If you have ever come to one of the parties hosted by mom, there’s a good chance you have had these paneer pancakes recipe of hers. She has made it countless times, and each time it is appreciated. It is quite an easy recipe. You could use store bought paneer, or like Mom could make the paneer at home and use it for the recipe.
The recipe is so good, that the other day on instagram I had posted a photo of these paneer pancakes on my stories. One of my friends commented on the story that I should try her mom’s recipe for paneer pancakes- its amazing. Turned out my mom had handed her mom this recipe and ever since she too had made it in her kitchen several times.
I don’t know why my mom named them paneer pancakes. I would have named this dish baked paneer crepes, because the batter is more crepe like than pancakes batter. The dish is like a desi version of lasagna and makes an excellent vegetarian addition to your party menu.
The paneer pancakes consist of 3 layers
- The pancake layer
- The paneer filling layer
- The tomato sauce layer
The Pancake Layer
This layer is made from maida and milk mixed to make a thin batter. Keep the batter closer to a crepe batter, with a slightly runny/ pouring consistency. The pancakes are thin, so make sure once you pour the batter on the skillet, you swirl it around to keep it thin. I have not tried this with whole wheat flour yet. In case I do, I will update here. The pancakes can be made ahead and frozen layered between parchment paper. When ready to use, defrost the pancakes and use. Freeze any extra pancakes in the same way.
The Paneer Layer
Mama makes the paneer at home from scratch in this dish. To make paneer, you start with boiling 1 litre milk. Once it starts boiling, reduce flame to achieve a gentle simmer for a minute. Add vinegar or lemon juice to make the milk curdle. Once you see a clear whey, remove the pot from the flame, and drain the curds into a cheesecloth. Tie cheesecloth and let hang over the sink for 30 minutes to thicken the curds and make paneer. Since we use crumbled paneer in this dish, your paneer will be ready post the 30 minutes. Once the paneer is ready, you cook it in ghee with onions, green chillies and coriander/dhania. Feel free to adjust to your tastes. You can add vegetables like french beans, carrots, green peas too- but I prefer it only with paneer.
The Tomato Sauce Layer
The sauce layer is made by boiling tomatoes till soft, and then pureeing them. While I use the blender to puree them, mom passes it through the sieve, discarding the any skin. The pureed tomatoes are then cooked with a little sugar, chilli powder till a thick sauce is made, post which a little cream is added. I also add a bit of dried oregano to flavor the sauce. You could fancy the sauce up by cooking it in butter and garlic, but I stick to the original. Also, that means lesser chopping 😉
And that’s it. The next part is the layering and baking of the pancakes, and your dish is ready. The pancakes absorb the sauce while baking to become flavorful and soft, and the paneer filling gives a lovely creamy texture to the baked pancakes.
Mom adapted this recipe for paneer pancakes from a Tarla Dala one. That recipe had vegetables, but she swapped it for paneer, and I think if you are a paneer lover you would love this more. You could of course use vegetables instead.