Paneer Pakoda

There are some recipes that stay with you. Even though you might have outgrown them, you still go back to them - for the memories and the taste. These little melting moments were created by my mother to add the crunchy element to the meals that she would make for my sister and me. I still remember watching my mother at the stove whisking stuff for the batter while cutting cubes of paneer and then mixing everything together. The oil would be smoky and sizzle very satisfactorily when she added the chunks of battered paneer into it. Over the years I have sort memorized the basic elements that she used and then added my own ingredients in order to make the batter that is right for almost every vegetables, meat or fish that you can think of. It is quick, easy and once you master it - you won't need to measure. You will just throw your ingredients together and then-boom-out come crispy battered pakodas.

 Ingredients:
Paneer cut into chunks
1cup besan or gram flour
2tsp red chilli powder
2tsp garam masala
1 dried red chilli chopped finely
a pinch of salt
a pinch of baking soda
water as needed

Method:
Mix all the dry ingredients together. Add a tablespoon of water and whisk. Add another and whisk again. You should need around 4-5 tablespoon of water. The batter should not be thick like a cake batter not should be watery. It should just coat the paneer.
Heat oil till its slightly smoky. To check, drop a little bit of batter into the oil. If it sizzles, then your oil is ready. Add the cubes of paneer. Fry till golden brown.
Before serving sprinkle a little chat masala. You can serve this as an appetizer, a crispy side-dish or little bite-sized nibbles for parties. Enjoy!