras
- Place paneer cubes in a bowl and sprinkle the red chilli powder, chaat masala and salt over them. Gently, using your hands, coat the paneer in spices on all sides. Let stand for 10 minutes and then coat in batter and deep fry (instructions below)
Make the Chutney Stuffed Paneer
- Take a block of paneer and using a sharp knife, start by cutting it lengthwise into long batons about an inch and a half thick. Then you slice each long piece halfway to make space for the chutney but do not slice all the way through. Once sliced, cut each baton into 2-3 cubes depending on how big or small you want the pakoras. (See the photos and video in post for visual understanding).
- Add a ½ teaspoon of thick chutney in between the space you created between paneer cube. Press gently and wipe out excess chutney.
- Coat into the besan batter(recipe below) and deep fry or air fry. You can see the video in post to get a visual idea.
Fry the Pakoras
- Deep Frying - Heat up 3 inches of oil in a wide kadai or pot. Check oil temperature by dropping a little batter, it should rise up(but not sizzle) quickly without changing color. Too hot oil, the batter won't cook, too low the temperature of oil, pakoras will not crisp up, rather become chewy.
- Coat the paneer in the batter on all sides. Let the excess batter for 2-3 seconds. Carefully, place them in the hot oil. Deep fry until golden on all sides(about 3-5 minutes total). Sprinkle hot pakoras with chaat masala and serve.
- Air Frying :- Preheat the air fryer at 360F. Spray or brush the air fryer rack with oil. Coat the paneer in the batter Layer the pakoras in a single layer, spray nicely with oil and air fry for 7-8 minutes. Flip and let air fry for additional 2-3 minutes until evenly crisped on all sides. Sprinkle chaat masala before serving.
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