Paneer vada chaat/ A chaat with cottage cheese balls
Indian cuisine without chaat preparation is just like a body without a soul! We all are obsessed with our chaat recipes. Chaat recipes have all the characteristics to be loved by all. lip-smacking chutneys, crunchy texture, yogurt, and various masale(spices) make the chaat
This paneer vada chaat has most of the above characters but its texture is softer than other chaat recipes. Paneer or cottage cheese makes the vadas or balls soft and melt in the mouth. These paneer vadas are gluten-free as makhana and groundnut powder are added to bind the paneer in place of cornstarch or bread crumbs. In this way, this paneer vada chaat is ideal in fasting, vrat or upvaas days
Preparation time – 15 min
Resting time 20 min
Cooking time – 15 min
Final Assembling to make chaat – 5 min
Course – Evening snack
Author – Bharti Dhawan
INGREDIENTS REQUIRED FOR PANEER VADA
• Paneer (grated) – 200 g
• Boiled Potatoes (grated) – 2 big sized
• Dry roasted makhana/fox nuts – 1 cup/20-25 nos.
• Roasted peanuts – 3/4 cup
• Salt – 2 tsp or to taste
• Red chilly powder – 2 tsp or to taste
• Pudina-Bhuna Jeera powder – 1 tsp
• Chaat masala – 1tsp
• Finely chopped green chillies – 1 tsp
• Oil – 1 tbsp or more
INGREDIENTS FOR CHAAT
• Thick curd or yogurt – 500 g
• Green chutney – 2-3 tbsp
• Imli Ki Khatti-Meethi Chutney– 2-3 tbsp
• Roasted cumin powder/bhuna jeera powder – 2-3 tsp
• Chaat masala – 2-3 tsp
• Aloo bhujia/sev for crunch
• Any sweet-sour fruit (I added diced plums/aloo bukhara)
PREPARATIONS TO BE DONE
1- Whisk curd with 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp powdered sugar
2- Dry roast makhana(fox nuts) in a pan. Make a powder of roasted makhana. 1 cup of makhana will give 1/2 cup of makhana powder
3- Make a powder of roasted 3/4 cup peanuts.
4- Grate paneer and aloo with a grater and keep them aside
STEP-1 HOW TO MAKE PANEER MAKHANA VADA(BALLS)
1- Take a bowl and add grated paneer and potatoes,
2- Add makhana powder, groundnut powder, salt, and spices. Mix with your hands to make a dough
- The dough must be tight, if not, add more pounded peanuts. This will bind the dough
3- Wet your hands and make lemon sized balls. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to set
4- Take a nonstick pan and add oil. When heated add the balls. Slow down the flame and pan fry the balls undisturbed for a few minutes
- Be patient with the balls, when you find that balls have fried one side, then turn to another side. Paneer/cottage cheese sticks to the pan very easily
5- When all the balls are shallow-fried nicely, take them out and allow them to cool completely and prepare to make the Paneer-Makhana Vada chaat
STEP-2 MAKING PANEER VADA CHAAT
place cooled Vadas in a tray
Add chilled and whisked curd on them
Add NO ONION GREEN CHUTNEY and imli ki chutney on curd
Add chaat masala and Pudina-bhuna jeera powder
Add aloo bhujia/ Sev and diced plums
Enjoy Paneer Vada Chaat during fasting days also
You might also love Some More Lip-smacking Chaat Preparations
Palak Papdi Chaat/ Hariyali Chaat
