Crispy Paneer Fingers (Air Fryer Recipe)
These crispy paneer fingers are a fun, flavorful and fantastic recipe made in the air fryer! Made with just a handful of fresh ingredients, you can serve these this delicious paneer appetizer with fresh mint chutney or easy Indian mint sauce or in a paneer wrap for a wholesome meal!
Servings: 6 people (4-6 depending on serving size)
Calories: 198kcal
Ingredients
- 1 250g block Paneer (1 x 250-270g block) cut into strips
Marinade:
- 8 Garlic cloves (you can use 5 cloves for a milder flavour)
- 5 g Ginger (you can use 3g for a milder flavour)
- 7 Fresh coriander/cilantro strands and leaves
- 1 teaspoon fresh coriander powder (this is ground coriander seeds) or 2 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1-2 Green chillies or 1 fresh red chilli
- ½ teaspoon Garam masala
- Pinch Ground fenugreek/methi (optional)
- ½ teaspoon Red chilli powder
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric
- Pinch Black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Lemon juice
- 2 teaspoon Olive oil plus more to spray to cook paneer
Coating:
- ¾ cup Breadcrumbs or more if desired
Instructions
- Prepare the paneer into strips, use a fork to scratch the paneer and place into a bowl.
- Add all the marinade ingredients into a small blender and blend until a smooth paste is formed, for about 2-3 minutes (intermittently stopping to mix the paste).
- Marinate the paneer by coating the paneer strips with the marinade paste. Allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes for more flavour (optional).
- Coat the marinated paneer in breadcrumbs. Tip: place breadcrumbs in a plate and dip each paneer strip into the breadcrumbs, turning the paneer so each side is coated with breadcrumbs.
- Preheat air fryer to 200°C/392°F. Transfer the breaded paneer fingers onto the air fryer tray and spray each paneer finger evenly with olive oil. Air fry for 10 minutes at 200°C/392°F, flipping the paneer fingers halfway to cook evenly, or until golden and crispy.
Notes
- Allow paneer to marinate for at least 15 minutes: for maximum flavour, I recommend the extra 15 minutes to allow paneer to marinate – this extra time helps the paneer absorb more of the marinade flavour. You can skip this for a quicker version.
- Scratch the paneer using a fork: use a fork to scratch the paneer before coating in the marinade. This helps the marinade stick to the paneer more.
- Coat paneer generously with breadcrumbs: this helps the paneer become crispier. It helps to press the breadcrumbs gently into the paneer to help them stick more easily. Optional – you can double coat the paneer fingers with breadcrumbs for extra crunch – by spraying a little oil on the breaded paneer and topping with more breadcrumbs.
- Avoid stacking and serve hot: for best results serve the paneer immediately whilst hot. Using a spatula transfer paneer from the air fryer onto a plate lined with kitchen towel and avoid stacking – this helps the paneer stay crispy and prevents them from becoming soggy.
Nutrition
Calories: 198kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 236mg | Potassium: 69mg | Fiber: 1g | Vitamin A: 207IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 238mg | Folate: 16µg | Iron: 1mg | Zinc: 0.3mg