Paneer Popcorn, also known as paneer nuggets is a quick, easy, healthy lip-smacking air fryer snack recipe made with fresh paneer (Indian cottage cheese), mixed with spices and herbs, and tossed with breadcrumbs to give that extra punch to taste.
This paneer nugget recipe is an ideal snack or party starter recipe, which is also a kid-friendly recipe. This is your crowd-pleasing appetizer, ready in just 30 minutes. Best served with tomato ketchup.
This recipe is even easier to make when you cook it under the CrispLid Airfryer. I recently saw a few reviews about this product, and brought it, and the first thing I wanted to try was air fryer french fries and paneer popcorn since my kid loves these for an evening snack.
Wondering what is CrispLid? Mealthy's newest and most innovative product converts any electric pressure cooker into an air fryer. Broil, crisp, and air fry directly in the steel pot of your electric pressure cooker.
If you like paneer, check out more Paneer Recipes
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Don't have a Crisplid Airfryer?
No worries, you can still make this recipe by following the same steps and deep-frying the paneer popcorn instead of air-frying.
How to Make Paneer Popcorn
Preparing the Paneer
The first thing is that I used homemade bread crumbs. Next, I used whole wheat bread, which was made into pieces, blended into a coarse powder, and added some red chili powder and salt. Combine well and keep aside.
Next, take fresh paneer and cut it into 1-inch cubes of equal size. Add ginger-garlic paste, red chili powder, garam masala (or any allspice powder), mixed Italian herbs, pepper powder, and salt to a bowl. Then add the paneer cubes and toss it well. If the spices dont stick to paneer, then add 1 teaspoon of oil to it.
Now, prepare the cornstarch batter with a little water. Add salt and red chili powder if u like, and prepare a semi-liquid batter consistency.
**Note: It should not be too thick like bhaji mixture.
Then dip the paneer cubes in the paste, drain the excess batter, and roll them completely in the breadcrumbs mixture, coating all sides.
Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. That said, if you don’t have enough time, you can skip this refrigerating.
**Note: Refrigerating helps to hold crumbs well.
Mealthy Crisplid using Pressure Cooker
Spray the CrispLid fryer basket and paneer cubes with cooking spray and arrange bread-coated paneer cubes in a single layer in the fryer basket, working in batches as needed.
Place the trivet in the inner steel pot of the pressure cooker and put the fryer basket on the trivet.
Now, set CrispLid on top of the inner steel pot using the handle on the CrispLid. Plug the CrispLid and lower the handle. Make sure the pressure cooker is unplugged.
Set to 375°F (190°C) and cook the paneer popcorn for 6 minutes. Flip the paneer and continue cooking until browned and crisp, about 5 minutes more. If you think it's not cooked completely, then toss and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining paneer popcorn.
Remove the paneer popcorn to a serving plate and serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.
Regular Air Fryer
- Preheat Air fryer for 3-4 minutes at 375°F (190°C).
- Place the seasoned paneer popcorn in the fryer and fry for 5 minutes. Take out the fryer. Brush some oil and again air fry for 4 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
This air-fried cauliflower can be enjoyed as an appetizer or snack and pairs wonderfully with dipping sauces tomato ketchup, sriracha mayo, or yogurt mint chutney.
Expert Tips
- If you eat eggs, you can skip the flour mixture and dip marinated paneer into the beaten egg mixture and then roll it into bread crumbs.
- Cut the paneer into bite-sized pieces. Equal sizes help to cook evenly and well.
- You can either use homemade or store-bought panko bread crumbs for this recipe.
- Bread the paneer ahead of time and refrigerate. When you're ready to serve, you can air-fry or deep-fry paneer popcorn.
Variations
- You can also add other seasonings like kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), garlic powder, or onion salt to the paneer nuggets recipe.
- If you are vegan, replace paneer with tofu.
- You can also use oats or cornflakes instead of breadcrumbs. In a blender, take ½ cup of quick or rolled oats, and pulse a few times to get coarsely ground oats.
More Indian Air Fryer Recipes
Paneer Popcorn Recipe (Air Fryer)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup paneer cubed (1 inch size)
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- ½ teaspoon mixed dried herbs
- ¼ teaspoon pepper powder
- ¼ cup corn flour or refined flour(maida)
- 2 teaspoons oil for spraying
- salt to taste
For the Crust
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Mealthy CrispLid Airfryer:
- Take a bowl and add ginger garlic paste, red chili powder, garam masala ,mixed herbs, pepper powder, salt . Then add paneer in it and mix it well.
- Take ¼ cup corn flour and add water in it as much as required to make a paste of it.
- Mix breadcrumbs, red chili powder, and salt, and keep aside.
- Then dip paneer cubes in that paste and drain excess batter ,then roll them completely in bread crumbs mixture coating all the sides. Refrigerate for atleast 15 minutes.
- Spray CrispLid fryer basket and paneer cubes with cooking spray and arrange bread coated paneer cubes in a single layer in fryer basket, working in batches as needed.
- Place trivet in the inner steel pot of pressure cooker and put fryer basket on the trivet.Now set CrispLid on top of inner steel pot using the handle on the CrispLid. Plug the CrispLid and lower the handle. (Make sure the pressure cooker is unplugged)
- Set to 375°F (190°C) and cook paneer popcorn for 6 minutes. Flip paneer and continue cooking until browned and crisp, about 5 minutes more. If you think its not cooked completely then toss and cook for 2 more minutes.Repeat with remaining paneer popcorn.
- Remove the paneer popcorn into a serving plate and serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.
Deep frying:
- Follow same steps and deep fry the prepared breaded paneer in medium heat oil until they turn brown and crispy.Serve Hot.
Notes
- You can also add a couple of pinches of cayenne pepper to the flour mixture for a little heat.
- You can also add other seasonings like kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), garlic powder or onion salt, etc.
- Cut the paneer into bite sizes. Equal sizes helps to cook evenly and well.
- If you are vegan replace paneer with tofu.
- You can either use homemade or panko bread crumbs from the store for this recipe.
Nutrition
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Tejaswini Anand
Loved it, already made it twice in a week's time. It's such a simple recipie with less use of carbs and oil. Takes less time to make and is a good dish to prep and freeze. Thanks for the wonderful recipie.
Bhavana Patil
Thanks Tejaswini, i am glad you liked it:)