Cheese pakora recipe with step by step pics. A cheesy variation of pakoda are these tasty deep-fried cheese fritters. The crisp outer besan coating and the gooey cheesy melted cheese inside are contrasting textures in this recipe.
Both cheese pakoda and Paneer pakoda are snacks that is served in most restaurants. There are various ways cheese pakora can be made. While making cheese pakoda, I like to use spices which accentuate the taste of cheese in the pakora.
For the cheese you can use either processed cheese or mozzarella cheese. The batter has to be thick or else the cheese can melt and splutter in the oil while frying. My recipe’s batter also is subtly spiced with pepper, coriander, turmeric and chili powder. For an umami touch, I add sesame too in it.
Cheese pakoda can be made as a quick snack for kids or for small parties or get-togethers. This cheese pakoda recipe can be easily halved or doubled or tripled.
Cheese pakora can be served hot with mint chutney or coriander chutney or tomato ketchup. Even sriracha sauce or a sweet chilli sauce accompanies cheese fritters well.
Remember to serve them hot for best taste. If you serve cheese pakora warm or at room temperature then you won’t get the best taste. As then the melted cheese becomes thick and solidified.
How to make Cheese Pakora
1. Firstly in a mortar-pestle take ¼ teaspoon black pepper and ¼ teaspoon coriander seeds. You can add more black pepper if you want.
2. Crush coarsely. Keep aside.
Making cheese pakoda batter
3. In a mixing bowl take ½ cup besan (gram flour).
4. Then add the coarsely crushed black pepper and coriander seeds.
5. Add 1 pinch asafoetida, 1 pinch baking soda (optional), ⅛ teaspoon turmeric powder (or 2 to 3 pinches), ¼ teaspoon red chili powder and ½ teaspoon sesame seeds (black or white sesame seeds).
6. Add salt as per taste. Do add less salt as cheese already has salt in it.
7. Add 4 to 5 tablespoons of water or add as required.
8. Mix to a smooth thick batter without any lumps. If the medium has a medium consistency, then add 1 to 2 tablespoons more besan and mix again.
9. Take 5 amul cheese cubes or 125 grams processed cheese or mozzarella cheese. Do note that the cheese cubes have to be removed directly from the fridge and then sliced. Do not use cheese cubes which are at room temperature.
10. Cut each cheese cube in two equal parts.
Frying cheese fritters
11. Heat oil for deep frying or shallow frying in a kadai or pan. You can use any neutral-flavored oil.
12. When the oil becomes hot, add 4 to 5 drops of the hot oil in the besan batter.
13. Mix it very well. This helps in making the cheese pakoras crisp and they also absorb less oil while frying.
14. Now check a tiny portion of the batter in the oil. It should come up steadily and gradually on top. This means the oil is hot enough for frying.
15. Place the cheese cube in the batter.
16. Coat it evenly with the batter.
17. Now gently and carefully slid or place each batter-coated cheese cubes in the hot oil. Fry cheese pakora on medium to medium-high heat.
18. When one side is crisp and golden, then turn over using a slotted spoon and fry the second side.
19. Turn over again and continue to fry.
20. You can turn over a couple of times and fry till the pakodas are crisp and golden. However do note that do not fry these pakodas too much. Just fry them till they turn golden.
21. Remove fried cheese fritters carefully with a slotted spoon draining as much oil as possible in the kadai itself.
22. Place them on kitchen paper towels to remove excess oil. This way prepare the cheese fritters in batches. Regulate the heat as needed while frying.
23. Serve cheese pakoda hot with any chutney or dip or sauce of your choice like pudina chutney or mint coriander chutney or green chutney or schezwan sauce or red chilli garlic chutney.
Do note that cheese pakoda have to be served hot. If they are served warm or at room temperature, the melted cheese becomes thick and solidified.
Few more snacks recipes for you!
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Cheese Pakora
Ingredients
to be coarsely crushed
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper or add as per taste
- ¼ teaspoon coriander seeds
for pakora batter
- ½ cup besan (gram flour)
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
- 1 pinch baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric powder (2 to 3 pinches)
- ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon sesame seeds – black or white
- salt as per taste
- 4 to 5 tablespoons water or add as required
other ingredients
- 125 grams processed cheese or 5 amul cheese cubes
- oil as required for deep frying or shallow frying
Instructions
preparation
- Firstly in a mortar-pestle take black pepper and coriander seeds.
- Crush coarsely. Keep aside.
making cheese pakora batter
- In a mixing bowl take ½ cup besan.
- Add the coarsely crushed black pepper and coriander seeds.
- Add asafoetida, baking soda, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, sesame seeds and salt as per taste.
- Add 4 to 5 tablespoons water or add as required.
- Mix to a smooth thick batter without any lumps.
making cheese pakora
- Take 5 amul cheese cubes or 125 grams processed cheese or mozzarella cheese. Do note that the cheese cubes have to be removed directly from the fridge and then sliced. Do not use cheese cubes which are at room temperature.
- Cut each cheese cube in two parts.
- Heat oil for deep frying or shallow frying in a kadai or pan.
- When the oil becomes hot, add 4 to 5 drops of the hot oil in the besan batter.
- Mix it very well. This helps in making the pakoras crisp and they also absorb less oil while frying.
- Now check a tiny portion of the batter in the oil. It should come up steadily and gradually on top. This means the oil is hot enough for frying pakoras.
- Place the cheese cube in the batter and coat it evenly with the batter.
- Now gently slid or place each batter-coated cheese cubes in the hot oil. Fry the pakoras on medium to medium-high flame.
- When one side is crisp and golden, then turn over and fry the second side.
- Turn over again and continue to fry.
- You can turn over a couple of times and fry till the cheese fritters are crisp and golden. However do note that do not fry these pakodas too much. Just fry them till they turn golden.
- Remove them with a slotted spoon.
- Place them on kitchen paper towels to remove excess oil.
- Serve cheese pakora hot with any chutney or dip or sauce of your choice. Do note that cheese pakoda has to be served hot. If they are served warm or at room temperature, the melted cheese becomes thick and solidified.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Cheese Pakora post from the blog archives first published in December 2017 has been updated and republished on December 2022.
