Paneer Puff Recipe – Sharmis Passion

Paneer puff is a popular bakery-style Indian snack made with flaky puff pastry and spicy cheese filling. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, filled with delicious cheese, best enjoyed hot with tomato ketchup. Its scent is so good and addictive that you can’t stop with one. These are usually served as tea time snack and everyone loves them.

The taste of this Paneer Puff is mildly spicy, flaky, buttery and very filling. You can make it easily at home using readymade puff pastry sheets. Homemade paneer puffs taste refreshing and you can control the spice level too. Fresh puffs always taste better and flakier. It is more satisfying when made at home. This is one of those snacks that most of us grab from the bakery while coming back home.

About Paneer Puff

Paneer puff is a classic and popular snack sold in most Indian bakeries. It is a crispy snack where spicy cheese mixture is stuffed inside puff pastry and baked until golden. It is inspired by the bakery style veg puffs which are very common in India. Paneer is used in place of mixed vegetables which gives rich flavor and soft texture. It is enjoyed by people of all age groups.

This recipe filling is made using onions, tomatoes, basic masala powder and paneer cubes. The masala should be thick so that it does not fall out while cooking. The spices are very simple and give a good balance of flavors without overpowering the taste of the cheese. You can easily adjust the spices as per taste.

Texture wise, the outer layer of Paneer Puff is crispy and flaky and the inside is filled with soft juicy paneer. The layers of the puff separate well and become light when cooked completely, it tastes good when served hot. Freshly baked puffs are always the best. Once you try it at home, you might not buy bakery puffs again and again. After a few tries it becomes a regular breakfast.

I usually make this for evening snack or when guests come home. It is also a great choice for kids’ snack boxes or party starter. Both the children love puffs and Paneer Puff is their most favourite. The stuffing is very easy to prepare and is ready in just a few minutes.

Paneer Puff Video

Paneer Puff Ingredients

• Oil – Used for tempering items and cooking spicy cheese filling.
• Cumin – I have added cumin seeds for seasoning. It gives good aroma and slight crispness.
• Onion – I have used chopped onion, fried well and used it with tomato and cheese along with spice powder.
• ginger garlic paste – It is added for taste and aroma. You can also add freshly crushed ginger garlic to a slightly coarse mixture and use that as well.
• Tomato – Chopped tomatoes are used to bind the spices, this adds mild spiciness and moisture. You can also use tomato puree.
• Spice Powder – I used Turmeric powder for colour, flavour, red chilli powder for spice, garam masala and coriander powder for aroma and flavour.
• Cheese -It is added as a base for drilling. You can make it into pieces or into chunks. Use fresh cheese for best taste.
• puff pastry sheet – I used ready-made puff pastry sheets.
• Milk -Milk is used to brush puff pastry before baking. This helps even out the browning. You can also use butter.

Why does this recipe work

• This recipe uses simple ingredients that are easily available at home.
• The cheese filling is mildly spicy and can be enjoyed by all.
• This recipe gives puffs with flaky and crispy texture.
• You can make the filling in advance and easily assemble it later.
• This recipe is perfect for snacks, parties or evening tea.

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How to make Paneer Puff step by step

1. Heat 1 and ½ tsp oil – add ½ tsp cumin seeds, let it splutter. Fry quickly.

2. Add 1 medium sized onion finely chopped, ginger garlic paste and salt as per taste.

3. Finely chop 1 small sized tomato and add it. Fry for 2 minutes.

4. Cover and cook for a few minutes until the tomatoes become soft.

5. Open and fry quickly.

6. Add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chili powder, ½ teaspoon garam masala powder and ½ teaspoon coriander powder.

7. Fry it immediately and add ½ cup water and let it boil.

8. When it becomes thick, add 150 grams of cheese cut into small cubes into it.

9. Mix quickly and switch off. Let it cool.

10. Melt the puff pastry sheets and arrange them on parchment paper on a baking tray. Preheat the oven at 220 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes. Apply a little water on the edges.

11. Add about 2 tbsp of paneer stuffing.

12. Close gently and seal. Press slightly around the edges to seal.

13.Brush the top with milk, you can also use egg wash.

14.Repeat to finish.

15. Bake in a preheated oven at 220 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes or until the puffs are golden and crisp.

Serve it hot with coffee or tea!

Expert Tips

• Cheese – Use fresh cheese for good taste. If the paneer is a little hard, I soak it in warm water for a few minutes before using.
• spice consistency – I cook the spices until the moisture reduces properly. Thick masala is best for puffs and it stays inside without spilling out.
• coolant – I let the filling cool before filling it into the pastry sheet. Hot filling may cause the pastry to become soggy.
• seal – I just seal the edges. If the edges are not sealed properly, the filling may leak out while cooking, but press gently, not too tightly.
• cooking time – I keep checking the puffs after 18 minutes of baking. Oven times may vary slightly, so adjust based on color and puffiness.

serving and storage

Serve this puff with tomato ketchup, it goes great with evening tea or coffee, especially when they are freshly baked. You can keep the leftover baked puffs in the refrigerator for just one day. Reheat them in the oven or air fryer to get them crispy again.

general questions and answers

1.Can I use homemade paneer?

Yes, you can use fresh homemade cheese for this. Just make sure it is hard enough, too soft cheese may break while mixing.

2.Can I do the filling ahead?

Yes, the paneer filling can be made a day in advance. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can also use the leftover filling for rolls, wraps and sandwiches.

3.Can I shallow fry?

Baking gives a proper flaky texture like bakery puffs. Frying can make it oily and heavy, so I don’t like it.

4.Can I add capsicum or peas?

Yes, you can add chopped capsicum or boiled peas to the stuffing. It also adds more flavor and slight crispness.

5.Can I freeze Paneer Puffs?

Yes, you can freeze assembled puffs. Then thaw for a few minutes and then bake straight away when needed.

If you have any further questions about this Paneer Puff Recipe Mail me at sharmispassions@gmail.com. Also, follow me Instagram, Facebook, pinterest, youtube And Twitter .

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