Crispy Paneer Fingers are a popular Indian party appetizer or snack made from paneer (Indian cottage cheese) that’s cut into finger-sized strips, coated in a spiced batter, breaded, and then deep-fried or air-fried until golden and crispy.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 15 minutes
  • Total time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 2
  • Category: Appetizer
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

for Crispy Paneer Fingers

  • 100 grams paneer
  • 1 cup bread crumbs ((appx 5 breads) *Bread crumbs should be course.)
  • 4 tablespoons maida (all purpose flour)
  • 2 tablespoons corn flour (corn starch)
  • 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder (can use fresh chopped garlic if you don’t have garlic powder)
  • 1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning
  • salt (to taste)
  • oil (for frying)

Method

  1. Prepare bread crumbs and keep them aside.
  2. In a bowl, mix maida, cornflour, red chili powder, black pepper powder, Italian seasoning, garlic powder & salt.
  3. Add some water to make a paste just enough to coat the paneer pieces well.
  4. Dip these fingers in the batter and then roll in breadcrumbs. Repeat this until paneer fingers are double-breaded.
  5. Repeat this step for the rest of the paneer pieces.
  6. Refrigerate coated paneer fingers for 15-20 minutes, so that breadcrumbs stick well on the paneer.
  7. When oil is hot enough, deep fry paneer fingers until golden brown on both sides. Remove & drain on a paper towel.
  8. Serve crispy & crunchy paneer fingers with tomato ketchup.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.