This Paneer Cutlet recipe is an easy to make crispy cutlets that is made with paneer (Indian cottage cheese), cooked mix vegetables, herbs and spices. The shaped cutlets are coated with semolina (rava/sooji) and pan fried in oil.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 20 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes
  • Total time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Snacks
  • Cuisine: North Indian

Ingredients

  • 3 potatoes (- small to medium-sized, 150 grams)
  • 1 carrot (- medium-sized, 100 grams)
  • ⅓ cup green peas (fresh or frozen)
  • 2 cups water (for pressure cooking)
  • 200 grams paneer (or 1.75 cups grated or crumbled paneer)
  • 1 green chili (- chopped)
  • 2 garlic cloves (- chopped, medium-sized)
  • 1 inch ginger (chopped)
  • 1 to 2 pinches turmeric powder ((ground turmeric))
  • ¼ teaspoon red chili powder (or cayenne pepper)
  • ½ teaspoon coriander powder ((ground coriander))
  • ½ teaspoon cumin powder ((ground cumin))
  • ¼ teaspoon garam masala
  • salt (as required)
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons Rice Flour (or cornstarch or arrow root flour or roasted gram flour)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves ((cilantro))
  • 3 tablespoons rava ((suji or fine semolina) or breadcrumbs or crushed oats or crushed corn flakes)
  • 3 tablespoons oil (for pan frying or as required)

Method

Preparation

  1. First peel and take 3 small to medium potatoes, 1 medium carrot and ⅓ cup green peas in a stovetop pressure cooker.
  2. Add 2 cups water and pressure cook for 3 to 4 whistles on medium to high heat. When the pressure settles down naturally, then only open the lid.
  3. You can also boil the veggies in a pan or Instant pot adding water as required.
  4. Drain all the water and let the veggies cool down completely.
  5. In a mortar-pestle take green chili, garlic cloves and ginger (all chopped).
  6. Crush to a semi-fine paste. Keep aside.
  7. Crumble the paneer finely. You can even grate paneer. You will need 1.75 cups grated or crumbled paneer. Cover and keep aside.

Shaping & dredging

  1. Take the boiled veggies in a mixing bowl or pan.
  2. With a vegetable masher mash the veggies.
  3. Add the crushed ginger+garlic+green chilli paste.
  4. Add the spice powders - turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and garam masala powder.
  5. Add the crumbled paneer.
  6. Add rice flour and salt as required. Instead of rice flour, you can also use corn starch, arrow root flour or roasted besan (gram flour) or sattu flour.
  7. Next add chopped coriander leaves.
  8. Mix everything very well. Do check the taste and if required add more salt.
  9. Take a portion of the mixture and shape them into cutlet.
  10. In a plate take rava (semolina) in a plate. Place the paneer cutlet on the rava. Coat well and dust off the excess rava. Make all cutlets this way and coat them with rava. Keep aside.
  11. Instead of rava, you can also use crushed oats, rice flour, bread crumbs, or crushed corn flakes.

Making paneer cutlet

  1. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a pan or tawa or skillet. Keep the heat to medium-low or medium. When the pan becomes hot then place the paneer cutlet.
  2. When the base is golden, flip gently using a spatula without breaking them.
  3. Fry the second side too without golden. Flip a couple of times till the cutlet are crisp and golden.
  4. Place them on kitchen paper towels to remove excess oil. If needed add more oil while frying. Fry the paneer cutlets in batches this way.
  5. Serve paneer cutlet hot with any sauce or chutney or dip. I generally serve them with coriander chutney or mint chutney or tomato ketchup.
  6. They make for a delicious tea time snack. For best taste have them hot or warm.

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.