Paneer Pakoda

 

A simple and quick snack dish with paneer, which can be had at teatime or as a side dish at meals.

Ingredients:

Fresh Paneer 200 gms; few pods garlic, small ginger piece, 1 – 2 chillies; chilli powder; oil for frying;   ¼ tsp turmeric powder; ¼ tsp ground ajwain;  salt to taste.

Preparation:

Cut Paneer into small cubes. Grind ginger, chillies and a few garlic pods with salt. Apply the paste to the paneer cubes and keep for half an hour.

Mix together besan (chick pea) flour, pinch of  turmeric, chilly powder and a little hot oil. Add water to form batter with consistency that can make it stick to the paneer.  

Heat oil in a kadai or frying pan. 

Dip the marinated paneer cubes into this batter and fry till golden brown. Serve hot with tomato sauce, ketchup or pudina chutney.

Note:

-You can reduce or omit the chillies and chilli powder altogether according to taste preference.

-If in a hurry you can skip the ½ hour of marinating time and continue with the pakodas.

 -Paneer is an Indian variety of fresh cottage cheese, prepared by curdling milk and pressing out the water. Available in food stores and dairies.