Who doesn't love a wholesome plate of aloo puri or the decadent mithais served up as prasad during Navratri. That being said, the urge to bite into something exciting during snack hour never goes away, even after the most packed meals. This quick and high-protein smashed masala paneer taco recipe will have you sorted.
Smashed paneer tacos
Ingredients: For the masala paneer — milk - 400ml, lemon juice - 1/2 a lemon or 1tbsp of white vinegar, chilli flakes - 1/2tsp, pepper powder - 1/4tsp, dry parsley - 1/2tsp, crushed garlic - 3 cloves (optional); For the tacos — salt to taste, rice flour - 1tsp, ghee for brushing pan, chopped vegetables as per your liking, green chutney/ketchup
Method: It doesn't get any easier than this! Whisk the chilli flakes, pepper powder and dry parsley into the milk and set it to boil. The garlic adds a lovely natural kick to the paneer that will come out of this, but if making these desi smashed tacos as a Navratri snack,. hold the garlic. Add the lemon juice or white vinegar to curdle the milk. Drain the remaining buttermilk (or retain it to add some flavour to other desi kitchen experiments!) and what you will be left with is some authentic homemade masala paneer. Transfer the solids to a bowl and add salt to taste followed by some rice flour. The rice flour ensures that the paneer crisps up when cooked on heat. It will also help give structure to the balls you will be making out of this mixture. Now heat up a touch of ghee on the pan and place a paneer ball on it. Layer this with a roti of your choice (your makeshift taco shell in this regard) and use your spatula or a smasher to smash this down. Let the roti and smashed paneer cook facedown till the sides start browning and crisping up. Give it a flip and let the roti crisp over on the other side as well. Now chop up some vegetables of your choice — crisp carrots, beetroots and cucumbers go great with this. Add a teaspoon or two of your favourite condiment (we strongly suggest some satvik green chutney for that extra added fibre and flavour), fold in half and dig right in.
{{/usCountry}}Method: It doesn't get any easier than this! Whisk the chilli flakes, pepper powder and dry parsley into the milk and set it to boil. The garlic adds a lovely natural kick to the paneer that will come out of this, but if making these desi smashed tacos as a Navratri snack,. hold the garlic. Add the lemon juice or white vinegar to curdle the milk. Drain the remaining buttermilk (or retain it to add some flavour to other desi kitchen experiments!) and what you will be left with is some authentic homemade masala paneer. Transfer the solids to a bowl and add salt to taste followed by some rice flour. The rice flour ensures that the paneer crisps up when cooked on heat. It will also help give structure to the balls you will be making out of this mixture. Now heat up a touch of ghee on the pan and place a paneer ball on it. Layer this with a roti of your choice (your makeshift taco shell in this regard) and use your spatula or a smasher to smash this down. Let the roti and smashed paneer cook facedown till the sides start browning and crisping up. Give it a flip and let the roti crisp over on the other side as well. Now chop up some vegetables of your choice — crisp carrots, beetroots and cucumbers go great with this. Add a teaspoon or two of your favourite condiment (we strongly suggest some satvik green chutney for that extra added fibre and flavour), fold in half and dig right in.
{{/usCountry}}(recipe from Asha Maharana)
The great thing about this recipe is that it leaves ample space for customisations, and based on your choice of fillings and condiments you can make it as healthy, or conversely, as indulgent as you'd like. Ready to whip up this smashing snack then?