Potato paneer tots

Potato paneer tots are delicious and full of flavor they are crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside. They are made by mixing shredded potatoes, paneer, and chopped onions and chopped green chilies and then deep fried in a cylindrical shape. They are served with tomato sauce or ketchup. Potato tots are perfect any time of the day you can eat them with sandwich or afternoon tea time.

Ingredients:
 
2    Medium size potatoes
1    Cup of crumbled paneer – mashed
      (See how to make paneer)
2    Tablespoons fine chopped onions
1    Medium green chili- fine chopped
½   Teaspoon salt or to your taste  
1    Tablespoons all purpose flour (maida)
5    Tablespoons of water

Makes about 15 potato tots

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             Potatoes

            Crumbled paneer

Directions:
 
1.  Wash and peel the potatoes then with the grater grate them.

Peel the potatoes

Grate the potatoes

2.  In a sauce pan add 3 cups of water and bring it boil then add grated potatoes
     and let them boil for 1 to 2 minute or until they just become tender not
     mushy.

Grated Potatoes

In a sauce pan boil the water

3.  Pour the hot potato on a strainer and drain the hot water out, then pour cold
     water over the potatoes and drain it out.

Add grated potatoes in boiling water

Pour the boiled potatoes on a strainer

4. Once potatoes cool down take some boiled potatoes in your palm and press
    gently to squeeze the water out making sure not make the grated potatoes
    mushy.

Squeeze the water out of the potatoes

Squeezed grated potatoes

5. Transfer the potatoes in a bowl, add mashed paneer, chopped green chilies, chopped onions and salt and mix with potatoes. If the starch comes out from the potatoes and they become sticky then it will be hard to roll them.  Add 3 to 4 tablespoon of all purpose flour (maida) or as needed in the potato and paneer mix that will help to roll them. 

Mix all the ingredients and paneer in the potatoes

Potato and paneer mix

6. Grease your palms and take a small portion of the potato mixture and make a
    small cylindrical shape and place it on a plate, repeat until all the tots are made.

Form a little cylindrical roll

Potato , paneer cylindrical rolls

  7.  In a bowl add 1 tablespoon all purpose flour (maida) and add 5 tablespoons
      of water, little at a time and  mix so that it does not form lumps and make a
      thin, smooth batter and keep it aside.

8.  Heat 3 cups of oil in frying pan or a kadhi, for 5 to 6 minutes keep the heat to
     high then turn it to medium high, so that oil heats up quickly, in 7 to 8 minutes
     oil will heat up then turn the heat down to medium. The correct temperature is
     important.

All purpose flour batter

Heat the oil

9.  To test the oil to see if it is ready, drop a little piece of the potato mix in the hot
      oil, if it sizzles and rises immediately to the surface, the temperature is correct,
      if it get brown quickly it means it is too hot then turn the heat down, if it is
      sink to bottom and do not simmer it means it is not hot enough, and the tots
      will absorb too much oil and remain greasy, Adjust the heat accordingly.

Drop a little piece of the potato mix

Dip the tots in flour batter

Gently drop tots in hot oil

Potato tots start frying

 11.  Let the tots fry for 2 minute or if you see bottom of the tots little brown then
       with the slotted spoon turn the tots around and let them fry, after 2 minute
       turn them back again. Keep the heat on medium.  

12.  With the slotted spoon keep flipping the tots around for 6 to 7 minutes or until
       the tots become golden brown.

Turn the tots around

Potato tots become golden brown

Take the potato tots out of oil

Place the fried tots over paper towel

14    Drop another batch of tots in the oil, and then raise the heat up to medium.
        Repeat the process until all the tots are made.

15     Serve the tots with tomato ketchup or coriander chutney.

Tips:

1.  If you have difficulty in rolling the tots then add 1 to 2 tablespoons of
     All-Purpose flour in the potato mixture and mix  that will help you to roll
     the potatoes.

Please take the time to let me know what you think about my recipe. Your comments would be helpful to me to improve the recipe.

Thank you   

Geeta Seth

Other recipes:

Potato cutlets                                                  Aloo pakora (Potato fritters)

Aloo tikki (Potato patties)                            Pyaz ka pakora (Onion fritters)

Vegetable cutlets                                    Paneer pakoras (Paneer fritters)

Sabudana aloo vada                                      Moong dal & potatoes fritters
(Tapioca & potato cutlets)