How to Make Paneer Pakoda for Kids

By Hemapriya Natesan @MyLittleMoppet

Winters are coming and it's soon going to be time for hot snacks and tea!! And when you speak of hot snacks in India, you can't help but think of pakodas; people make pakodas with pretty much anything and they all taste good! With some piping hot tea and a dip, the whole family can enjoy a lovely afternoon together!

Today, we've decided to stray from vegetables and make pakodas with paneer instead. Paneer is a wonderful thing to feed kids, and most of them eat paneer without hesitation. If you'd like to know if your baby is ready to eat paneer, read our post on giving paneer to babies. The recipe here is inspired and slightly modified from the one here, and you can add your own twist if you like!

Ingredients

  • 125-150 gm paneer/cottage cheese, preferably homemade and cut into cubes
  • 1 cup besan/gram flour
  • A pinch of turmeric powder/haldi
  • A pinch of red chili powder/lal mirch powder
  • A pinch of asafoetida/hing
  • A pinch of garam masala powder
  • Water as required
  • Salt as required
  • Oil for deep frying
  • A pinch of chaat masala for seasoning

Method

1. Mix besan and all the spice powders except chaat masala. Add water to make a thick flowing paste.

2. Heat oil in a kadai.

3. Dip the paneer cubes in the besan batter so that they are well coated on all sides.

4. Deep fry and drain the excess oil by placing the pakodas on kitchen tissues.

5. Before serving, sprinkle some chaat masala over the hot pakoras and serve with a dip of your choice.

So now you know how to make paneer pakoda for kids! We should warn you though, one serving of these delicious little goodies and they'll keep asking for more! These are also perfect for a kids party, just keep an assortment of dips on the side so they can enjoy to their hearts content!

Lots of Love,