Paneer Cheese Balls

Paneer Cheese Balls are crispy bites made with fresh homemade cottage cheese, boiled potatoes, cheese, veggies, herbs and spices but are not deep fried. These healthy cheesy bites are made in Paniyaram pan and Air fryer and are gluten-free as the recipe does not call for use of bread crumbs or cornflour to coat the balls.

With a very simple and easy to follow recipe these paneer cheese balls are ready within 20 minutes from scratch and serve as delicious party Starters/Appetizers and perfect tea time treat during monsoon season. These balls are crisp and golden brown from outside and are soft and cheesy inside. Check out the recipe to find out the secret ingredient I have used to make these paneer balls so crispy.

What goes in these Paneer Cheese Balls ? The ingredients:

These paneer cheese balls are simple yet flavorful and require very few basic ingredients that are always almost present in our kitchen pantries. 

• Paneer: Paneer or Indian cottage cheese is the key ingredient of this recipe. I have used homemade paneer which is soft and moist as compared to the store bought one.
• Potatoes: Boiled potatoes help in binding the ingredients well with the crumbled paneer. I would recommend boiling potatoes a day ahead, you plan to make these paneer balls. Keep the boiled potatoes with their skin intact in the refrigerator, once they have cooled down completely. Peel the skin and grate the cold potatoes the time you wish to make the paneer balls. This step ensures the dough for the paneer balls does not turn soggy as the cold potatoes soak up all the moisture from the veggies and paneer.
• Veggies: I have used grated carrot, finely chopped onions and finely chopped fresh coriander. You may use sweet corn, bell peppers or any other veggie of your choice.
• Spices: I have kept these paneer cheese balls simple and mildly spiced as i made this for my son's play date. I used only chili flakes, oregano and black pepper powder and salt in this recipe. You may use red chili powder or minced or finely chopped green chilies to give these paneer balls a spicy kick.
• Cheese: Small cubes are cut from the block of processed cheese and used as a stuffing in this balls. The cheese melts on cooking and gives a tempting melt-in-mouth taste to these paneer balls. I have used Amul cheese cubes and cut them into 4 pieces.
• Cornflakes: The secret ingredient i referred above is cornflakes. Crushed cornflakes is added to the dough also and used to coat the paneer balls also. It not only makes the paneer balls crisp but also adds in nutrition and taste. There is no need of bread crumbs or cornflour coating if using powdered cornflakes.
• Oil: This recipe uses negligible oil, as very little oil is used only to brush the balls while air frying and just few drops if cooking the balls in a paniyaram pan.

Dietary Notes: These Paneer Cheese Balls are

• Cheesy crispy bites
• Gluten-free 
• Vegetarian snacks
• Party appetizer / starter
• Kid friendly
• Cornflour and bread crumb free
• Healthy as it is non-fried
• Perfect tea-time treat
• Make a delicious monsoon snack
• Easy to make
• Super tempting

Related Event: Monsoon Treats @Shhhhhh Cooking Secretly Challenge

This healthy and delicious Paneer Cheese Ball recipe is featured in the Facebook Gourmet group, Shhhhhhhh Cooking Secretly challenge. Here participating members take turn to propose theme for each month. Shobha Keshwani di who blogs at Shobha's Food Maaza proposed this wonderful theme "Monsoon Treats" for the month of July. Shobha di suggested that we cook any delicacy, that is best enjoyed warm, especially any food that could be had in monsoon sesaon. Shobha di has a wonderful blog with many easy-to-do delicious recipes from around the globe along with the traditional Sindhi Recipes. You might want to check out her recent upload of Drumstick soup, a healthy detox soup.

In this group all participating members are divided into pairs and both partners exchange a set of secret ingredients, using which both have to cook a dish depending upon  the theme for the particular month. Once the dish is ready only the pic of the dish is shared on the group and the other group members take turn in guessing the secret ingredients just by looking at the pic of the dish. The secret ingredients and the dish name are revealed at the end of the month when the recipe is published by the respective blogger.

My partner for Monsoon Treats theme was Mayuri di who gave me paneer and black pepper as my two secret ingredients and I made these humble Paneer cheese balls using them. In return, i gave her Feta and lemon and she prepared Warm Mexican Corn Salad using her set of ingredients. You might love to check out her  Moong Paniyaram, a healthy and delicious snacks made using sprouted moong beans, spinach and urad dal.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 7-10 minutes

Serves: 12-14 Paneer Cheese Balls

Ingredients: measurements used 1 cup = 240 ml

• 1 cup Indian Cottage Cheese / Paneer, crumbled
• 1 cup boiled, grated potatoes
• 1 cup cornflakes
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup small cheese cubes
• 1/4 cup fresh coriander, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp chili flakes
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
• Salt to taste

Method to make Paneer Cheese Balls:

1. Take a large mixing bowl and add crumbled cottage cheese, boiled grated potatoes, finely chopped onions, finely chopped coriander, chili flakes, black pepper powder, oregano and salt to taste. Mix everything very well.
2. Add 1/2 of the powdered cornflakes and try to bind the mixture to a dough.
3. Pinch a gooseberry size ball from the ready dough and flatten it slightly on to your palms.
4. Keep a cheese cube in the center of this disc, secure the edges and close it. Shape it like a ball.
5. Make all the balls similarly.
6. Take remaining crushed cornflakes onto a plate and roll the ready balls over it. 
7. Roll all the balls in the powdered cornflakes.
8. I have cooked half of them in a paniyaram pan and the rest half in Air-fryer.
9. To make Paneer cheese balls in paniyaram pan, add few drops of oil into each cavity of paniyaram pan. Place 1 ball into each cavity and allow it to cook uncovered until it is crisp and golden from all sides. Keep flipping the balls to ensure they get cooked well from all sides.
10. Add the shaped and rolled Paneer cheese balls to air-fryer basket. Brush them with oil and Air fry the balls in a pre-heated air fryer for 8-10 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.

11. Enjoy the healthy and delicious Paneer cheese balls with your loved ones ! These balls taste good on their own, but you can serve them with green chutney or ketchup or my flavorite, Hung Curd Dip.

Recipe Notes:

• I would recommend boiling potatoes a day ahead, you plan to make these paneer balls. Keep the boiled potatoes with their skin intact in the refrigerator, once they have cooled down completely. Peel the skin and grate the cold potatoes the time you wish to make the paneer balls. This step ensures the dough for the paneer balls does not turn soggy as the cold potatoes soak up all the moisture from the veggies and paneer.
• You may use any veggies of your choice in this recipe along with paneer and boiled potatoes. 
• You may add minced or finely chopped green chilies in this recipe to give it a spicy kick.
• You can shape these paneer cheese balls ahead of time and store it in freezer in zip lock bags. Just thaw the balls, coat them with powdered corn flakes and bake them in air fryer or cook in an a paniyaram pan.

Would love to hear from you !

I hope you would love trying out these healthy and delicious Paneer Cheese Balls . If you do so, feel free to share your feedback with us in the form of likes and comments in the section below this post.

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See you soon with yet another healthy and delicious creation from my Kitchen. Until then Stay safe and eat right !

 

Happy Cooking !

Happy Eating !

 

Regards

Poonam Bachhav 

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