These crispy, golden puffs are little bites of heaven. Stuffed with a melty, flavour-packed paneer filling, they’re guaranteed to disappear in a flash. Whip them up for your next party and watch everyone’s eyes light up.
About the Recipe
If you’re looking for a surefire crowd-pleaser, these Paneer Puffs are it. The flaky, golden puffs hide a molten, spice-tinged paneer filling that’s utterly addictive. They’re fun to make and even more fun to devour.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe: Who can resist the allure of crispy fried puffs, especially when they’re stuffed with a cheesy, savoury filling? These paneer puffs hit all the right notes – crispy on the outside, melty and delicious on the inside. The flavors are bold and perfectly balanced. Plus, they’re surprisingly easy to whip up at home.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Where do I start? The flaky, buttery dough gives way to an explosion of flavour when you bite into the cheesy, spiced paneer filling. The aroma alone will have you hooked. And let’s be real, who can resist crispy fried goodness? These puffs are dangerously addictive but oh-so-worth-it.
Paneer Puffs
Cooking Tips
For the flakiest puffs, be sure to let the dough rest before rolling it out. And don’t overstuff the puffs – a little filling goes a long way for optimum crunch factor. Fry them up in small batches too, so the oil stays nice and hot.
Serving & Storing: These puffs are without a doubt best served hot out of the fryer when that filling is still molten. But they also make great finger food at room temp. Expect to make 16-18 puffs from this recipe. Any leftovers can be reheated in a 300°F oven for 5-10 minutes. Total prep time is around 45 minutes.
Serving and Storing Suggestions
These paneer puffs make for killer snacking straight out of the fryer, but they’re also divine served alongside mint chutney or tamarind sauce for dipping. They’re best enjoyed fresh, but you can refrigerate leftovers for 2-3 days and reheat in the oven. Makes around 16 puffs.
Similar Recipes
- Veggie Samosas
- Aloo Tikki
- Paneer Pakoras
- Bread Rolls
- Corn Cheese Balls
Nutrient Benefits
While fried snacks aren’t health food, these puffs do offer some nutritional perks, like protein from the paneer and fiber from the whole wheat flour. Paneer is also a good source of calcium and conjugated linoleic acid.
Paneer Puffs
Ingredients
- 1 cup Refined Flour
- 2 tbsp Pure Ghee (melted)
- Salt to taste
- 2 cups Paneer (grated)
- 2 tbsp Processed Cheese (grated)
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 4 tbsp Onion (chopped)
- 1 tsp Green Chilli Paste
- 1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
- 1/2 tsp Milk
- 1 tsp White Pepper Powder
- Salt to taste
- Oil for deep frying
Instructions
- For the puffs, mix together the flour, ghee, salt and enough water to make a soft dough.
- Cover and set aside for 15 minutes.
- To make the filling, heat the butter in a pan and saute the onions till they change colour.
- Add the green chilli paste, ginger-garlic paste, grated paneer, cheese, milk and white pepper powder.
- Cook for 2 minutes over low heat, stirring continuously, till the sauce thickens.
- Remove from heat and leave to cool.
- Make small marble size balls of the dough and roll out each one into a three inch puri.
- Place each puri on a flat surface and place one tblsp of paneer filling on one side of it and cover with the other half to make a half moon shape.
- Press edges to seal well.
- Deep fry the puris in hot oil.
- Serve hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I bake these instead of frying?
Surely. For a lighter option, brush or spray the puffs with oil and bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes until puffed and golden brown.
What’s the best way to grate paneer?
Freeze the paneer for 20-30 minutes to firm it up, then use the large holes of a box grater. This helps shred it into soft crumbles.
How do I keep them crispy?
Once fried, drain the puffs on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. This allows air circulation to keep them crisp. Avoid stacking them.
Can I make them ahead?
The dough and filling can be prepped ahead and refrigerated for 2-3 days. But the puffs are best fried fresh just before serving.
What dipping sauce goes well with these?
A zesty mint-cilantro chutney makes the perfect vibrant, cooling accompaniment to cut through the richness of the puffs. You could also serve them with tamarind chutney or a sweet mango lassi.
