These scrumptious paneer samosas are a delicious vegetarian treat that can be had at any time of the day. Crispy and crunchy with a paneer and cheese filling inside. My favourite way of having these cheese paneer samosas is with a hot cup of tea and green chutney on the side. Samosas are also super popular during the month of Ramadan, where they are served at iftar time, which is the time when Muslims break their fast after a long day of fasting. The recipe includes instructions on how to freeze samosas, and also how to make samosas in the air fryer.
Cheese Paneer Samosas – the Ingredients:
- Paneer / Indian cottage cheese: One of the main ingredients in these samosas is grated paneer or Indian cottage cheese. It’s available at Indian and Pakistani grocery stores or can be made at home using fresh milk, and an acidic agent such as yoghurt, lemon juice or vinegar. Recipe can be found here. It can be grated using a manual grater or you can put it in the food processor and use the chopping blade.
- Regular Cheese: The other cheese used in this recipe is cheddar cheese, which is also grated and then added to the filling. Paneer doesn’t melt, but the cheddar cheese melts and makes the samosas gooey and cheesy. You can also use mozzarella, Colby, or pepper jack – basically any cheese that melts well.
- Vegetables: Diced onions and diced capsicum / green bell pepper are added to the samosa filling to add bulk as well. These can be added raw but I prefer to sauté them with spices.
- Coriander leaves / Cilantro: Coriander leaves are a must in Pakistani and Indian recipes. In case you don’t like coriander leaves / cilantro, you can skip it.
- Samosa Patti: The pastry coating for these cheese and paneer samosas is known as samosa patti (with patti meaning wrapper). It is also known as maanda patti, and is a rectangular sheet which can be shaped into a triangle. A flour-based glue is used to seal the edges. It is available in Pakistani grocery stores in the freezer section. The brand that I use in Sydney is known as Shahi. Alternatively, spring roll sheets cut into half or thirds can also be used.
How to freeze the paneer samosas?
One of the good things about samosas is that they can be frozen. That way you can make a big batch, place them in the freezer, and fry when needed. Be it for a tea time treat, for unexpected guests, or for iftar in Ramadan. To freeze these cheese and paneer samosas place the samosas on a serving tray or baking tray. Make sure they don’t touch each other and spray oil on the tray to make sure the samosas don’t stick to the bottom. Keep the tray in the freezer for about 2 hours till the samosas are frozen. Make sure the tray is flat. Once the samosas are frozen, they can be removed individually and put in a plastic bag. To fry, just take the frozen samosas out of the freezer and place in medium heat oil. There is no need to fry the samosa. Fry till golden brown. Frozen samosas will take 1 -2 minutes longer to cook compared to fresh samosas.
How to make samosas in the airfryer?
To make the samosas in the airfryer, spray them with oil spray on both sides. Place them in a pre-heated air fryer at 180 C and air fry for 8 – 12 minutes till golden brown. Turn the samosas halfway through, so they are evenly golden brown. Use the same method whether using fresh or frozen samosas; the frozen samosas will just 1 – 2 minutes of additional time.
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Some other snack recipes that you can try for Ramadan (and otherwise) are:
- Potato and Chicken Croquettes
- Daal and Aloo Bun Kebab
- Keema Samosa
- Chicken Box Patties
- Chicken Tikka Bread Pizza
- Air fryer pakora (Healthy pakoras)
📖 Recipe
How to make Cheese Paneer Samosas | Vegetarian Paneer Samosa
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 small green capsicum / green bell pepper diced
- ½ teaspoon red chili flakes
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- 2 green chilies diced
- 1 teaspoon salt divided
- 250 grams paneer grated
- 100 grams cheddar grated
- ¼ cup coriander leaves / cilantro chopped
- 40 - 50 samosa patti or spring roll wrappers cut into the required size – see note 1
- 4 - 5 tablespoons flour or whole wheat flour atta
- Oil for frying see recipe method for airfryer instructions
Instructions
- Heat oil in a medium frying or medium sized pot.
- Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute, and then add cumin seeds. Saute the cumin seeds till they splutter and release their aroma.
- Add diced onions and saute till translucent, followed by the diced capsicum / green bell pepper and green chilies.
- Add red chili flakes, red chili powder, and ½ teaspoon salt. Saute for about 2 minutes, and then turn off the heat.
- Place the mixture in a large bowl, and cool.
- Once the mixture is cooled, add grated paneer / Indian cottage along with the grated cheddar cheese, chopped coriander leaves / cilantro and salt. Mix well.
- Taste and adjust salt if needed.
- Mix flour and water in a small bowl to make a thick paste.
- Fill the samosa patti with the mince mixture (about 1 - 2 teaspoon of the filling), and fold it into a triangular shape using the sticky flour mixture to glue it shut. This quantity of filling will make around 35 – 40 samosas, depending on how big the samosa patti / samosa wrappers are.
- The samosas can be fried off right away, or frozen to use another day. To fry the samosas, heat oil in a large karahi (or wok) or a shallow frying pan. Add the samosas, and fry on medium heat till the samosas are golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon, and serve hot with green chutney.
- Freezing Instructions: To freeze, place the samosas on a tray making sure they don’t touch each other. Keep the tray in the freezer for about 30 - 45 minutes till the samosas are frozen. Once the samosas are frozen, they can be removed individually and put in a plastic bag. Spray oil on the tray to make sure the samosas don’t stick to the bottom. To fry, just take the frozen samosas out of the freezer and place in medium heat oil. Fry till golden brown. Frozen samosas will take 1 -2 minutes longer to cook compared to fresh samosas.
- Air frying Instructions: To make the samosas in the airfryer, spray them with oil spray on both sides. Place them in a pre-heated air fryer at 180 C and air fry for 8 – 12 minutes till golden brown. Turn the samosas halfway through, so they are evenly golden brown. Use the same method whether using fresh or frozen samosas; the frozen samosas will just 1 – 2 minutes of additional time.
Notes
- The pastry coating for these cheese and paneer samosas is known as samosa patti (with patti meaning wrapper). It is also known as maanda patti, and is a rectangular sheet which can be shaped into a triangle. A flour-based glue is used to seal the edges. It is available in Pakistani grocery stores in the freezer section. The brand that I use in Sydney is known as Shahi. Alternatively, spring roll sheets cut into half or thirds can also be used. If spring roll sheets aren’t available, filo pasty can be substituted instead.
- Samosa patti / wrappers can dry out quickly so make sure to cover them with a kitchen towel to keep them soft and pliable.
- If making samosas in bulk, use a baking tray and baking paper to stack samosas so that they take up less space. Spray oil on a tray, and start placing the samosas on the tray. Once the first layer is done, cover with a sheet of baking paper and put a 2nd layer on top.
Nutrition
Abeer danish says
Tried this recipe, it was loved by family.
Sunita says
I love these vegetarian samosas.