Potato Paneer Tots

By: Manjula Jain

Serving : 4 people
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Prep Time :20 minutes
Cook Time :10 minutes
Total Time :30 minutes

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Potato Paneer Tots

Potato Paneer Tots are a great blend of potatoes, paneer and jalapeno pepper. They are appetizers which are crunchy outside and soft outside. Great tea time snack

Potato Paneer Tots

Ingredients

  • 2 medium potatoes
  • 1 cup crumbled paneer
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 jalapeno pepper finely chopped
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

For Batter

  • 3 tbsp all purpose flour maida, plain flour
  • 5 tbsp water use as needed

Need oil To Fry

Instructions

  • Mix flour and water together and make a thin, smooth batter and keep aside.
  • Peel the skin off the potatoes and shred them in a grater or food processor.
  • In a pan boil the water. After it comes to boil put the shredded potatoes in the water and let it boil for two to three minutes until they are just tender. Note: don't over cook the potatoes they will become mushy, should be able to feel the shredded potatoes
  • Once cooked, drain the water and pour some cold water over the potatoes. Gently squeeze the excess water out of the potatoes, again making sure to not make the shredded potatoes mushy.
  • Next mix shredded potatoes, mashed paneer, and jalapeno pepper, and salt together.
  • Divide the potato mixture in about 24 equal parts and form them into bullet shape. Keep aside.
  • Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium high heat. The frying pan should have at least 1 inch of oil. To check if the oil is ready, put one small piece of mix in the oil, it should sizzle and come up right away.
  • Dip the potato balls in the batter one at a time and slowly drop into the frying pan. Turn them occasionally. Fry tots until golden-brown all around.
  • Remove them with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.
  • Serve them hot with your choice of tomato ketchup or coriander (hari) chutney or tamarind (imli) chutney. They also taste great as is.

 

Potato Paneer Tots

Potato Paneer Tots

Potato Paneer Tots are a great blend of potatoes, paneer and jalapeno pepper. They are appetizers which are crunchy outside and soft outside. Great tea time snack
No ratings yet
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 2 medium potatoes
  • 1 cup crumbled paneer
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 jalapeno pepper finely chopped
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

For Batter

  • 3 tbsp all purpose flour maida, plain flour
  • 5 tbsp water use as needed

Need oil To Fry

Instructions
 

  • Mix flour and water together and make a thin, smooth batter and keep aside.
  • Peel the skin off the potatoes and shred them in a grater or food processor.
  • In a pan boil the water. After it comes to boil put the shredded potatoes in the water and let it boil for two to three minutes until they are just tender. Note: don't over cook the potatoes they will become mushy, should be able to feel the shredded potatoes
  • Once cooked, drain the water and pour some cold water over the potatoes. Gently squeeze the excess water out of the potatoes, again making sure to not make the shredded potatoes mushy.
  • Next mix shredded potatoes, mashed paneer, and jalapeno pepper, and salt together.
  • Divide the potato mixture in about 24 equal parts and form them into bullet shape. Keep aside.
  • Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium high heat. The frying pan should have at least 1 inch of oil. To check if the oil is ready, put one small piece of mix in the oil, it should sizzle and come up right away.
  • Dip the potato balls in the batter one at a time and slowly drop into the frying pan. Turn them occasionally. Fry tots until golden-brown all around.
  • Remove them with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.
  • Serve them hot with your choice of tomato ketchup or coriander (hari) chutney or tamarind (imli) chutney. They also taste great as is.
Keyword Appetizer, Party Food, Tea Time Snack
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Comments

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    Archana
    November 16, 2016 at 9:13 pm

    I like ur recepies and this one I will definitely try at my home, it is very easy and tasty also… 🙂 Looking forward for other recepies.

    Meenakshi Soni
    November 16, 2016 at 8:41 am

    hellow Manjula g
    thanks a lot for sharing ur all delicious recipes
    i always try ur recipes.. n my family members enjoy to eat all dishes..????????
    ????????

      Manjula Jain
      November 17, 2016 at 1:30 am

      Meenakshi, thank you

    Narmatha
    January 20, 2016 at 2:19 pm

    Love your website. Than you for sharing these wonderful recipes with us.

      Manjula Jain
      January 20, 2016 at 8:11 pm

      Narmatha, Thank you

    Neha
    October 11, 2015 at 9:37 pm

    How is it gluten free when it involves maida/all purpose flour. What is the gluten free substitute for it??

      Manjula Jain
      November 11, 2015 at 11:53 pm

      Neha, sorry it was a mistake, this is not a gluten free but you can use corn starch instead of all-purpose. thank you I fixed it

    renita
    April 16, 2015 at 1:31 am

    Hi aunty….
    i really love your recepies m gonna make these tots fr a lunch party tomorw can j please tell me if i can add sum onions too to the mixture…..will d mixture bcome too watery if i do that……..

    Maria
    January 20, 2013 at 7:19 pm

    I am a Filipina and residing now here in USA, i search some spicy food and i saw your menu in the internet and i did cooking your menu, my husband like it. but our dip is vinegar and minced garlic, so delicious…thanks and God speed!!!

    Arba
    December 27, 2012 at 1:25 pm

    Hello Aunty,

    I just saw the video and really wanted to try this recipe out for an upcoming party. Being that I am an ultra novice cook can you please tell me how I can mash the paneer?

    Thank you for sharing your knowledge with all of us! 🙂

    sujatha
    July 18, 2012 at 12:59 am

    Hi Aunty, I loved u r receipes, and i tried many of them and it came out well thank u aunty.

    regards.

    trishita
    May 12, 2012 at 4:25 am

    hi ,
    the paneer tots did not come out well, the paneer and potato started coming out from inside. Let me know how can i avoid that

      Manjula Jain
      May 12, 2012 at 6:54 pm

      trishita
      May be oil was not hot enough or mixt was too soft.

    trishita
    May 12, 2012 at 4:23 am

    when i tried frying them, then the paneer and potato started coming out from inside. It was a flop show:( Please let me know where did i commit mistake

    Prags
    February 29, 2012 at 12:50 pm

    Hi,

    I have made these and they came out really well . Now I want to make it again for a bigger party. Can I freeze them beforehand? If yes, then at what step should I freeze thoese. Also, for reheating do i need to deep fry it again or can use Oven.

    Thanks,
    Prags

      Manjula Jain
      February 29, 2012 at 2:16 pm

      Prags
      you can freeze them and reheat in oven but do not defrost.

    Eveline
    February 12, 2012 at 7:44 am

    I am not Indian and would love to understand the recipes better if I knew the meaning of the Indian words. I needed to google “paneer” along with words in other recipes. Your recipes are fantastic!

      dipalee
      March 22, 2012 at 3:44 pm

      hi, in whatever country u staying, if u find some indians around u, then u will definately find and indian grossery store there. in such stores one can get A to Z stuff, but each thing has its particular use. so make sure before u buy……..njoy.

    Nency
    December 9, 2011 at 7:09 am

    Hi…!!!
    Manjula Aunty I really loved your recipes…
    I am a girl of 13 rs n very fond of indian cooking..
    i recently made many dishes and my family really loved it…
    Can you show any more such easy recipes which i can make own my own….

    Vachi
    November 15, 2011 at 10:56 am

    I would also like to know if these can be frozen for later use. I’m assuming that they could be done similarly to samosas, with a light fry before freezing?

    Zara
    August 8, 2011 at 10:32 pm

    Hi Manjula

    I couple of days ago I stumbled upon your web site and I really like the effort that you’ve put into it and love the fact that you are sharing the recipes with people like us. 🙂

    I wanted to check with you – if I could make them and freeze these potato paneer tots?

    Thanks 🙂

      captcha bypass
      December 10, 2011 at 3:07 am

      You can freeze the potato and later fry it.

    Sam
    June 18, 2011 at 12:54 am

    Hi Manjula,

    I tried these today and they turned out great. Love your recipes!

    Cheers

    khushrow
    May 26, 2011 at 7:41 am

    Hi Manjulaji,
    This recipe seems very interesting. Only question is can I use grated cheese instead of paneer. If yes, please tell me what kind of cheese will taste best. Can I also add some spices like ginger garlic paste and chaat masala. Your reply asap will help as I am planning to make it this weekend. Thanks and keep up the fantastic work.
    Khushrow

      Liane
      May 27, 2011 at 4:56 am

      I don’t believe grated cheese will work as it would melt. Pander is a cheese that adds texture and bulk to this recipe BUT doesn’t melt so I think using grated cheese would not work.

    heather Henry
    September 8, 2010 at 4:46 pm

    Hello, Manjula! Thank you for this wonderful site! As a classically trained professional chef, I feel I have to apologize for those who feel compelled to ask you for alternative cooking methods. I understand that most of the time we feel the need to want to cook with “healthier” cooking methods, but there are plenty of websites that offer them. It saddens me that people would insult someone who is trying to teach authentic and traditional cookery from their culture by asking them how to “Americanize” their work. I for one am very grateful for what you do and would just like to thank you for showing me how it’s REALLY done.

    Raj
    September 8, 2010 at 9:57 am

    I love this recipe. I will try this for my kids.

    Archana Jadhav
    July 29, 2010 at 8:05 am

    hi,

    I have tried this recipe, SORRY to say, but nobody like it. Everyone said “there is no test at all” I was so dispointed. I have made paneer @ home. My all efforts had gone………………Then i had to add so many things in that like onion, dhana-jeera powder, etc. I have made outer cover of it (paneer & aloo) & stuff cheese & shallow fry it then it works. 🙂

    Thank You

    Sarah
    July 15, 2010 at 5:25 am

    Hello Manjula,

    I’d love to try this and was wondering if you could give the amount of paneer in grams instead of cup?

    Thanks!

    snowmoonelk
    June 24, 2010 at 3:01 pm

    is this a traditional dish and would it work without the batter?

    leela
    March 22, 2010 at 9:28 pm

    Hi Manjula,
    I heard about your cooking delicious Indian dishes from my daughter in Canada. I was looking through Potato- paneer tots. Please tell me about flour, at what stage and how it was mixed? Thank you.

    dhanak
    March 19, 2010 at 1:06 pm

    hello my mom is going to make this for me today i am so excited to eat it !!!!!!!!!

    NelC
    March 6, 2010 at 9:48 pm

    Namaste Aunty,
    Is there an alternative to frying these? If i wish to bake these, what alterations do i need to make?

      gina
      May 13, 2010 at 2:57 pm

      I have the same question, yes that would be a good if we can bake it insted of frying.

        F
        September 7, 2010 at 8:36 pm

        while I love Manjula’s cooking, I feel concerned about the large amount of fried dishes. Most are deep fried in oil. I prefer to grill and bake rather than frying. It would be marvelous if she gave us some baked recipes.

          Stewart
          September 8, 2010 at 6:10 am

          Use Coconut oil for all frying. Never ever use vegetable oil. The vegetarians of South India using vegetable oil have serious heart issues. But not people using good coconut oil. Research it. Even Ghee is better than veg oil. I do all my frying in coconut oil. Heart healthy and Delicious!

            Karen
            September 9, 2010 at 3:40 pm

            I have coconut oil and I never think to use it Stewarts says”The vegetarians of South India using vegetable oil have serious heart issues”.. Wow you can’t win even eating all vegetables.

          Karen
          September 9, 2010 at 3:43 pm

          I don’t think converting recipes is always good a baked potato doesn’t taste like a french fry. I have made her other potato recipes aloo with peas and a curried potato There’s lots to choose from that aren’t fried. I am on a diet so I just try ones that aren’t fried

    Mahima
    February 26, 2010 at 9:30 am

    Hi aunty,

    Do you have any recipes for paneer pakoras or paneer cutlets?

    If you could, please share them with us?

    Thank u!

    Mahima
    February 26, 2010 at 8:10 am

    Hello Aunty Ji,

    Your recipes are simply brillaint and simple yet sophisticated.
    Thank you for taking the time to share these with everyone!
    I’m a great fan of your recipes.

    Thank You Once Again!

    Sarah
    February 3, 2010 at 8:01 am

    Hello Manjula Auntie,

    Can these tots be made one DAY BEFORE a dinner party and saved in the fridge? Can they be made a few days ahead of time and frozen?

      Manjula Jain
      February 3, 2010 at 10:34 pm

      Hi Sarah,
      Yes you can make before and freeze them and heat in oven on 350 degree.

    ritu
    January 10, 2010 at 5:47 pm

    Hi Aunty,

    Can you freeze these?

    Reshmi
    December 2, 2009 at 4:49 pm

    Hi Manjula Aunty,
    I love all your recipes and the best part is you make the whole process to simple to follow.
    Thanks, Reshmi

    saru
    October 29, 2009 at 6:45 am

    Thank you so much for sharing your recipes Aunty. 🙂

    nesha
    October 9, 2009 at 9:17 pm

    Untie, you are the best and thank you so much for sharing your recepie.

    Nakita Thapar
    October 6, 2009 at 7:04 pm

    WOW!! Manjula aunty you have amazing recipes!!! Me and my father are watching this video right now and we can’t wait to try this recipe!!!

    vaishali
    September 23, 2009 at 3:43 am

    hi aunty i like it so much thank uuuuuuuuu

    Anuradha
    September 14, 2009 at 1:39 pm

    Hi Aunty, I made potato-paneer tots last week, and it came out superb!
    Thank you so much for another brilliant recipe.

    Mamata
    September 4, 2009 at 10:02 am

    Hello Aunty,

    Your website is so useful to me. I am worst cook in world. But now I have manage to impress my husband with your recipes and he is very pleased with my cooking now. Thank you so much. You are a super star 🙂

    aydee
    August 27, 2009 at 5:57 am

    Hello Ms Manjula
    Tried the recipe and it turned out fantastic. The measurements were spot on!!! Thank you!

    Roopa
    August 7, 2009 at 12:14 am

    Hi Manjula,,can i use mashed potato instead of grated potatoes?

      Manjula Jain
      August 7, 2009 at 3:16 pm

      Hi Roopa, mash potato will work but texture will be different.

    Meena
    July 31, 2009 at 11:58 am

    Hello Aunty,
    Can I make this 1 day in advance…in case I want to call 2-3 people at my place. Will these tots be fresh?
    Thanks pls reply

      Jaya
      July 31, 2009 at 3:15 pm

      Yes. Keep them in the fridge overnight and just re-heat them in the oven or toaster oven for a few minutes until they start to sizzle. Place them in a glass dish or on a cookie sheet. If you heat them in the microwave, they’ll be too soft.

        Meena
        July 31, 2009 at 8:39 pm

        Thank you Jaya for the prompt reply.

    anuja
    July 28, 2009 at 11:40 am

    i tried this and it came out really very well… i confess to you i used to hate cooking but you have made me love to cook and i learned how to cook with u.. thank you..
    we love little spicy food so i added 1tspoon chili powder to it… it was good. 🙂
    thank you so much for sharing such a delicious n easy recipe with new comers.. 🙂

    Jyothi Mcminn
    July 18, 2009 at 5:07 am

    I make mine with hash brown and add 1/2 cup of plain bread crumbs and for the batter, i add 1 tsp of cumin seeds and 1/2 tsp of sesme seeds. to make it attractive I add grated carrots. It is very tasty and thank you for sharing your cooking skills with us. jyothi

    FoxyBhoy
    July 15, 2009 at 10:16 am

    Hi Manjula, thanks for this recipe. Could I use besan if I do not have maida?
    Thanks. Mark

    Hari Chandana
    July 7, 2009 at 1:04 am

    Looks very tempting… simply superb

    miz
    May 21, 2009 at 9:00 pm

    hi aunty
    wht kind of cheese hav u used in it
    thankyu

      Gina
      June 28, 2009 at 6:06 pm

      She used a peneer the recipe is on her Website.

    Bhavana and Puja
    April 26, 2009 at 10:11 am

    Hi i am Bhavana i tried cabbage kofta and PEDA they were great recipes ,how do you get so much creativity? Thank You Aunty

    sameena thomas
    April 8, 2009 at 2:00 am

    hello manjula aunty, ur recipes r awesome…i have tried quite a few with great results.i wanted to know, in the paneer potato tots recipe what can i replace the jalapeno peppers with.i live in africa n they r difficult to get.
    thanx

    cecily reji
    March 26, 2009 at 1:14 pm

    hello aunty
    i started enjoying cooking after watching you,even my kids love it..they say oh what is aunty going to make today?

    san juan,puerto rico

    gayathri
    March 24, 2009 at 4:26 pm

    hi manjula aunty,

    I have tried most of all your receipes..and they all came out very delicious..thanks a lot..i love all your receipes..keep going..

    Shanti
    March 4, 2009 at 4:53 pm

    Namaste Manjulaji,

    Thanks lot for your good work; your website with recipes and video is so good!!!

    for the Potato Paneer Tots recipe, is it possible to replace paneer with tofu?

    thanks!
    namaskar,

    Shanti

      Manjula Jain
      March 4, 2009 at 10:38 pm

      Hello Shanti, you should be able to use Tofu, use firm tofu grate the tofu and squeeze the extra water from tofu.

    sudha
    March 2, 2009 at 12:26 pm

    hi Manjula aunty… i tried most of ur recipes..they came out very nice…especially RAGASULLA N NAN KHATAI.. my husband appreciated me alot….:)

    Thank u
    SudhaBalaji

    arlene
    February 26, 2009 at 8:44 pm

    i think yr receipes are just fabulous. Keep up the good work and let us have many many more. Thanks Arlene

    Ritu
    February 10, 2009 at 7:17 pm

    Hello Aunty,
    You have a wonderful collection of recipes.
    I have a question regarding this recipe..can this be baked and nt fried?
    I am cutting down on fried stuff.
    Please let me know as soon as you can as I cant wait to try it..

    Thanks,
    Ritu

      Manjula Jain
      February 10, 2009 at 9:20 pm

      I have never tried baking, try and let me know how it came out.

        Bobbie
        April 1, 2009 at 7:03 pm

        I tried to bake these and it didn’t turn out well at all. I tried again using the potato mixture as a filling for won-ton wrappers that I rolled up like tiny egg rolls. I brushed with olive oil and baked according the direction on the won-ton wrapers. My kids love them. Mini Indian tater tot egg rolls! See what creativity you inspire Aunty!

    aarti
    January 30, 2009 at 2:43 am

    Hi Manjula Aunty,
    I saw the video and was reminded of my mom. Thanks for the recipe, video and the sweet narrations. I am going to try this recipe today itself.

    dia
    January 16, 2009 at 11:36 pm

    hi!!!
    thanks for showing this recepie.we all enjoyed eating it my
    parents loved it
    thanks for showing thjs recepie

    kaviraj
    January 7, 2009 at 7:17 am

    hello ms.manjula,

    i was just sitting idle at home and wanted to make something yummy with potatoes.so i just searched for the home receipies websites n luckily got this.
    i am going to try this tonight.
    Thanks you for this.

    abi
    December 31, 2008 at 11:28 am

    your recipies are very good.
    thanks

    Jaya
    December 29, 2008 at 6:48 am

    Nasrin, I also live where it’s cold in winter and just last evening I fried pakoras. Even with a window open in the kitchen, the house had the smell of frying for a few hours. It’s very hard to prevent when you can’t have more windows open. Having the exhaust fan by the stove on might help a little.

    nasrin
    December 29, 2008 at 5:28 am

    aunty why you not give me reply?

      Manjula Jain
      December 29, 2008 at 11:12 am

      Hello Nasrin sorry I do try to reply but some time it can happend.

    Shivangi
    December 26, 2008 at 8:34 am

    Thank you Manjulaji. Your recipies are very good and my family enjoys them very much! I always look forward new ones.

    Regards
    Shivangi

    Manjula Jain
    December 24, 2008 at 9:27 am

    Hello Shivangi,
    You can make them in advance and heat them in preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 8 to 10 minutes.

    Yasmeen
    December 24, 2008 at 3:38 am

    Dear Ms. Manjula

    I want to thank you sincerely for making such wonderful recipes available to women like me who love to cook delicious and simple indian food.
    You are excellent in your explanation and hats off to you.

    Best Wishes

    Yasmeen

    Shivangi
    December 23, 2008 at 8:35 pm

    Hello Manjulaji, This is a very good recipe.
    Please advise if these can be made in advance before a party and maybe baked just before the guests arrive.. Please advise if this trick will work… if it does can i make it a day in advance and freeze them? Please suggest the best way..
    Regards
    Shivangi

    nasrin
    December 23, 2008 at 5:23 am

    namaste manjula aunty, i like this recipe and i also want try right now but i have problem .you know that in Fort Wayne ,Indiana have ice strom .so if i deep fry in house oil smell is everyware in house .because i can deep fry in grage either.so cold out side .so do you have any tip so i can deep fry inside the house and frying smell is not stay in house ?
    reply me soon.
    thank you.
    nasrin

    Sandho
    December 22, 2008 at 4:09 pm

    Hi Aunty,

    Like always, you make the best of the best, anuty plz plz my husband kalakand (or qalaqand) sweet very much, can you teach me how to make it, plz anuty

    Sandho

    Cera
    December 22, 2008 at 1:02 pm

    Manjula aunty, those really look so yummy! I have to make this tomorrow. You are so wonderful, thanks for sharing!