Cheese pakora is made with processed cheese cubes with a little bit of spicy and lemony stuffing. These cubes are then coated with a spicy batter comprising gram flour, rice flour, and carom seeds along with other spices and then fried to perfection until golden brown. The process to make cheese pakora at home is very easy. Simply go through my recipe to learn them.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Cheese pakora is a popular and tasty snack item.
- Serve them hot with tomato ketchup, mayo, or any of your favorite dips.
- Cheese pakora tastes creamy, savory, and earthy.
- Other similar recipes are cheese mushroom pakora, paneer pakora, and aloo pakora.
The Ingredients:
To make the pakora:
- 6 pieces processed cheese cubes (at room temperature)
To make the stuffing:
- 1.5 tbsp garlic (deskinned, whole)
- 1 tbsp Kashmiri red chili powder
- ½ piece lemon (medium size, juice only)
- Salt as per taste
To make the batter:
- ¾ cup gram flour (besan)
- ¼ cup rice flour (chawal ka aata)
- ¼ tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
- 1 tsp fenugreek leaves (Kasuri Methi, dry, crushed)
- ½ tsp red chili powder
- Salt as per taste
- A pinch of baking soda
- Water as required
This recipe came from my younger son’s friend’s grandmother. I visited their house during exam prep and she insisted I stay for tea. She served these pakoras along with it, and I instantly asked how it was made. She happily explained, step by step.
I made it the very next day. My husband said it reminded him of his own grandmother’s cooking, and the boys loved the “granny touch.” Now, it is our weekend tea snack. That afternoon reminded me how age-old recipes bring more than taste—they carry quiet comfort, reassurance, and a bit of old-world love.
How to Make Cheese Pakora? (Step by Step Guide with Images)
Step 1: In a mixer, take 1.5 tbsp of garlic (deskinned, whole), 1 tbsp of Kashmiri red chili powder, salt as per taste, and squeeze the juice of half a medium-sized lemon.
Step 2: Make a smooth paste. Transfer it to a bowl and keep it aside.
Step 3: Now, take 6 pieces of processed cheese cubes (at room temperature). Slit them from one corner of the cube till the middle to make a pocket as shown in the image below.
Step 4: Now, fill the pocket of each cheese with the stuffing you have made earlier. Keep the bowl aside.
Step 5: In the meantime, make the batter to fry the cheese pakoras. In a mixing bowl, take ¾ cup of gram flour (besan), ¼ cup of rice flour (chawal ka aata), ¼ tsp of carom seeds (ajwain), 1 tsp of fenugreek leaves (Kasuri Methi, dry, crushed), ½ tsp of red chili powder, and salt as per taste. First, mix these dry ingredients nicely.
Step 6: Then gradually add water as required to make a batter of medium consistency. Check the consistency of the batter. There should not be any lumps in it and it should drop freely. Now, add a pinch of baking soda to the batter and mix it nicely as well.
(Pro tip: Right consistency of the batter will prevent the cheese from melting and popping out while frying).
Step 7: At this stage, take an adequate amount of cooking oil in a frying pan or kadai and heat it on a medium to hot flame. While the oil heats up, take one cheese cube and put it in the batter. Coat it nicely from all sides.
Step 8: Put the coated cheese cubes in the hot oil one by one but not more than two at a time.
Step 9: Flip and fry the pakoras. Remove them when they turn golden.
Step 10: Similarly, fry all the other pakoras and keep them on a strainer for some time to drain the excess oil.
(Pro tip: Using a tissue paper will also absorb excess oil quickly).
Step 11: Your tasty and creamy cheese pakoras are ready. Serve them hot with tomato ketchup and enjoy.
Recipe Card
Cheese Pakora
Ingredients
To make the pakora:
- 6 pieces processed cheese cubes at room temperature
To make the stuffing:
- 1.5 tbsp garlic deskinned, whole
- 1 tbsp Kashmiri red chili powder
- ½ piece lemon medium size, juice only
- Salt as per taste
To make the batter:
- ¾ cup gram flour besan
- ¼ cup rice flour chawal ka aata
- ¼ tsp carom seeds ajwain
- 1 tsp fenugreek leaves Kasuri Methi, dry, crushed
- ½ tsp red chili powder
- Salt as per taste
- A pinch of baking soda
- Water as required
Instructions
- In a mixer, take 1.5 tbsp of garlic (deskinned, whole), 1 tbsp of Kashmiri red chili powder, salt as per taste, and squeeze the juice of half a medium-sized lemon.
- Make a smooth paste. Transfer it to a bowl and keep it aside.
- Now, take 6 pieces of processed cheese cubes (at room temperature). Slit them from one corner of the cube till the middle to make a pocket as shown in the image below.
- Now, fill the pocket of each cheese with the stuffing you have made earlier. Keep the bowl aside.
- In the meantime, make the batter to fry the cheese pakoras. In a mixing bowl, take ¾ cup of gram flour (besan), ¼ cup of rice flour (chawal ka aata), ¼ tsp of carom seeds (ajwain), 1 tsp of fenugreek leaves (Kasuri Methi, dry, crushed), ½ tsp of red chili powder, and salt as per taste. First, mix these dry ingredients nicely.
- Then gradually add water as required to make a batter of medium consistency. Check the consistency of the batter. There should not be any lumps in it and it should drop freely. Now, add a pinch of baking soda to the batter and mix it nicely as well. (Pro tip: Right consistency of the batter will prevent the cheese from melting and popping out while frying).
- At this stage, take an adequate amount of cooking oil in a frying pan or kadai and heat it on a medium to hot flame. While the oil heats up, take one cheese cube and put it in the batter. Coat it nicely from all sides.
- Put the coated cheese cubes in the hot oil one by one but not more than two at a time.
- Flip and fry the pakoras. Remove them when they turn golden.
- Similarly, fry all the other pakoras and keep them on a strainer for some time to drain the excess oil. (Pro tip: Using a tissue paper will also absorb excess oil quickly).
- Your tasty and creamy cheese pakoras are ready. Serve them hot with tomato ketchup and enjoy.
