Paneer and Mint Snails | Indian Cottage Cheese , Mint Snails | Savory puff pastry

There are certain combinations that never fails to impress you. Movie with popcorn , Rain with paper boats  ... every one has their own favorites. More than a combination it's kind of an experience I would say.When it comes to food ,apple and cinnamon , lime and mint .... the list is endless. I love to have a  Spicy bajji (pakoras) with piping hot masala chai on a rainy day. And a new entry to this list is paneer , mint and garlic combo.

I had never tasted coffee or tea in my life until I started working. As I was into teaching and when colleagues used to have tea to soothe their throat , I was tempted to try it out there. I started having tea once in a while and  later every day . Sooner or later,whenever some of us had to meet , we will unanimously choose  Arasan Bakery for their signature masala tea and  flaky and spicy puffs. I've spent  many evenings enjoying this tea with my friends ...endless giggles , endless chit chats and endless puffs. I'm super happy to know that who ever I taught those days are now in corporate companies . Don't try to calculate my age ... I'm still young .

 I'm not taking tea any more because of my acidity issues,but then all those precious moments unfolded when a student cum friend from Sweden reached out to me through FB recently after almost 13 years and sharing those good old memories.I was pleased to know that even they all cherish those moments like me.

 Though I know I'm thousands of miles apart from them , I wanted to recreate that experience by making a spicy pastry and a piping hot tea and share virtually with them.

Now coming back to this pastry , this is super quick and party pleaser too. Make this ahead and freeze them until ready to bake. This is a winner with hot or cold drink. Try to pair them with one or two your favorites to entertain guests.

Ingredients

Puff pastry sheet ................................ 1, I used a store bought one
Paneer/ Indian Cottage cheese .......... 1/2 cup  ( If you wonder what is this , please refer notes)
Mint leaves, fresh .............................. 1/4 cup
Green Chili ........................................ 3 (adjust to heat )
Garam masala.................................... 1/8 tsp
Garlic ................................................ 3 cloves
Lime juice ......................................... 1 tbsp
Butter ............................................... 2 tbsp
Salt ................................................... to taste
Chili Flakes .................................... to taste

Method

Preheat oven to 400 F.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Thaw the puff pastry according to package direction.

Prepare the mint leaves and wash them.
Crumble the paneer and gather all other ingredients except butter and chili flakes.
Blend them for 30 seconds.
Flour the working surface and gently roll the puff pastry to a square.
Spread the paneer mixture uniformly leaving half an edge from the ends.
Roll gently to make a log.
Freeze it for 10 minutes to handle easily.
Melt the butter and season it with salt and chili flakes.
Cut the log into 1/2 inch thick discs and brush gently with butter.
Bake in the middle rack for 15 minutes or until golden on top.

Notes

Do not add water while grinding the mixture.
Use homemade paneer for best results , if using store bought one , let paneer stand in warm water for 15 minutes beforehand.
Use the mixture immediately after blending as mint might oxidize.
Have an eye on oven after 13 minutes to achieve perfect color.
You can replace paneer with tofu for variation and also Thai Basil works well here as well.

Paneer

Paneer | cottage cheese  is a fresh cheese used widely in Indain cuisine. You can prepare paneer by boiling milk and curdling it with an acid agent like vinegar or lime juice and separate the whey from cheese by a cheese cloth. Try this paneer recipe to make your own at home in a jiffy.