Homemade Paneer Puffs with Indian Spices
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Spicy paneer puffs are a wonderful appetizer or snack that’ll delight your taste buds. Serve paneer puffs with your favorite dipping sauce for an extraordinary culinary experience that’ll surely impress your guests.
Paneer puffs are a popular Indian bakery-style savory snack made from paneer (Indian cottage cheese), vegetables, and spices, all surrounded by a buttery flaky layer of puff pastry. They’re great as a snack any time of the day.
Why You’ll Love These Paneer Puffs With Puff Pastry
These spicy paneer puffs are seasoned with warming spices and plenty of heat. Biting into one creates an explosion of flavors in your mouth. But you can easily make them as hot and spicy as you like.
Paneer puffs have a wonderful contrast of textures. The delicate flaky and buttery exterior with a creamy and savory filling is sure to lure you in. Try not to eat the whole tray yourself!
They’re super easy to make, especially if you divide the steps into multiple days. You can easily make the filling a day ahead, then shape them the next day, and bake them the third day. Check out the section “Can I Make Paneer Puffs Ahead Of Time?” for more detailed steps.
What Ingredients Do I Need For Spicy Paneer Puffs?
For the paneer filling:
- 2 small shallots, finely chopped
- Optional: 1-2 small green chilis, finely chopped
- 1 medium green bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 tsp. cumin powder
- ½ tsp. turmeric powder
- 1 tsp. crushed red chili flakes
- 1 ½ tsp. curry powder
- 1 Tbsp. fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
- 1 ½ cups crumbled paneer cheese (see recipe below for homemade version)
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
Other ingredients:
- 2 sheets puff pastry, thawed in the fridge for 3-8h
- White and black sesame seeds to garnish
- Melted butter to brush the pastries
How To Make Homemade Paneer Puffs
Step 1: Thaw the puff pastries
Thaw the puff pastries in the fridge. Cover them to make sure they don’t dry out and also to prevent them from soaking up the smell of the fridge.
Step 2: Sauté Shallots and Green Chilis in Oil
Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan on medium heat. Add chopped shallots and sauté until soft. Add chopped green chilis if using and mix to combine.
Step 3: Incorporate and Sauté Bell Peppers
Add bell peppers and sauté, stirring, for a minute.
Step 4: Season and stir-fry spices until fragrant
Season with salt, and add cumin powder, turmeric powder, red chili flakes, and curry powder. Stir-fry until fragrant.
Lower the heat to medium-low and add the crumbled paneer. Cook the mixture until blended and fragrant.
Once cooked, remove from the heat and stir in cilantro leaves. Let cool completely.
Step 5: Roll Out Pastry Sheets to Desired Thickness
Once the filling is cooled and dry, assemble the spicy paneer puffs. Prepare a floured surface and unfold thawed pastry sheets. Use a rolling pin to roll each sheet a bit larger and thinner (1/8 to ¼ inch thick).
Step 6: Cut even number of circles using a cookie cutter
Use a cookie cutter (I used a 7.5cm diameter one) to cut out circles of pastry (you want to have an even number of circles).
Step 7: Fill each puff pastry circle with paneer filling
Brush the edges of a puff pastry circle and put 2 tablespoons of paneer filling into the center of it. Cover it with another circle and press the edges down gently, using lukewarm water, to seal it. This will secure the paneer puffs and prevent the filling from pouring out in the oven. Repeat until you’re out of filling or puff pastry circles.
Step 8: Brush puff pastries with melted butter and sprinkle with black and white sesame seeds
Line a baking tray with parchment paper and transfer the raw puff pastries onto the tray. Brush them with melted butter and sprinkle with black and white sesame seeds. Place them in the fridge to chill for 20-30 minutes. Cold puff pastry bakes best!
Step 9: Preheat oven and bake paneer puffs to golden perfection
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F. Bake the paneer puffs for about 18-20 minutes or until puffed up, golden brown, and crisp.
Remove from the oven and let rest for 7 minutes. Then, gently loosen the pastries with a butter knife and transfer them to a serving platter.
Step 10: Serve paneer puffs with a dip of your choice and relish!
Serve with your favorite dip such as raita, cilantro chutney, or this simple harissa yogurt dip. Enjoy!
Notes & Tips
- Unfolding frozen pastry sheets forcefully may tear them. It’s therefore best to let them completely thaw in the fridge overnight. By thawing them, they will become softer and won’t crack when unfolded.
- Ensure the paneer filling is completely cool and dry before stuffing the puff pastry sheets. The puff pastries will be soggy if the filling is too moist.
Before baking, chill your freshly filled unbaked paneer puffs for maximum crispiness. This will add extra flakiness and crispiness to the finished product. - Puff pastry becomes sticky and difficult to work with if it’s kept at room temperature for an extended period of time. Therefore, it’s best to only work with one sheet at a time while the other sheets wait in the refrigerator.
- For easy handling, make sure the puff pastry sheet is at room temperature before rolling it. In order to keep it from sticking to the board, roll it out on a surface dusted with flour.
- When working the dough in hot and muggy weather, it may stick to the board and the rolling pin. Put the rolling pin and the board in the refrigerator for a while to stop them from sticking. Chilling the rolling pin and board makes rolling the dough a breeze.
Can I Make Paneer Puffs Ahead Of Time?
Yes, these tasty appetizers can easily be made ahead of time by completing one step a day. Then you’ll just need to pop them in the oven before serving. So easy!
Prepare the paneer filling up to 2-3 days in advance and store it in the refrigerator. Make sure you let the filling cool before placing it in the fridge to avoid water condensation.
The following day, cut the thawed pastry sheets and stuff them with the paneer filling that has cooled. Arrange them in a line on the baking tray, leaving spaces between each, and place them in the fridge.
The baking trays with unbaked paneer puffs can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a day in advance by tightly wrapping them in plastic wrap. Take them out of the refrigerator when you’re ready to bake them and serve.
Paneer Puff Variations
If you prefer a milder flavor, omit the green chili peppers, and reduce the amount of crushed red chili flakes. You can also cut down on the spices or keep it simple with salt and pepper.
Instead of curry, try garam masala or chat masala for a more authentic flavor. And for more spice ideas, check out our article on The Best Garam Masala Substitutes.
One of the awesome things about this recipe is that it can easily be vegan because puff pastry happens to be vegan! Simply replace paneer cheese with crumbled tofu and brush the puff pastries with melted margarine or vegan butter.
If dairy is in your diet, why not make these paneer puffs a lil’ cheesier? Add some diced mozzarella or even freshly grated cheddar cheese to the chilled paneer filling for some melted cheesy goodness.
You’re most welcome to swap the veggies for your favorites as well. Instead of shallots, try red, yellow, or green onions, and use a different colored bell pepper or maybe mushrooms or celery. I like adding a diced tomato in there too.
Can’t find paneer Indian cottage cheese? That’s okay, we’ve got a complete list of the Best Paneer Substitutes to save the day. You can even make paneer at home by following this easy homemade paneer recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 small shallots finely chopped
- Optional: 1-2 small green chilis finely chopped
- 1 medium green bell pepper finely chopped
- 1 tsp. cumin powder
- ½ tsp. turmeric powder
- 1 tsp. crushed red chili flakes
- 1 ½ tsp. curry powder
- 1 Tbsp. fresh cilantro leaves chopped
- 1 ½ cups crumbled paneer cheese see recipe below for homemade version
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 2 sheets puff pastry thawed in the fridge for 3-8h
- White and black sesame seeds to garnish
- Melted butter to brush the pastries
Instructions
- Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan on medium heat. Add chopped shallots and sauté until soft. Add chopped green chilis if using and mix to combine.
- Add bell peppers and sauté, stirring, for a minute. Season with salt, and add cumin, turmeric powder, red chili flakes, and curry powder. Stir-fry until fragrant.
- Lower the heat to medium-low and add the crumbled paneer. Cook the mixture until blended, dry-ish, and fragrant. Remove from the heat and stir in cilantro leaves. Let cool completely before proceeding to step 4.
- Prepare a floured surface and unfold thawed pastry sheets. Roll each sheet a bit larger and thinner. Use a cookie cutter to cut out circles of pastry dough.
- Brush the edges of a puff pastry circle and put 2 tablespoons of paneer filling into the center of it. Cover it with another circle and press the edges down gently, using lukewarm water, to seal it. Repeat until you’re out of ingredients.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper and transfer the raw puff pastries onto the tray. Brush them with melted butter and sprinkle with black and white sesame seeds. Place them in the fridge to chill for 20-30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F. Once chilled, bake the paneer puffs for about 18-20 minutes or until puffed up, golden brown, and crisp.
- Let rest for 7 minutes out of the oven. Carefully transfer to a serving platter.
- Serve with your favorite dip like this simple harissa yogurt dip. Enjoy!
