CRUNCHY PANEER PAKODAS / CRUNCHY PANEER FINGERS

Paneer is fully packed with carbohydrates, calcium, proteins and tastes delicious.  On a rainy day,  Sunday evening I decided to make Paneer Pakora/ Pakoda. But want to make something interesting with a twist. So I tried this recipe and it works. These fingers turns so yummy, crunchy from outside and soft inside with a punch of garlic and red chilli. Infact You could parcel some of these in your kids lunch boxes and also great as a side dish/ starter for any parties in your house.

Paneer is  a versatile ingredient and does well in both savory and sweet avatars. There are numerous Indian snacks recipes that can be prepared using paneer and one such classic appetizing tea time snack or a rainy day treat is paneer pakoda. Just a handful lingredients go into its making with minimal work. You could use homemade paneer or store brought. I have used store brought one. Also have used some spices to further well-groomed up the pakodas with some carom seeds for added taste and flavour. Paneer has benefits similar to milk and rich source of proteins. Paneer cooks faster also it is easily absorbed and digested in our body. Soft, melt in mouth paneer is dipped in spiced chickpeas batter and deep fried to a golden colour. Try this version of mine with a difference, hope you will love it and if so then do not forget to comments in the comment box below the recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

250 grms Paneer / Cottage Cheese                                                             

For Stuffing the Paneer:

8-10 Cloves Garlic

1 tablespoon Red Chilli Powder

1 teaspoon Oil

Salt to taste

For Batter:

1 Cup Gram Flour /Besan for batter

1 tablespoon Ginger Paste

1 teaspoon Garlic Paste

1 teaspoon Sesame Seeds

½ teaspoon Carom Seeds

1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds

2 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder

½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder

Soda Bicarbonate a pinch

Salt to taste

Water to make the batter

1 Cup Raita Boondi/ Khari Boondi [ for coating the fingers]

METHOD:

STEP 1 – Cut cottage cheese into long fingers/ 2 inch by ½ inch batons.

Slit each baton into half leaving one edge intact for filling.

STEP 2 – Crush boondi with your hands or in mixer pot and keep it aside.

STEP 3 – To make chutney for filling, peel and roast garlic in one teaspoon of oil.

Mix with red chilli with garlic paste and salt.

STEP 4 – Stuff the garlic-red chilli chutney into the slit of each cottage cheese baton.

STEP 5 – To prepare batter, mix gram flour with red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt, sesame seeds, carom seeds, cumin seeds soda bicarbonate and salt.

STEP 6 – Add sufficient water and whisk well to make a batter of a coating consistency.

STEP 7 – Rest the batter for about 10-15 minutes.

STEP 8 – Heat oil in a wide pan.

STEP 9 – Deep the paneer fingers in the batter.

Then roll them in crushed boondi .

STEP 10 – Slide the fingers one-by-one in the hot oil.

STEP 11 - Deep fry the paneer finger in the oil on medium flame till crisp and golden brown.

STEP 12 – Drain on absorbant paper and serve then hot with your favourite chutney.

Serve hot crunchy paneer fingers with hot and spicy green chutney or tomato sauce or any chutney of your choice.  

NOTE: The batter has to be of medium consistency nor too thick nor thin so add water accordingly.

While frying pakodas of any kinds ensure the gas is on low or medium fire else the pakodas won’t cook and may also get burnt.

Instead of red chilli powder you could use green chillies or pepper powder for spicing the pakodas.