Indian twist on Nachos! These paneer nachos are loaded with spiced paneer and topped with yogurt sauce, onion-tomato salsa, papdi and chutneys! Makes a great vegetarian appetizer.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 30 minutes
  • Cook time: 10 minutes
  • Total time: Not specified
  • Yield: 8
  • Category: Appetizer
  • Cuisine: American, Indian

Ingredients

To Marinate Paneer

  • 1/2 cup +2 tablespoons plain yogurt (150 grams)
  • 2.5 teaspoons tandoori masala
  • 2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
  • 1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1/2 lime (juice of)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 14 oz paneer (396 grams, cut into small cubes)

Tomato Onion Salsa

  • 1 medium tomato (chopped)
  • 1/2 medium white onion (chopped)
  • 1 jalapeño (seeded and chopped)
  • 1 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Yogurt Sauce

  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon mint powder

Everything else

  • 10-12 oz tortilla chips bag
  • 16 oz can refried beans
  • 1.5 cups grated pepper jack cheese (or add more to taste)
  • 12-15 papdi (puri)
  • cilantro chutney
  • tamarind dates chutney

Method

  1. Make the paneer marinade first. Start by cutting the paneer into small cubes. To a large bowl, add yogurt, tandoori masala, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, kashmiri red chili powder, garam masala, lime juice and salt. Mix until everything is well combined.
  2. Add the paneer cubes. Stir until all are well coated with the marinade. Refrigerate for minimum of 1 hour.
  3. After an hour, take the paneer out of the refrigerator. Heat a skillet on high heat. Spray with a oil spray. Add paneer cubes to the pan in a single layer.
  4. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes on high medium heat until paneer is nicely browned. Remove pan from heat.
  5. While the paneer is cooking, make the salsa. To a bowl, add chopped tomatoes, onion, jalapeno and cilantro. Stir to combine and set aside.
  6. Make the yogurt sauce by mixing together yogurt, salt, sugar and mint powder in a bowl. Set aside.
  7. Meanwhile also heat the canned refried beans. I usually add little water while heating the beans in a pan. Also grate the cheese. So now all components are ready, it's time to assemble the nachos. Pre-heat oven to 400 F degrees.
  8. Line a baking sheet with tortilla chips. Add refried beans all over the chips. Top with paneer pieces. Make sure paneer is equally distributed throughout. You may slightly crush the paneer cubes, I like them as such. Top with the grated cheese. You may use any cheese of choice, I like pepperjack here. You may also add as much cheese as you like.
  9. Place the pan in a pre-heated 400 F degrees oven for 5 to 6 minutes or until the cheese melts.
  10. Remove pan from oven. Crush the papdi and add it all over the pan. Then add the prepared onion-tomato salsa all over. Drizzle the yogurt sauce, cilantro chutney and sweet tamarind chutney on top.
  11. Serve paneer nachos immediately!

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.