Paneer Amritsari Recipe
Paneer Amritsari, a meatless take on the renowned Amritsari Fish Tikka, showcases marinated paneer cubes immersed in a zesty, flavorful blend of gram flour, along with a medley of spices and herbs, all crisply deep-fried to a golden perfection. For those seeking an alternative, extra firm tofu can be seamlessly substituted for paneer.
Ingredients
- 250 to 300 grams Paneer chopped in 1.5 to 2 cm cubes
- 4 tablespoons besan (gram flour), can swap with chickpea flour
- ¼ teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon Garam Masala
- ½ teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder or deghi mirch or paprika
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1.5 teaspoons Ginger Gaelic Paste or ¾ inch ginger (about 4 to 5 grams ginger) and 4 to 5 garlic cloves (5 grams garlic without peels), crushed to a paste in mortar-pestle
- 2 tablespoons water
- salt as per taste
- 3 tablespoons oil for shallow frying
- chaat masala as required for sprinkling
- few coriander leaves and mint leaves for garnish
Instructions
Preparation
- Slice paneer in slightly thick cubes. If using frozen paneer, then just thaw it for some minutes in warm water, before slicing.
- In a mixing bowl add all ingredients except oil, paneer cubes, chaat masala, coriander and mint leaves.
- Mix every thing very well with a spoon or wired whisk to a smooth batter mixture without any lumps.
- Now add the paneer cubes. Toss the bowl and gently mix the paneer cubes with the marinade, so that the paneer cubes do not break.You can even mix the paneer cubes gently with your hand.
- Cover the bowl and allow to marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature. If keeping for longer time, then refrigerate.You can also marinate for 4 to 5 hours or overnight in the fridge.
Making Paneer Amritsari
- Now heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a thick bottomed tawa/skillet or a frying pan. When the oil becomes hot, place a small paneer cube.
- This is just to check if the paneer does not stick to the pan and the hotness of the oil.The oil has to be medium hot. Do use a well seasoned pan while frying, or else the paneer cubes will stick to the pan.
- Now coat the marination well on the cubes and place them on the tawa.
- When the base becomes crisp and golden, flip and fry the other side.
- Flip a couple of times and fry till both sides are crisp, golden and evenly cooked. Slightly thick paneer cubes do not get hard while frying and remain soft even after frying.
- However, don't fry for a long time, as then the paneer cubes will get dense. Keep on regulating the flame from low to medium while frying.
- Remove the fried paneer cubes and drain them on kitchen paper towels. Fry the remaining in the same way. Depending on the size of pan, you can fry all at once or in two batches.
- Serve Paneer Amritsari hot sprinkled with some chaat masala powder and a mint or coriander leaves garnish.Accompany mint chutney, tamarind chutney or a mint raita by the side. You can also serve a side of thinly sliced onions and lemon wedges to go with the Amritsari Paneer.
Nutrition
Calories: 616kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 21gFat: 54gSaturated Fat: 21gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 83mgSodium: 343mgPotassium: 147mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gCalcium: 610mgIron: 1mg
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