Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 0.5 pound paneer
  • 1 cup chickpea flour (besan)
  • 2 tablespoons rice flour
  • 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
  • 1 teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)
  • 1 teaspoon Kasuri methi
  • salt (to taste)
  • 1 pinch baking soda
  • vegetable oil (for frying)
  • 1 teaspoon chaat masala powder

Instruction

  • Wash 0.5 lb (250 g) paneer slab with water and wrap it in between a kitchen towel. Press the slab using some heavy weight for 10-15 minutes to get rid of any moisture. This step is very important to get crispy pakoras.
  • Cut the paneer into small cubes or rectangles. Keep the size of the pieces same so that they fry evenly.
  • Stir together 1 cup chickpea flour, 2 tbsp rice flour, 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder, 1 tsp ginger garlic paste, 1 tsp carom seeds, 1 tsp Kasuri methi, salt to taste, 1 pinch of baking soda in a large mixing bowl.
  • Add (½-¾ cup) waater little by little and whisk to make a thick but runny batter. The consistency of the batter is very important for perfect pakoras. It should be slightly thick so that it can hold the paneer cubes and coat them well. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes on the counter.
  • Heat vegetable oil for frying in a skillet over high heat.
  • Once the oil is very hot, reduce the heat to medium. Add the paneer pieces to the batter and coat them well.
  • Drop the pieces in hot oil and fry on medium flame until nicely browned and crispy (6-8 minutes).
  • Note – For extra crispy pakoras, double fry the pakoras. Fry them on medium heat until lightly browned and drain on a plate. Now heat the oil again until it is very hot. Drop a few pakoras in very hot oil and fry on high heat until nicely browned. The first frying cooks the covering but it also leaves some moisture in the oil which can hamper the crispiness. When we heat the oil once again, all the moisture is evaporated and when the pakoras are fried a second time in very hot oil, they turn out very crispy and crunchy.
  • Drain the pakoras using a slotted spoon on a plate lined with a kitchen towel. Sprinkle chaat masala all over the pakora and serve them hot.