Hello foodies! Welcome to Naiya's Kitchen!! 🧑🏻🍳😊
Forget everything you know about soggy, steamed greens—we’re turning the humble floret into the ultimate golden-brown bite. These Air Fryer Broccoli Cheese Balls are the perfect marriage of a crispy panko shell and a gooey, sharp cheese centre, all without the mess or heavy oil of deep frying. They are crunchy, cheesy, and dangerously poppable. But to truly take things to the next level, we’re pairing them with a creamy Minty Mayo Dip. The zingy, garden-fresh brightness of the mint is the perfect "secret weapon" to balance out the rich, toasted cheese. Whether you’re looking for a guilt-free appetiser or a side dish that your kids will actually beg for, these 20-minute air-fried wonders are a total game-changer.
By combining the earthy goodness of spinach and broccoli with the creamy, protein-rich texture of crumbled paneer, we’ve created a snack that is incredibly hearty yet light enough to keep you coming back for seconds. Since we're using the air fryer, you get that signature golden-shatter crust with barely a drop of oil. But the real "mic drop" moment? Dipping these hot, cheesy gems into a chilled Minty Mayo. The cool, herbaceous hit of the mint against the warm, savory paneer creates a flavor profile that is fresh, bold, and totally addictive.
Whether you’re looking to sneak more greens into your family’s diet or you just need a sophisticated appetiser that takes less than twenty minutes, these Air Fryer Broccoli, Spinach, and Paneer Balls are the answer. There is something so incredibly satisfying about cracking through that crispy outer shell to find a vibrant, cheesy centre that’s actually good for you. Once you experience the zing of the Minty Mayo hitting those warm, savory spices, I promise this recipe will earn a permanent spot in your snack rotation. So, go ahead—pop a batch in the air fryer, whip up that dip, and watch them disappear in record time! Enjoy cooking!! 🔪😋
Preparation time - 10 minutes
Cooking time - 8 to 10 minutes
Air fryer time - 20 to 22 minutes
Makes 25 to 30 balls approx.
Ingredients to make Golden Air-Fried Broccoli Cheese Poppers with a Cool Mint Crema:
For Broccoli Cheese Poppers:
1 cup broccoli
1 cup chopped spinach
1/4 cup boiled and grated potato
1/2 cup grated paneer
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon finely chopped green chillies
1/2" piece of ginger
1 teaspoon red chilli flakes
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper powder
1/2 teaspoon chaat masala
Bread crumbs/makhana powder/oats powder for binding
2 to 3 cubes cheese for stuffing
For coating:
2 tablespoon cornflour
1/2 cup water
A pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes (opt)
Bread crumbs as needed
For Minty Mayo:
1/2 cup coriander
1/4 cup mint leaves
2 to 3 green chillies
1/4" piece of ginger
Salt to taste
3 to 4 garlic cloves (opt)
1/4 teaspoon chaat masala
2 to 3 tablespoon curd
4 to 5 tablespoon mayonnaise
Method to make Golden Air-Fried Broccoli Cheese Poppers with a Cool Mint Crema:
For Broccoli Cheese Poppers:
- Boil water in a pan and add a pinch of sugar and salt to it. When it comes to boiling temperature add washed and chopped broccoli to it. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove and dip in simple tap water for 4 to 5 minutes. Drain water and keep a side.
- Same way boil spinach and keep a side.
- Try to squeeze extra water from both broccoli and spinach.
- In a mixer jar add broccoli, spinach, green chillies and ginger. Crush until semi smooth texture.
- Transfer it to a broad plate and then add grated paneer and grated potato to it.
- Now its time to add all dry spices to it. Mix well and make equal sized balls from it.
- Make equal sized squares from cheese cubes. I made 16 pieces, as I wanted less quantity of cheese in every poppers. But you can stuff it as per your choice.
- Place a cheese cube in centre of the ball and seal it properly. Make sure there should not be any crack in poppers.
- keep a side.
For coating:
- Mix water, salt and cornflour in a bowl.
- transfer bread crumbs in a flat plate.
- Dip a popper in cornflour slurry and immediately roll it in bread crumbs.
- Repeat the same for remaining.
For Air Frying:
- Place a liner in air fryer and place poppers over it. Quantity of poppers depends upon the size of your air fryer.
- Spray/brush some oil over it.
- Air fry poppers for 10 minutes at 200 degree centigrade. After 10 minutes carefully toss them and again spray/brush oil.
- Again sir fry for 10 to 12 minutes at 200 degree centigrade or until you get desired crisp. Air frying time may be depend upon the brand and size of the fryer.
- Remove from air fryer and serve hot with cool minty mayo dip.
For Minty Mayo Dip:
- In a mixer jar take coriander, mint leaves, green chillies, ginger and garlic. Add some curd and churn to make smooth chutney.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and add mayonnaise to it. Mix properly.
- Our super tasty & super creamy Minty Mayo Dip is ready to serve with Golden Air-Fried Broccoli Cheese Poppers.
- If homemade Paneer is not available Ananda Paneer can be used.
- You can add a mixture of mozzarella and process cheese in stead of process cheese.
