How to make Paneer Fingers Recipe – Paneer Recipe

See Recipe In हिन्दी (Hindi)

Paneer Fingers are the healthier alternate for potato French fry and taste just awesome. As the monsoon season approaches, Indians are always on the lookout for hot fried snacks, so my Paneer Finger recipe is going to turn your rainy evenings so blissful. This healthy snack is crispy on the outside, and soft and mushy inside, have it hot, with a sprinkle of chat masala, tomato ketchup, mayonnaise, or any chutney you like.

I have made many paneer recipes earlier such as

• Matar Paneer,
• Kadai Paneer,
• Palak Paneer,
• Paneer Capsicum Masala,
• Paneer Butter Masala,
• Veg Palak Paneer.

But this one is my favorite.

Paneer is Indian cheese. Its closest relative is the Ricotta Cheese. I think, traditionally, only Indians use paneer as a main course food, as if a vegetable. Paneer is a vegetarian’s luxury food. And very versatile, as you can make it a snack, a main course, or use its “chena” form for preparing Rasgulla and Gulab Jamun as dessert.

Paneer is richer in calcium than regular milk, and is the healthiest type of cheese. It is packed with proteins and is an essential calorie, which rather helps to burn fat than accumulate it. That is why, doctors often recommend paneer for weight loss. Moreover, if you have homemade, organic paneer, things just get better. The Paneer fingers can also be grilled, or air fried to make it healthier and even tastier perhaps.

I often make paneer at home, but when buying from the market, I favor the Bengali confectionaries, over the packaged industrial ones. I do not want to say that packaged paneer is not good; it is actually my personal choice. The local paneer is certainly organic and closest to the homemade variation. It is moister and softer than packaged ones and certainly has no preservatives or added flavor and other processing chemicals. You can also make it with soya paneer, or tofu, which is a completely vegan option. Tofu is widely available in the super market, you may not so easily get it at local grocery stores. Tofu is very delicate than milk paneer, you have to handle it very carefully so that it does not break. However, once you fry the tofu, it is not that delicate then; the texture is similar to that of fried paneer. I prepare it with both milk paneer and tofu. The recipe is same with both the variants.

Overall, it is a perfect monsoon evening snack to go with the hot coffee or tea. You can keep the paneer marinated in the refrigerator, and fry it instantly to make things easier.

Equipment Used:

Prestige Pan

How to make paneer Fingers:

• Cut the cottage cheese into long strips just like we cut french fries and keep aside.

• First take thick yogurt/hung curd in a bowl and add all the spices (Kashmiri red chilly powder, garam masala, salt to taste, ginger garlic paste, kasuri methi,) and whisk it well until smooth. Marinade is ready.

• Add cottage cheese fingers one by one to the prepared marinade and coat it well very gently with your hands or spoon, so that paneer slices does not get break.
• Coat the paneer evenly with the marinade.

• Take out on the plate and repeat the process for rest of the paneer fingers.
• Keep the paneer fingers in refrigerator and allow it to marinate for an hour.

To make flour paste:

• Put all purpose flour/maida, cornflour, red chilly powder, salt in a mixing bowl and make medium thick paste just like pakora by adding water.
• Mix it well till no lumps.

• After an hour take out the marinated paneer fingers from fridge and dip each marinated cottage cheese sticks/fingers one by one in the flour batter and then coat with thick layer of oats by pressing it firmly all around.

• Prepare rest of the paneer fingers in the same way.
• Keep it in a refrigerator for 30 minutes to make the mixture firm but if you do not have much time fry it instantly. I am going to fry it instsantly.

• Heat oil in deep pan on medium high heat, once the oil becomes hot drop the paneer fingers slowly into it, taking care not to overlap them. Fry paneer fingers in batches, do not overcrowd the pan.
• Fry the paneer fingers until they are golden brown, turning occasionally. This would take about 3-4 minutes.

• Take them out over a paper towel or an absorbent paper to remove excess oil.

• Crispy crunchy cottage cheese/ paneer fingers are ready.
• Serve hot with any green chutney or tomato ketchup.

See Recipe In हिन्दी (Hindi)