How to fry paneer?
In this brief article, we will answer the question, “How to fry paneer?” methods and tips to fry the paneer.
How to fry paneer?
To fry the paneer, heat a skillet with vegetable oil and add onions, tomatoes followed by spices and paneer to the oil. Fry for 4-5 minutes and garnish with coriander leaves.
Pan-frying
Ingredients
- 1 cup thinly sliced onions
- 200 gms paneer
- 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- 2-3 slit green chilies
- Oil for frying
- ½ cup chopped tomatoes
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp black pepper powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
Method
- Heat oil in the pan on the stovetop. The flame on the stovetop should be medium.
- Add sliced onions to the stovetop and saute the onions well. Add a little bit of salt to the onions.
- Saute the onions till it turns light brown color. Do not brown the onions.
- Add ginger-garlic paste to the onions and saute them till the smell of the paste goes away. Add the slit green chilies too.
- Add the tomatoes.
- Now add the spices including turmeric powder, chili powder, coriander powder, black pepper powder, and cumin powder. Mix the spices well. While sauteing the tomatoes if the spices stick to the pan, you can add a little bit of water.
- Add salt and mix well. After mixing the mixture with salt, add the paneer cubes. Mix the paneer with the spices gently.
- Switch the flame off after cooking for 1-2 minutes and garnish the paneer fry with coriander leaves.
Deep-frying
Ingredients
- 200 gms of paneer
- ¾ cup of gram flour
- 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- Baking soda (a pinch)
- Salt to taste
- Oil for frying
- 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
Method
- In a bowl, mix gram flour, ginger-garlic paste, cumin powder, Kashmiri chili powder, turmeric powder, salt, and baking soda.
- Cut the paneer in the form of 2-inch sticks. If you have purchased paneer cubes, ignore this step.
- Heat vegetable oil in the pan. Dip the paneer pieces in the batter and gradually add them to the pan for deep-frying.
- Fry the paneer pieces till it turns golden brown and crispy.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the paneer pieces and drain them on absorbent paper. Serve it garnished with coriander.
What are the tips to be kept in mind while frying paneer?
- Fry paneer in a non-stick pan. This would avoid the paneer from sticking to the pan.
- Fry paneer over medium heat. You can fry paneer using oil, butter, or ghee.
- If the paneer cubes are not dry, dry them using a dry paper towel.
- While frying the paneer, you can shake the pan a bit to avoid the paneer from sticking to the pan.
- Avoid over-frying the cubes. Over frying can harden the paneer cubes. You can fry the cubes and add them to cold water to soften them or you can directly immerse the paneer cubes in hot water instead of frying them and directly add them to your recipe after cooking.
This will also help reduce the caloric content of the paneer instead of frying them.
- If you are preparing paneer at home, add the acid to the milk after the milk starts boiling. If you add the acid before the milk has begun boiling, the paneer you obtain will end up being crumbly.
- If you are preparing paneer at home, avoid adding excess amounts of acid to the milk as the paneer would become grainy or rubbery. Also, avoid boiling the milk after it has been curdled.
- If you find your paneer too hard after frying, you can add the paneer to a bowl of warm water after frying.
- Use fresh paneer to fry or else your paneer might end up being rubbery.
More FAQs on paneer that you might be interested in.
How to fry paneer without splattering the oil?
Dry the paneer cubes using a dry paper towel before you are about to fry them. Also, use a wide pan for frying. You can also add a pinch of salt or flour to the oil to prevent the oil from splattering.
Also, use dry pieces of equipment while frying. For instance, using a wet slotted spoon to pick up paneer cubes can cause the oil to splatter.
Is it necessary to fry paneer?
No, it is not necessary to fry the paneer. Paneer is usually fried to extend its shelf-life and to improve its flavor.
Other FAQs about Paneer that you may be interested in.
Can you eat paneer without cooking it?
How long does paneer last unopened?
How long does saag paneer last in the fridge?
Conclusion
In this brief article, we have answered the question, “How to fry paneer?” methods and tips to fry the paneer.
