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These healthy and delicious Broccoli-Paneer Bites are gluten-free. Prepared in an air-fryer with Indian spices, they form an excellent evening snack.

“Broccoli Paneer Bites” was my first recipe in our Air-fryer last year. Since then, I have made it many times and it has become a family favorite. If I’m looking to make a healthy snack, these bites come first to the mind. I make them using homemade paneer (cottage cheese),  which makes the texture so soft that it melts in the mouth. 

Snacks for Gestational Diabetes - Broccoli_paneer_bites_image

Since I make the Minced Broccoli-Ginger Mix over the weekend and store it, this recipe is even quicker to make during the week. For other recipes using this Broccoli-Ginger mix, please read this post. Also, you can find more weekend meal-prep ingredients here.

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What are the Key Ingredients for Brocolli-Paneer Bites?

  •  1 cup Broccoli Ginger Mix using:
    • 1 cup minced Broccoli
    • 1 inch minced ginger
  • 2 cups of grated soft paneer (grated cottage cheese)
  • 1 tbsp Green Chili chopped (1 Serrano pepper is what I used)
  • 1-2 tsp salt, per taste
  • 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
  • 2-3 tbsp besan (Chickpeas flour) – as much needed for binding the bites. 
  • Spices
    • 2 tsp Dhania Powder (Coriander powder)
    • 1 tsp Haldi (Turmeric powder)
    • 1/2 tsp Ajwain (Carom seeds) – Optional

Servings

10-15 Bites

Ready In:

20 mins

Good For:

Snack

Diet:

Gluten-Free

How to make Broccoli-Paneer Bites? 

– Step by Step Instructions

Step 1

Mix the minced broccoli-ginger mix, grated paneer, chopped green chilies, chopped cilantro, and besan (Chickpea flour) in a bowl. Use only that much flour needed for binding the bites.

Step 2

Add carom seeds, coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt to it.

Step 3

Grease the hands; take small portions of the mixture and roll them into small, ~1.5-inch diameter balls.

Step 4

Place the balls into the air-fryer and turn it the temperature to 400°F for 15 minutes, turning them mid way through.

Step 5

Take out the tray of air-fryer to get golden colored Broccoli-Paneer Bites bites ready. Serve with your favorite chutney or any yogurt dip. 

Broccoli-Paneer Bites: Watch Recipe Video

Expected Questions and Recommendations

Possible Issue 1 : Broccoli-Paneer Bites stick to the air-fryer base
Please grease your hands while rolling the balls. Also, you may choose to spray a little oil on them when you’ve placed them on the fryer.
Possible Issue 2 : Broccoli-Paneer Bites come out to be dry/hard.
I use homemade paneer for these bites, and they come out very soft. However, I’ve tried this recipe with store-bought paneer, and they came out to be hard. For store-bought paneer, you might want to dip the paneer in hot water for 5-10 minutes so that its texture becomes soft. Also, try reducing the flour if the bites are hard. Use only that much flour needed for binding the bites.
Home-Made Paneer – To Hot Milk, add diluted vinegar and keep stirring until the milk cuddles. Rinse to get soft, home-made paneer.

What are the health benefits of Broccoli-Paneer Bites?

Paneer/Cottage Cheese is rich in Protein, Calcium, and very low in Carbohydrates. Broccoli, on the other hand, is rich in fiber, Vitamin C, and Vitamin K and, again, has very low Carbohydrates. Due to its overall low carb-content, this snack put together is excellent for someone trying to manage Diabetes. The fact that it uses negligible oil makes it an even better recipe to add to our snack list.  

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4.73 from 11 votes

Broccoli Paneer Bites (Air-Fryer)

These healthy and delicious Broccoli-Paneer Bites are gluten-free. Prepared in an air-fryer with Indian spices, they form an excellent evening snack.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Indian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 12 bites
Calories 123kcal

Equipment

  • Air Fryer

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup Broccoli Minced
  • 1 inch ginger Minced
  • 2 Cup Paneer Grated
  • 1 Green Chili (I use Serrano Pepper)
  • 1-2 tsp Salt per taste
  • 1 tbsp Coriander leaves chopped
  • 3 tbsp Chickpeas Flour or Besan

Spices

  • 2 tbsp Coriander Powder
  • 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Carom Seeds (or Ajwain - Optional)

Instructions

  • Mix the minced broccoli-ginger mix, grated paneer, chopped green chilies, chopped cilantro, and besan (Chickpea flour) in a bowl. 
  • Add carom seeds, coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt to it.
  • Grease your hands; take small portions of the mixture and roll them into small, ~1.5-inch diameter balls.
  • Place the balls into the air-fryer and turn it the temperature to 400°F for 15 minutes, turning them mid way through.
  • Take out the tray of air-fryer to get golden colored Broccoli-Paneer Bites bites ready. Serve with your favorite chutney or any yogurt dip. 

Notes

Possible Issue 1: Broccoli-Paneer Bites stick to the air-fryer base
Please grease your hands while rolling the balls. You may also choose to spray a little oil on them when you’ve placed them on the fryer.
Possible Issue 2: Broccoli-Paneer Bites come out to be hard.I use homemade paneer for these bites, and they come out very soft. However, I’ve tried this recipe with store-bought paneer, and they came out to be hard. For store-bought paneer, you might want to dip the paneer in hot water for 5-10 minutes so that its texture becomes soft. 
Home-Made Paneer – To Hot Milk, add diluted vinegar and keep stirring until the milk cuddles. Rinse to get soft, homemade paneer.

Nutrition

Calories: 123kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 208mg | Potassium: 55mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 47IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 190mg | Iron: 1mg
Disclaimer: I use WP Recipe maker for Nutrition Value calculation and are the best estimates using the plugin. Please use your nutritional value calculator if you have one.