Paneer popcorn recipe

Paneer popcorn recipe with video – A quick crunchy paneer snack for kids. These paneer popcorn are one of the best appetizers for kids – crunchy, delicious and addictive. Whether it is for a evening snack or for a party these are going to surely amaze the kids. This recipe can also be used to make paneer nuggets.

The best part about these paneer popcorn is they remain crunchy even after an hour. These can also be prepared ahead and kept in the fridge. Just need to fry them when desired.

Since I made these paneer popcorn for kids I have used very little spice powders which will go well with them. If you are making for grown ups then double the spice powders or as desired. To make these paneer popcorn, I have just followed the same method I shared on the chicken popcorn recipe.

This is completely a vegetarian recipe, I have substituted egg with flour and made a batter. I have used organic plain flour/ maida, it can be replaced with rice flour, besan or corn flour. Corn flour and maida work best for this recipe. The amount of refined flour comes upto just 1 tbsp per serving so I felt it’s fine to use it.

These paneer popcorn go well with red chili garlic chutney, red chilli sauce, schezwan sauce or yogurt dip. Similar paneer snacks on the blog are Paneer cutlet, Hyderabadi Paneer 65, Indo chinese chilli paneer, restaurant style paneer tikka.

Tips to make paneer popcorn

1. Cube the paneer to bite sizes. Ensure they are all of equal sizes as this helps them to cook evenly & well.
2. If you eat eggs, then you can skip making the batter and just dip the paneer in beaten egg mixture and toss them in a bowl of bread crumbs.
3. For extra crunch you can also double coat the paneer in egg and batter or egg mixture.
4. If you are a vegan you can replace paneer with tofu.
5. For extra spicy version, just toss the moist panner cubes in a mixture of red chilli flakes & Italian herbs. To make the paneer moist just rinse it under running water. Drain completely & use.
6. You can also make bread the paneer ahead of time & refrigerate. Bring them to room temperature & fry when needed.

You may like these collection: Over 200 snacks recipes and 50 Paneer recipes.

Paneer popcorn recipe

Paneer popcorn

Crunchy paneer popcorn is a quick snack that is made similar to the chicken popcorn. Paneer is batter coated and then rolled in bread crumbs. Then deep fried till crunchy.

Prep Time10 minutes

Cook Time20 minutes

Total Time30 minutes

Servings4

AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )

Ingredients for paneer popcorn

• 1 ¼ cup paneer cubed or Indian cottage cheese (½ by 1 inch size)
• ¼ cup plain flour / maida or rice flour or besan (heaped cup)
• 1 ½ tsp ginger garlic paste
• Salt as needed
• ½ to ¾ tsp red chilli powder (reduce for toddlers)
• ¼ to ½ tsp pepper crushed
• ¾ tsp garam masala or any spice powder like allspice
• ¾ tsp dried herbs (optional) or coriander leaves chopped.

For the crust

• ½ cup bread crumbs
• Salt as needed
• ¼ tsp red chili powder

How to make the recipe

Preparation for paneer popcorn

• Cut paneer to one by half inch cubes. Keep these aside.
• Add red chili powder, salt and bread crumbs to a wide bowl. Mix everything well and set aside.
• Add flour, salt, ginger garlic paste, pepper, herbs, red chili powder and garam masala to a mixing bowl.
• Add water little by little and make a thick batter. Too thick batter will make them hard so it has to be moderately thick.

How to make paneer popcorn

• Add the paneer cubes to this and coat them well with the batter.
• Roll each of these batter coated paneer cubes in bread crumbs.
• Gently press down the crumbs to the paneer.
• Refrigerate for about 15 mins.
• Heat oil in a kadai. When the oil is hot enough, add the bread coated paneer cubes in the hot oil.
• Regulate the flame to medium and fry stirring until golden.
• Drain them when golden and crunchy. To fry the next batch, discard the bread crumbs that settle at the bottom of the kadai. Then add the next batch.
• Serve paneer popcorn with red chilli sauce or schezwan sauce.

Video

NUTRITION (estimation only)

Calories: 290kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 128mg | Potassium: 36mg | Fiber: 1g | Vitamin A: 200IU | Calcium: 367mg | Iron: 1.4mg

If you are a beginner or new to Indian cooking, I highly suggest you to check the supporting step by step photos for best results. Step by step photos with description available below after the recipe card.