Paneer Samosas, Chilli Paneer Cocktail Samosas

What You’ll Need for Paneer Samosas

My paneer samosas have two main elements. Firstly, the stuffing, inspired by Indo-Chinese chilli paneer, may seem complex — but in reality, it only requires around 10 ingredients, many of which are pantry staples you’ll already have hanging around.

Let’s dive into what each element brings to the table (and if you can make any substitutions):

• Oil is a flavour carrier for all of our aromatics.
• Aromatics such as onion, garlic, and ginger each lend an incredible depth of flavour, from natural sweetness, butteriness, and warm peppery notes. Substitute onions for shallots and use homemade ginger garlic in place of the individual ingredients if needed — but never use jarred or tube pastes.
• Green chillies bring a sharp, fruity heat to the chilli paneer samosas.
• Bell peppers provide sweetness, crispness, and slight bitterness. I use mixed green and red bell peppers for a balanced flavour.
• Paneer is vital. Preferably, use fresh homemade paneer; if using shopbought, opt for the freshest, softest you can find. The Indian cheese is mild and creamy.
• Chilli sauce is an easy way to bring complex flavour to the dish, including punchy spice. I usually buy Maggi masala sauce.
• Dark soy sauce provides rich umami, with salty, caramelised, and intensely deep flavour. Don’t use light soy sauce.
• Cornflour (cornstarch in the U.S.) helps to make the sauces nice and sticky so it’s easier to fold the samosa. This isn’t pictured (sorry!).

You’ll Only Need Three Basic Ingredients for the Samosa Pastry

And it’s the best you’ll ever taste!

• Plain flour (AP flour for my U.S. readers) is the main ingredient.
• Oil is essential to create the bubbles in the pastry, and lends our samosa dough the distinctive flaky “short” pastry. You can also use melted ghee for extra richness.
• Water is required just to bring the dough together.

Variations

Although I always recommend making my recipe exactly as written at first — after all, I’ve tested this recipe many times to make it the best it can be — there’s no harm in experimenting!

Here are some examples:

• Increase your greens by mixing in finely chopped spinach with the paneer mixture.
• Add more herbs such as chopped mint, or a small amount of fresh methi.
• Melt shredded mozzarella into the mixture to up the cheese factor. This is a great option for cheese lovers and will mellow out the spice. It doesn’t have to be mozzarella — use your favourite cheese. Mild cheeses work best here so as not to overpower the paneer.
• Adjust the spice level by increasing the amount of green chillies used in the filling. Alternatively, omit them entirely for a completely child-friendly option.
• Play with sweet and spicy flavour notes by adding just a hint of grated jaggery to the filling.
• Make the recipe quicker by skipping homemade samosa pastry and using store-bought tortillas (cut into smaller pieces). This is a great hack, but you must “glue” the folded seal with cornflour paste.

Allergy Information

I always aim to make my recipes allergen-friendly. So, while, this recipe isn’t gluten free, soy free, or vegan as written, it’s easily adaptable.

Plus, it’s completely nut free without any need to substitute any ingredients.

Want to make this recipe vegan? Easy! Since my homemade samosa pastry is 100% vegan without any adaptations, all we need to do is switch out the paneer for homemade tofu. Because the texture is the same and tofu is such a neutral flavour, it’s a perfect swap.

To make paneer samosas soy free, you’ll need to swap the soy sauce for coconut aminos, which have high levels of umami without the soy. It’s commonly available in health food stores or on Amazon.

Unfortunately, chilli paneer samosas are less easy to make gluten free. You’ll need to use gluten free flour plus xanthan gum (if the mix doesn’t include it). Soy sauce also contains gluten, so you’ll need to switch that out for tamari, a direct substitution (my Mum even prefers it to standard dark soy sauce!).

How to Make Paneer Cocktail Samosas

Making chilli paneer samosas is a fun activity to do with family — it really speeds things up! You can also split the process across multiple days, which is especially handy if you’re prepping for a crowd.

Here’s an overview of the recipe instructions (it’s not nearly as cumbersome as it may seem!), while more detailed descriptions can be found in the recipe card below.

1. Make the samosa pastry by rubbing oil into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs, then mix in the cold water. Lightly knead into a smooth dough: cover and rest.
2. Make the paneer stuffing by heating oil in a pan. Fry the aromatics (green chillies, ginger, garlic cloves, and coriander stems), then add the chopped paneer, bell peppers, and onions. Quickly stir-fry until just charred, then mix in the sauces and cornflour. Switch off the heat.

How to Fold Samosa (Step-by-Step Photos)

Now it’s time to fold the samosas. It’s not as intimidating as you might think, and I’ve included handy step-by-step photos to help you out along the way.

1. Separate the dough into 28 small portions, and roll them into balls.
2. Take a dough ball, and, using a rolling pin and board, roll out the dough to a rectangular shape around 14cm (5.5″) long. Place the paneer stuffing on the top half (Fig 1).
3. Fold the dough over the filling and press down the sides (Fig 2).
4. Use a knife to trim the edges (Fig 3).

One of the amazing things about my homemade samosa pastry is that it’s so mess-free. There’s no need to flour your work surface or rolling board — the dough won’t stick.

Now, all that’s left is to cook the samosa:

1. Preheat neutral oil in a large deep-fat fryer or deep-sided saucepan over medium heat. Once the oil heats, add the samosas in small batches and fry until golden brown.
2. Drain on kitchen paper and repeat with the remaining cocktail samosas.

Can you bake or air fry cocktail paneer samosas? Absolutely!

While frying samosas will always give you that restaurant-style ultra-crispy result, if you’re a little more health-conscious, don’t hesitate to go ahead with one of these options.

• How to make samosas in the oven: Preheat your oven to 200 C (392 F) and line a tray with baking paper. Arrange your samosas on the tray and spray/brush with neutral cooking oil. Bake for around 40 minutes, turning the samosas halfway through cooking if necessary.
• How to make samosas in the air fryer: Preheat your air fryer to around 180 C (356 F) and spray/brush the samosa with oil. Air-fry for 15-20 minutes or until golden, turning halfway.

What to Serve with Chilli Paneer Samosa

While you can eat these paneer samosas straight from the fryer, serving them with a sauce or chutney on the side elevates the flavours to a whole new level.

I’m partial to a fresh yet bitingly spicy green chutney. If you prefer something more cooling on the palate, go with a BIR (British Indian Restaurant)-style mint sauce with yoghurt, or a simple raita (yoghurt dip).

However, the sky is the limit here! Think chilli sauce, Chinese dipping sauce (like the garlic chilli sauce that accompanies my fried mushroom wontons), mango chutney, or even tomato ketchup.

If you’re hosting a large party or presenting these paneer samosas as part of a festive platter, choose a selection of other Indian snacks like dahi puri chaat bombs, gluten free onion bhaji (a must!), and impossibly crunchy okra fries. Choose main dishes from my selection of curry recipes.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

If you tried this paneer samosa recipe — or any other recipe on my website — please leave a star rating and let me know your thoughts in the comments at the bottom of the page. Thanks for being a part of my community!

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