Tag: paneer

Paneer Puffs

Look how pretty!

I used to eat a lot of these when I was younger. They were sold at almost every corner shop in India. These treats have a spicy paneer filling inside a shell of crispy puff pastry. Since it’s so easy to get puff pastry sheets in the US, I make them all the time. 😊

Now, I know paneer is dairy. I’d still like to mention that Pepperidge puff pastry sheets are vegan. So if you replace the paneer with tofu or a spicy veggie filling, or even some fake meat crumbles, these puffs will become vegan!

Crispy and delicious..

Servings: 6, Prep time: 25 minutes, Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • Paneer 8oz
  • Onion 1/2
  • Green chili 2-3
  • Garlic 3-4 cloves
  • Tomato 1 medium
  • Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
  • Coriander powder 1/2 tsp
  • Garam masala 1/2 tsp
  • Kitchen king masala 1 tbsp
  • Pepperidge puff pastry 1 sheet
  • Canola oil 1 tbsp
  • Salt as needed
  • Flour for dusting

Instructions

  1. Finely chop the onion, garlic, green chili and tomatoes.
  2. Dice the paneer into small pieces. Remember these need to be small enough to fit in a pastry
  3. In a pan, heat the oil. Then add onions and cook for 3-4 minutes till translucent
  4. Add the garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes, then add the chili and sauté for 1-2 minutes
  5. Add the tomatoes and cook till the mixture releases oil along the sides.
  6. Add in all the spices and cook for 1-2 minutes.
  7. Mix in the paneer, then set aside to cool
  8. While the filling cools, preheat your oven to 400 F.
  9. Dust a surface with enough flour, then roll out the puff pastry sheet a gently.
  10. Cut the sheet into 6 parts, add the filling on one side and seal the pastries by folding in half and crimping the edges
  11. Refrigerate for 10 mins, then bake for 25-30 minutes or until crisp and golden!

Tips

  • Make sure your puff pastry is thawed before rolling it out. The thawing instructions are always on the package
  • If you like making puff pastry from scratch, you can do that! Make a batch and freeze it.
  • As mentioned before, the filling can be replaced with whatever you want! Just make sure the filling is dry and cool before adding to the pastry
  • These also freeze really well. You can double or triple the recipe and freeze them for a quick snack. Kids will love that!

I always get nostalgic when I eat these. I hope they will bring joy to you as well! As always, let me know in the comments if you tried these. 😬

Paneer Curry and Butter Naan

This week, I’m adding a recipe for paneer curry that my partner really likes. He asked me to make a curry that was tangy and spicy, but did not want the usual ones. He also wanted the paneer to be stuffed. So, I came up with this recipe.

Paneer Curry

First things first. I understand that paneer isn’t an ingredient that’s readily available everywhere. Paneer is an Indian soft cheese made by splitting milk. Here’s how to make it!

Ingredients

  • Milk 2 liters or half a gallon (preferably whole milk)
  • Vinegar 3 tbsp (start with 1 tsp and use as needed)

Equipment

  • Large sieve
  • Muslim cloth or cheese cloth (large enough to drape over the sieve). You can use coffee filters or any thin cloth here

Method

  • Pour milk into a large saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer.
  • Switch of heat and 1 tsp vinegar. Stir
  • Repeat process till whet separates from curds
  • Line the sieve with muslin cloth or the other chosen form of filter
  • Pour the curdled milk on the sieve. Drain well and let set for at least 6 hours.
  • Cut into cubes and use in any curry!

So now that we have our paneer, I can walk you through the curry recipe. I will not be including the naan recipe here since they’re my partner’s expertise and I need to get the recipe from him (when he wants to sit down and give it to me)….

Garlic butter naan.. Recipe unknown.

Paneer Curry Recipe!!!

Ingredients

  • Bay leaf 2 small
  • Large black cardamom pod 1
  • Kashmiri dry red chilies 10-12
  • Whole cloves 3
  • Black peppercorns 5
  • Cinnamon stick 1 inch
  • Cumin seeds 1 tsp
  • Coriander seeds 3 tbsp
  • Onion 1 large
  • Tomatoes 3 large
  • Ginger 1.5 inch piece
  • Garlic 4-5 cloves
  • Turmeric powder 1 tsp
  • Yogurt 3 tbsp
  • Water 2 cups
  • Paneer cubes 250 grams or 8 ounces
  • Green chutney 3 tsp
  • Salt and oil as needed

Method

  • Split and de-seed the Kashmiri chilies and soak in warm water for 15-20 mins
  • Dry roast peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon stick, cumin seeds and coriander seeds till fragrant
  • Cool and transfer to a food processor or coffee grinder. Blend into a fine paste
  • Roughly chop the onion, garlic and tomatoes
  • Add 1 tbsp oil into a large saucepan and add in the chopped vegetables
  • Sauté on medium heat till onions turn translucent and cool completely
  • In the meantime, blend the soaked Kashmiri red chilies into a fine paste. Transfer to a bowl
  • Blend the onion, garlic and ginger into a fine paste
  • Add 2 tbsp oil to a large saucepan and add the bay leaves and cardamom.
  • Add the blended chilies and sauté for 3-5 mins on medium heat
  • Add the blended onion mixture and sauté till oil releases from the sides
  • Blend the tomatoes into a fine paste and add to the saucepan. Sauté till all the water evaporates and oil releases from the sides
  • Add in the turmeric and salt. Mix well
  • Turn the heat on low and add the yogurt. Mix vigorously to avoid splitting
  • Add the water and cover with a lid. Let the curry boil, then turn off the heat.
  • Slit the paneer cubes in the middle and spread green chutney inside the cut
  • Add 1 tbsp oil in a shallow saucepan and add the paneer pieces. Roast on both sides till paneer turns a light golden brown
  • Add the roasted paneer to the prepared curry

That is the recipe for my paneer curry. I know it has a lot of steps and does require time and effort. However, the end result is totally worth it. This curry can be frozen and used as desired as well. Just add in the paneer after defrosting!

So I hope you try it out and let me know how it went!