Blissfully delicious Spicy Paneer Puffs are the ultimate blend of enticing flavors and distinct textures. With a savory paneer filling draped in flaky and crispy puff sheets and baked to golden perfection, this appetizer recipe is pure delight in every bite!
A perfect grab-and-go versatile appetizer that forms an incredible entrant to office potlucks, game nights, weekend pool parties, or picnics and can be prepared with any filling of your choice.
These spicy paneer pastry patties, packed with spicy flavors, are easy to put together, with no kneading, fermenting, or frying required.
A perfect crowd-pleasing recipe, you can make these irresistibly delicious munch-away treats in advance and serve your guests when needed.
I am sure they will love your selection of recipes and your insightfulness in serving these lip-smacking delicacies.
But, be prepared with a large batch, as you will soon find them disappearing from the table!
Make the paneer puffs recipes, stuff them ahead of time, and bake them right before your guests arrive to serve them hot with a dip by the side.
Spicy Paneer Puffs Recipe
Spicy Paneer patties is a baked savory snack made with puff pastry sheets meticulously wrapping the spicy paneer filling and then baked till golden brown and perfectly crisp.
This appetizer recipe is a perfect snack at any time of the day and doesn’t need any occasion to enjoy them.
You can serve them as an accompaniment to the evening tea/ coffee or even pack them for your lunch. They taste fabulous just as is or complement just perfectly with any dip of your choice.
What are Puff Pastry Sheets
Puff pastry is a vegetarian pastry sheet made of flour, water, salt, and butter. These are used for preparing various sweet and savory recipes.
You can find many delicious recipes that use puff pastries on this blog, like Minced Chicken Puffs, Puff Pastry Samosa pinwheels, Cheesy broccoli and spinach puffs, and I thoroughly enjoy digging into them.
Puff pastry sheets are completely different from Phyllo dough. Read all about the two sheets here.
Puff pastry sheets are readily available in the freezer section of your nearby grocery store, sharing the shelf with ice-creams and the frozen stuff!
Reasons You’ll ♡ Spicy Paneer Puffs
These super tempting Veg Paneer Puff Patties are loved for —
- Super delicious appetizers
- Versatile recipe: can be customized with any filling
- Purely vegetarian/ egg-free recipe
- Can be made in a large batch, to be served later
- Baked, therefore healthier than the fried ones
- A perfect crowd-pleaser
- Perfect finger food that can be enjoyed without plates and forks!
The best part is that it’s a perfect kid-friendly recipe that is ideal for packing in the tiffins for your little ones.
Spicy Paneer Puffs Ingredient List
Oil — For cooking the paneer stuffing. You may use any oil of your choice.
Onions — Added to the paneer stuffing for their flavor.
Green Chilies — Lend hotness to our very delectable recipe.
Green Bell Pepper — Add a distinct flavor besides a dash of color and some delightful crunch.
Salt — Seasons this delicious appetizer.
Cumin Powder — This flavorsome ingredient adds a warm and nutty flavor to the puff paneer pastries.
Turmeric — Adds a lovely yellow color to the paneer filling.
Red chili flakes — These are added to bring some additional spiciness to the recipe.
Chaat masala — Added for a slight tanginess that makes these Puff pastry paneer patties irresistible.
Paneer — Paneer/ Indian cottage is this recipe’s star ingredient, bringing soul to the recipe. Paneer is crumbled ( made like paneer bhurji) and added to the filling mixture along with some flavorful spices and herbs.
Cilantro leaves — Chopped cilantro leaves are added to the paneer filling for flavor, and the specs green color makes the filling look just terrific.
Lemon Juice (optional) — It brings an appealing tanginess to the paneer filling. You may skip it if you don’t like it tangy.
Puff Pastry Sheets — These form the outer covering of our delicious puff paneer pastry. You can easily find these at your nearby grocery store.
Sesame Seeds + Onion Seeds — These are used to top the spicy paneer pastry puffs and glamorize our fantastic recipe!
Butter — Butter is used for basting our delicious pastry puff appetizers.
Recipe Tips and Variations
Using the pastry sheets correctly — It is best to keep the puff pastry sheets in the refrigerator covered in a large zip lock bag until ready to work. The reason is that if it is kept at room temperature for too long, it becomes sticky and challenging to work with. So, working with one sheet at a time while the other sheets wait in the refrigerator for their turn is best.
Working with the puff pastry sheets — When rolling the puff pastry sheet, ensure it is at room temperature to handle it easily. Also, roll it onto a floured surface to prevent it from sticking to the board.
A helpful tip — The dough may stick to the rolling pin and the board while spreading in hot and humid weather. To prevent it from sticking, place the rolling pin and the board in the fridge for some time. The chilled rolling pin and board make the task easy and convenient.
For the ultimate crispiness — Chill your freshly filled raw puff pastry sheets before baking as this step will ensure extra flakiness and crispy texture
Make-ahead appetizers — These pastry paneer puffs are a perfect make-ahead recipe and can be kept prepared to be baked on the day when needed. For this, prepare the paneer filling and place it in the refrigerator a day in advance.
The next day, cut the thawed pastry sheets and fill them with the cooled paneer filling. Now, line them on the baking tray, leaving spaces in between. Cover the sheet pans tightly with a cling wrap and store them in the refrigerator for up to a day in advance. When ready to serve, take out from the fridge and bake them as directed.
Taking the flavors up a notch — Add some mozzarella cheese to your paneer filling to bring some extra flavor and cheesiness to the delicious paneer puff appetizer.
Grease the baking tray — Greasing your baking sheet with a bit of oil or butter will prevent the puff pastries from sticking to the tray. Greasing also makes it easier to remove the puff pastries when they are baked.
Refreezing the unused sheets — Unused puff pastry sheets are fantastic to freeze! You can wrap the leftover sheets in a plastic bag and freeze them for up to 2 months. When needed, thaw them and use them as directed.
Healthy and creative variations — These spicy paneer bhurji puffs are prepared using paneer as the base ingredient for the filling. However, you can replace paneer with tofu and also use other veggies like mushrooms, fresh spinach leaves, etc. If you like the pastry puffs spicier, you may also add an extra half a teaspoon of crushed red chili flakes.
Delight in different shapes — Feel free to experiment with different shapes for the puff paneer pastries. For making them square, cut them into squares, stuff them with the filling, chill for a while and bake!
A tempting treat — Stuffed pastry puffs look super tempting when baked in deep golden color. To attain this, cut puff pastry sheets and egg-wash with a brush. If you like it vegetarian, replace eggs with milk wash.
Let me know what you think!
These flavorful and insanely tasty Spicy Paneer Puffs are a delight to prepare any time of the day. If you are craving these savory delights, relax; you are not alone.
Let us quickly make this appetizer dish together and bite into the ambrosial creation!
Should you make this Paneer Bhurji Paneer Patties, please let me know your thoughts by sharing your comment below. And don’t forget to share it with your family and friends.
HUNGRY FOR MORE FAMILY-FAVORITE RECIPES, TRY THESE-
Follow Step-By-Step Instructions to make the best Spicy Paneer Puffs
Spicy Paneer Puffs
EQUIPMENT
INGREDIENTS
PANEER FILLING
- 2 tablespoons Oil
- 1 medium Onion finely chopped
- 2 small Green chilies finely chopped
- 1 medium Bell Pepper finely chopped
- – – Salt to Taste
- 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon Haldi (Turmeric powder)
- 1½ teaspoons Crushed red chili flakes adjust according to taste
- 1½ cups Crumbled Paneer
- 1 tablespoon Chopped cilantro leaves
- 1½ teaspoons Chaat Masala
OTHER INGREDIENTS
- 2 sheets Puff Pastry
GARNISHES
- – – White Sesame Seeds
- – – Nigella seeds (kalonji)
- – – Butter to brush the patties
INSTRUCTIONS
THAW PUFF PASTRY SHEETS
- Thaw the puff pastry sheets in the fridge for 3 to 4 hours. Before using the puff pastry sheets, always read the instructions given on the box and abide by them.Tip — Frozen pastry sheets may tear away if forcefully unfolded. Therefore, it is best to thaw them completely in the fridge overnight. Thawing will soften them and prevent any cracks when unfolding them.
PREPARE THE FILLING
- Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add chopped onions to the pan.
- Sauté the onions over medium heat until soft. Add chopped green chilies.
- Add bell peppers and mix until well blended.
- Stir in salt.
- Add the remaining spices to the mixture.
- Mix until thoroughly combined.
- Lower the heat and add crumbled paneer to the pan. Cook this mixture over medium-low heat until blended.
- Once cooked, remove the pan from heat. Add cilantro leaves and chaat masala, and set it aside to cool.Tip — Keep the filling cool and dry: Before stuffing the puff pastry sheets, ensure the paneer filling is completely cool and dry. If there is too much moisture left in the filling, it will turn the puff pastries soggy.
ASSEMBLE SPICY PANEER PUFFS
- Unfold the thawed pastry sheets on a floured surface.
- Using the rolling pin, roll the sheet, so it is a bit larger and slightly thinner.
- Use a cookie cutter to cut circles out of the rolled puff pastry sheet.
- Take a puff pastry dough circle and brush the edges with water.
- Add 2 teaspoons of paneer filling to the center of the dough circle.
- Place the other dough circle on top of the filling and secure the edges. Gently seal the edges of the puff sheets with lukewarm water when making the paneer puffs. This will secure the stuffing and prevent it from sneaking out and spreading around.
- Grease a baking sheet and transfer the uncooked puff pastry patties onto the sheet. Chill the puff pastry rounds in the fridge for 20-30 minutes as cold Puff pastry bakes just perfect. Tip — Pastry paneer puffs bake their crispiest and flakiest when chilled in the refrigerator for some time before baking. So, do not miss this step.Tip — Greasing your baking tray with a bit of oil or butter will prevent the puff pastries from sticking to the tray. Greasing also makes it easier to remove the puff pastries when they are baked.
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Bake the puff pastries until they are joyfully puffed up and turn golden brown and crispy – for about 18-20 minutes.
- When they are cooked and golden brown, remove them from the oven, and let them sit for about 7-8 minutes. Then, gently loosen the appetizers with a butter knife, and arrange them on a serving tray.
- Serve with your favorite dip, and you can devour these spicy paneer patties at any time of the day.
RECIPE NOTES
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I store these puff pastry paneer puffs? Yes, absolutely you can. The leftover cooled pastry sheet appetizer keeps well in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for up to 2- 3 days. When required, you can reheat them and watch them crisping up again to their lip-smacking deliciousness! How can I serve these puff paneer pastry appetizers? Puff paneer pastries make an excellent appetizer, and you can devour them in the following ways:- Straight out of the oven, as is!
- You can also make them a little smaller in size as cocktail pick-me-up snacks to delight your guests,
- Or, you can serve them stylishly plated along with a favorite dipping sauce and some freshly chopped healthy salad on the side!
It was my daughter’s birthday and I planned to make these puffs for her friends who I invited. I was so satisfied with the taste even the kids liked it all credit to you thank you so much for putting up this article.
Pleasure is all mine. So glad you liked the recipe. 😊