Crispy and tasty paneer

INGREDIENTS

• Paneer - 200 grams (Homemade or store bought; I used milky mist)
• Maida / All purpose flour - 3 tablespoons 
• Corn flour - 2 tablespoon 
• Red chilli powder - 2 to 3 tablespoon (according to your spice tolerance)
• Cumin powder - 1 teaspoon (If you do not have cumin powder, take 1 tsp of cumin seeds and grind along with ginger garlic and use it) 
• Ginger - 3 inch long piece 
• Garlic - 4 pods  
• Curry leaves - From few sprigs (Optional)
• Red food color - 2 pinches (optional)
• Salt - As required (approximately 1 and half teaspoon) 
• Chat masala - 1 teaspoon 
• Baking soda - 2 pinches (optional)
• Oil - For deep frying 

PREPARATION METHOD

1. Take home-made paneer and chop into cubes or smaller rectangles and set aside. If you are using store bought paneer then remove package, wash in running water and then proceed. 
2. Now add the chopped paneer cubes in warm water (not hot water) leave soaked for about 10 minutes. Then drain water. 
3. Peel garlic and scrape of ginger skin. Chop into smaller pieces and grind into fine paste and set aside. (If using cumin seeds instead of cumin powder, you can grind it along with ginger and garlic)
4. To a bowl, add maida, corn flour, red chilli powder, cumin powder, ginger garlic paste, red food color, salt, baking soda and mix well. Add some water and make a thick batter of dosa batter consistency. 
5. Now add the paneer cubes into the batter and mix gently, until the batter coats the pieces well. 
6. Now place a pan on flame and pour enough oil into it for deep frying the paneer pieces. 
7. When the oil turns hot gently drop the paneer pieces into it and fry until it turns reddish and crisp. It will take just 2 o 3 minutes. Do not fry for long, else paneer pieces will become hard, also do not keep stirring it will cause the outer layer some off from the paneer pieces. 
8. Fry in batches do not crowd the pan as the pieces will get stuck to each other. (You can also fry a few sprigs or a handful of curry leaves with each batch of paneer 65 to get a nice aroma if you wish)
9. Remove from oil using a slotted spoon and place on a tissue paper to blot out extra oil.