Paneer Samosas

These samosas are built around a filling that should stay loose.

specifically says to grate the paneer onto a platter and handle it lightly so it does not become one sticky mass. That detail matters because the filling also contains cilantro, mint, green onion, cashews, chili, ginger, lime, salt, and pepper.

Ingredients

Makes 6–7 servings, about 2 samosas each

• 5 cups paneer, grated
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped, about 3 cups
• 1 bunch fresh mint, chopped, about 3 cups
• 10 green onions, sliced, white parts only
• 1/4 cup cashews, chopped
• 4 fresh green chilies, minced, or to taste
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 tsp salt, or to taste
• freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 tbsp water
• samosa pastry
• olive oil spray

Method

Grate the paneer onto a large platter so it stays loose.

Mix the remaining filling ingredients in a bowl. Add the paneer and combine lightly with your fingers, avoiding compression.

Mix the flour and water into a sealing paste.

Preheat the oven to 300°F / 150°C. Fill the pastry with about 1 tbsp filling per samosa, fold according to the wrapper instructions, and seal the edges carefully.

Spray lightly with olive oil. Bake about 30 minutes, turn, spray again, and continue baking until browned.

Keep the paneer loose

A compact filling becomes heavy. Loose grated paneer allows herbs and aromatics to remain distributed rather than compressed into one dense center.

Lime, mint and cilantro do the balancing

Paneer and cashews are rich. Lime and fresh herbs keep the filling vivid.

The recipe depends as much on how the filling is handled as on what goes into it.