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Cooking With Anadi
12K subscribers · soft paneer in a crunchy gram flour coat, warm and spiced
What Is Paneer Pakora?
Paneer is described as an “Indian cottage cheese” in English. There’s basically no other translation, but I always give the big disclaimer: DO NOT substitute paneer for cottage cheese if you can’t find it! You WILL regret it as I did when I first came to Canada! I’ll tell you what store-bought paneer I recommend later on in this post! Pakoras are an Indian deep fried snack, and they are typically made with a besan (also known as gram flour) batter.
As I describe in my top 5 tips to find your passion in the kitchen, Make Cooking Fun!, having a theme can inspire you to be super creative in the kitchen! If you’re subscribed to my YouTube channel, you know that for the month of November, I’ve been focusing on fried snacks! I’ve recently shared my Crispy Aloo Tikki Chaat, McDonald’s India McAloo Tikki Burger and Buffalo Chicken Nachos with Popcorn Chicken.
If you’ve followed the blog for a while, you know that I simply adore paneer! You may be familiar with it in curries, but you can of course also enjoy it in wraps, sandwiches, and more! It’s a super versatile protein source that makes it a staple for vegetarians around India. Even if you’re a meat lover like I am, if you eat paneer, you may not even miss the meat!
Paneer Pakora have been on my bucket list to make for quite some time. I’ve enjoyed making pakoras throughout the year including my Potato-Stuffed Bread Pakora and my Crispy Chicken Pakora, but I was really saving this one for a special treat! Don’t worry, though, this is probably actually the easiest pakora recipe to make! I love this recipe for paneer pakoras because there’s no cooking to do before the frying - all we need to do is cut our paneer, make the batter, dip in the batter, and we’ll get frying! The whole process is ready in a flash!
If Indian street food is a destination unseen for you, then definitely make these piping hot and extremely crispy paneer pakoras as part of your Live to Cook one month challenge! Be sure to get my free guides and participate in the challenge by signing up for my email newsletter!
For all the details of how to make these super crispy and Easy Paneer Pakora recipe, don’t forget to watch the video! Let’s get cooking!
Can I use fresh homemade paneer?▼
Of course you can use homemade paneer for this paneer pakora recipe! To save time, I used store-bought paneer. I like the Nanak and the Savera brands here in Canada. I’ve seen even Suraj make paneer online, but I’ve never seen it in the stores near me. You can buy a big block of paneer and cut it yourself, or more recently I’ve actually seen the packaged paneer already pre-cubed! That’s a great time saver! I’m not sure if it costs more than the block because I’ve never actually bought the pre-cut paneer. Perhaps I will give it a try!
However, if you want to make your own homemade paneer, then totally go for it! Admittedly, homemade paneer is even softer than the store-bought paneer, so it’ll be super spongy on the inside.
How thick should my batter be?▼
Your Paneer Pakora batter pancake batter or gravy. The batter should coat the back of the spoon but not be thick like a brownie batter, but you don’t want it too thin and watery. If your batter is too thick, then it will take longer to fry.
what oil should I use to deep fry?▼
I used vegetable oil for deep frying in this paneer pakora recipe. You can use any neutral oil for frying. Some of my other recommendations are canola oil, peanut oil, or ghee. Avocado oil and coconut oil will affect the taste of the pakora.
How do I know The oil is ready?▼
When your oil is ready for deep frying, you’ll see smoke coming out. You’ll want to heat your oil on medium heat. You want to look for the pakora floating in the oil rather than sinking.
How do I Avoid A Greasy paneer Pakora?▼
Ensure that the oil is hot enough so that your pakora get evenly fried. Furthermore, make sure that the batter is not too thin. The batter acts like a protective layer for your paneer pakora, so it needs to be thick enough so the oil doesn’t penetrate through.
Equipment for This Paneer Pakora Recipe
- Mixing bowl
- Wok
- Grater
- Chef’s knife
- Cutting board
- Thermometer
- Slotted spoon
- Wire rack
- Whisk
- Ramekins (for chutneys!)
More Tips for a Superb Paneer Pakora!
- Always drop the pakora to the oil while stepping back away from you. This will prevent any oil from getting splashed over you.
- Wait until the oil is hot before frying to ensure your pakoras don’t absorb excess oil.
- Do a test pakora to see if it yields the desired results. If not, adjust the oil temperature or batter or cooking time as necessary.
- I recommend you serve these immediately for the ultimate crispiness and deliciousness!
Ingredients for This Crispy Paneer Pakora Recipe
Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom of this post for the FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD that will include all ingredients and their quantities and the instructions! The recipe card is awesome because you can save the recipe for later, and the card allows you to scale the recipe based on how many pakora you plan on making! All the ingredients get automatically adjusted, so you don’t have to do any calculations or ratios - all the work is done for you in the recipe card!
- Besan: This is Hindi for gram flour or chickpea flour. Besan is gluten-free and is high in fiber and protein. Besan is widely used in homestyle cooking, and in particular plenty of pakora recipes!
- Cilantro: Finely chopped for a nice fragrance and flavor.
- Ginger: Grated ginger for some freshness and flavor.
- Garlic: Minced garlic for flavor.
- Green chilies: Add chopped green chilies for a touch of heat.
- Turmeric: Apart from salt, the only spice we’ll use. This will help give the nice yellow color of our pakora.
- Salt: Always to taste!
- Water: As needed to get the right batter consistency.
- Paneer: Fresh or homemade, cut into cubes.
- Oil: Any neutral oil to deep fry the pakora.
How to Make Easy and Crispy Paneer Pakora
To Prepare the Batter
Measure besan flour in a large bowl. Add the turmeric, salt, ginger, garlic, green chilies and cilantro. Then, add water, 1/4 Cup at a time. Whisk well to combine until the batter reaches a thick, smooth consistency.
Add all of the paneer pieces in the bowl with the batter and mix.
To Make the Pakoras
In a wok or pot, add vegetable oil and preheat to deep fry.
Ensure the oil is not too hot, around 175 Celsius to 200 Celsius works the best.
Check if the oil is hot enough by adding a few drops of the batter in the hot oil. If it floats on top with some bubbles, the oil is hot enough.
Taking one piece of paneer at a time, add the paneer with the batter into the hot oil. Repeat the same for as many paneer pieces but ensure you don't overcrowd the wok/pot.
Gently cook for 7-10 minutes or until the pakoras are a light golden brown outside. Once the batter is lightly browned and crispy, take out the pakoras and place on a piece of newspaper or paper towel.
Serve hot with your favorite sauce or chutney.
Paneer Pakora Variations
You can omit the green chilies if you’re sensitive to spice and have them on the mild side. Additionally, if you want even more heat, you could add Kashmiri Mirch.
Furthermore, there are some stuffed paneer pakora, where the paneer pieces are sandwiched in between chutney, and then this sandwich is deep fried.
Can I prepare the besan batter for paneer pakora ahead of time?▼
Yes you can. Because there’s no dairy in our batter, it will stay well in the fridge. However, be mindful of the garlic in there. Garlic lasts in the fridge for about 3 to 4 days, so I wouldn’t keep your batter for longer than that in the fridge.
Can I Prepare the Paneer Pakora ahead of Time?▼
I do recommend that you serve your Paneer Pakora hot and fresh if serving for guests - they deserve it! On the other hand, if you have extra pakora, then that’s no problem at all! You can definitely save them and reheat for later. I wouldn’t recommend you coat them in batter and store in the fridge for later.
Storing Leftover Easy Paneer Pakora
To store, transfer into an airtight container and keep them in the fridge. These pakora will last in the fridge for about 3 to 4 days because of the dairy in the pakora.
How to Reheat Crispy Paneer Pakora▼
You can reheat your Crispy Paneer Pakoras in the microwave for about 30 seconds to a minute, depending on how strong your microwave is. Simply reheat until the outside and inside are warm.
I would not recommend you! To reheat in the air fryer, heat for about 2-3 minutes at 350 F. To reheat in the oven, also set your oven to 350 F and heat for about 5 to 10 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
- Chutneys: As you’ll see in the video, I’ve served our Paneer Pakora with my Cilantro-Mint Chutney and Tamarind Chutney.
- Sauce: I love pakoras with ketchup, and even some hot sauce like sriracha sauce can be delicious! You may even like to dip in Spicy Mayo!
- To drink: To cool down, you may like a refreshing Mango Lassi. However, in Delhi it’s iconic to enjoy pakoras of all kinds with Masala Chai during the monsoons!
These are best with homemade paneer — fresh, soft, and perfect for frying up crisp.
What Is Not in This Paneer Pakora Batter
The batter here is besan and five seasonings, and that is the whole list: 1 1/2 cups of besan, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 cup of finely chopped cilantro, and a tablespoon each of minced ginger, minced garlic and chopped green chilies. There is no garam masala, no chaat masala, no red chili powder, no ajwain and no asafoetida, which is a shorter spice list than most pakora recipes run. The heat is doing its work fresh, from the chilies and the ginger, rather than from a jar.
There is also no rice flour, no cornstarch and no baking soda in the mixture. Those three are the usual shortcuts to crunch, and leaving them out means the crust here is softer and more savory than shatteringly crisp, with the flavor of the toasted gram flour coming through instead. If you want the harder crunch, a couple of tablespoons of rice flour swapped into the besan is the change to make, and it is your change rather than the recipe.
A pinch of chaat masala sprinkled over the pakoras the moment they come out of the oil is the one addition worth trying, because it lands on the outside and does not touch the batter. Serve them hot with a chutney either way.
Why the Paneer Is Cut into Squares, Not Cubes
This recipe does not use paneer cubes. The 1/2 kg of paneer is cut into 1 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch thick squares, so each piece is a flat rectangle rather than a block. That matters more than it sounds: a flat piece carries more batter per bite and heats through in the 7 to 10 minutes the crust needs, whereas cubes of paneer stay cool and squeaky in the middle while the outside is already dark.
It also separates this from something like an onion pakoda, where the onion is sliced into thin ribbons and the batter is only there to bind the pile together. Here every piece is dipped and fried on its own. Tip all the paneer into the bowl of batter and mix so each square is coated, then lift them into the oil one at a time and do not crowd the pan.
Get the batter right before any of that. Add the water a quarter cup at a time and whisk between each addition until it is thick and smooth. Pouring it all in at once leaves lumps that will not whisk out, and a lumpy mixture slides off the paneer in the oil.
Pakora or Pakoda, and Why These Are Deep-Fried
Pakora and pakoda are the same thing spelled two ways, so if you have seen this called paneer pakoda you are in the right place. What is not interchangeable is the cooking method. These are deep-fried in a wok or a deep pot at 175 to 200 Celsius, roughly 350 to 390 Fahrenheit, and the easiest test is to drop a little batter in: if it floats straight back up surrounded by bubbles, you are ready.
A toaster oven or an air fryer will not reproduce this. A besan batter needs to hit hot oil to set instantly into a shell around the paneer; in dry heat it dries out and cracks instead of puffing. Fry until the outside is a light golden brown, lift them onto paper towel, and eat them hot. Twenty-four pakoras come out of one batch at 117 calories and 7 g of protein each.
Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!
Recipe by Anadi Misra
Crispy, golden Paneer Pakora ready in just 30 minutes! A classic Indian street food snack with a crunchy gram flour coating and soft, creamy paneer inside. Perfect vegetarian starter for any occasion.
Deep-fried
Rate this recipe ✦
15 min
Prep
15 min
Cook
30 min
Total
24
pakoras
easy
Level
Ingredients
Ingredients
Tap any quantity to scale
- (195 g) besanShop →
- (1 g) turmericShop →
- (3 g) saltShop →
- water(as needed)
- (8 g) cilantro(finely chopped)
- (8 g) ginger(minced)
- (8 g) garlic(minced)
- (8 g) Indian/Thai green chilies(finely chopped)
- (½ kg) paneer (store-bought or homemade; cut into 1½ inch x ½ inch thick squares) · make your own
- oil for fryingShop →
Instructions
To make the paneer pakora batter
- 1
Measure besan flour in a large bowl. Add the turmeric, salt, ginger, garlic, green chilies and cilantro.
Measure besan flour in a large bowl. Add the turmeric, salt, ginger, garlic, green chilies and cilantro.
- 2
Then, add water, 1/4 Cup at a time. Whisk well to combine until the batter reaches a thick, smooth consistency.
Then, add water, 1/4 Cup at a time. Whisk well to combine until the batter reaches a thick, smooth consistency.
To fry the paneer pakora
- 1
In a wok or pot, add vegetable oil and preheat it to deep fry.
In a wok or pot, add vegetable oil and preheat it to deep fry.
- 2
Ensure the oil is hot enough, around 175 Celsius to 200 Celsius works the best.
Ensure the oil is hot enough, around 175 Celsius to 200 Celsius works the best.
- 3
Check if the oil is hot enough by adding a few drops of the batter in the hot oil. If it floats on top with some bubbles, the oil is hot enough.
Check if the oil is hot enough by adding a few drops of the batter in the hot oil. If it floats on top with some bubbles, the oil is hot enough.
- 4
Add all of the paneer pieces in the bowl with the batter and mix. Taking one piece of paneer at a time, add the paneer with the batter into the hot oil. Repeat the same for as many paneer pieces but ensure you don't overcrowd the wok/pot.
Add all of the paneer pieces in the bowl with the batter and mix. Taking one piece of paneer at a time, add the paneer with the batter into the hot oil. Repeat the same for as many paneer pieces but ensure you don't overcrowd the wok/pot.
Learn the technique - 5
Gently cook for 7-10 minutes or until the pakoras are a light golden brown outside. Once the batter is lightly browned and crispy, take out the pakoras and place on a piece of newspaper or paper towel.
Gently cook for 7-10 minutes or until the pakoras are a light golden brown outside. Once the batter is lightly browned and crispy, take out the pakoras and place on a piece of newspaper or paper towel.
- 6
Serve hot with your favorite sauce or chutney.
Serve hot with your favorite sauce or chutney.
Nutrition per pakora
117
Calories
7g
Protein
9g
Carbs
6g
Fat
2g
Fiber
2g
Sugar
112mg
Sodium
Did you make this recipe? Tag @cooking.with.anadi on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingwithanadi
Tested & written in Anadi’s kitchen
Recipe history
- April 16, 2026 — Reworked and refreshed for the 2026 relaunch — new photography, restructured and standardized ingredients & instructions.
Filed under
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