Effortless paneer puffs

Don’t blame me if you get addicted to this paneer puff!! Put this platter with minimal effort and still wow your family and friends.

It is the appetizers and the fireworks that  make newyear’s special. However, when you are hosting a big event, you certainly want to have some crowd pleasing ideas that make your life easy too. So, efforless recipe hacks like these feel equally strong when I put out this platter. The flaky pastry and then a bite of the soft succulent marinated paneer in the centre, does make you forget any of the days that was not the best in the previous year and welcome the new one with hope.

Ingredients  for the paneer puff

Paneer: paneer is an Indian pressed cottage cheese. This is made from cow or buffalo milk that is non aged.  It is made from  acid curdled milk where the whey is gently pressed out. For this recipe you can use homemade or store bough paneer. You can add another layer of flavour by using herbed paneer.
Marinade: based of a classic tandoori marinade the marinade makes the paneer succulent and seeps in flavour. Here I have used thick yogurt( home made or storebought), salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder,curry powder, cumin powder, pepper powder and ginger garlic paste. The easier way is to use store bought tandoori paste( like Pathaks or Maharajas)and mix in with yogurt. Crush in some Kasoori methi leaves for the classic tandoori flavour.
Puff pastry:You can absolutely make your own if you have the time. If not, storebought ones like Pampas, Borg’s  or the Gluten free Simply wize will work perfectly. It is most important to thaw the pastry well so it is pliable.

How long should we marinate the paneer?

Here is my quick answer, the longer the better. The longer you marinate the paneer, it seep in the flavours and makes it succulent. So do marinate it overnight if possible.

Which brand of puff pastry do we use?

I have used the Pampas brand butter puff pastry to make this recipe. This is also the same brand that I use when I want to make the cherry tomato and feta and the mushroom rolls. I have attempted making my own puff pastry but that is a labour oriented process that really doesn’t satisfy the time crunch. So try this storebought version.

Meal prep this paneer puff

The paneer puff when prepared stays good for a couple of days in the fridge. To warm it up, pop this in the over at 180 degrees for 10 minutes and not in the microwave. The microwave make sure the pastry soft and moist and takes away the flakiness.
You can also prep it till the rolls are formed and then bake it as you need. These rolls can be frozen and then baked when needed. They come out perfect each time this way too, however, you will have to allow an extra 10 minutes in the oven for the frozen ones.

What pairs well with paneer puffs?

Dips like green chutney, green mango chutney and sweet and sour tamarind chutney are hands down the best to have with this paneer puff.

Other recipes for a new year’s eve.

We sure have a collection of quick ideas that you can borrow anytime to make some yummies.

• Fruit and yogurt verrine
• Fryums chaat
• Cabbage pakoda
• No Cook noodle bhel

Stay connected

Let’s all look forward to a fabulous new year. Hope your will be filled with cheer, love laughter and yummiest food. Hope you will try out this paneer puff. When you do let us know how much you love this recipe. Share, like and comment, most importantly try it.
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Happy 2025!!