Crispy Paneer Naan Pockets
shared by Nibblore Kitchen
Golden, buttery naan encloses warmly spiced paneer and a stretchy mozzarella center. Using ready-made naan keeps these pockets achievable on a weeknight, while a quick skillet finish creates crisp edges without deep-frying. Serve them hot with chutney or cooling yogurt. • Use low-moisture mozzarella rather than fresh mozzarella to keep the filling stretchy without making the naan soggy. • Keep the skillet at medium-low heat; higher heat can scorch the butter before the pockets crisp evenly. • Leave a clear border around the filling so melted cheese does not prevent the edges from sealing. • Replace mozzarella with shredded mild cheddar for a sharper, less stretchy filling. • Use mini naan to make smaller pockets, reducing the final oven time to 4 to 5 minutes. • Replace cilantro with finely sliced scallions if preferred. Refrigerate cooled pockets in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 190°C oven for 8 to 10 minutes or in an air fryer at 180°C for 4 to 6 minutes; microwaving will soften the crust. Freeze individually wrapped cooked pockets for up to 1 month, then reheat from frozen in a 180°C oven for 18 to 22 minutes.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Beginner-friendly
Create a free account to keep this recipe in your own cookbook and find it again when it’s time to cook.
Save to my cookbook — freeIngredients
- 1 tbspneutral oil
- 1 cupyellow onion, finely diced
- 225 gpaneer, coarsely crumbled
- 1 tspgaram masala
- ½ tspground cumin
- ¼ tspground turmeric
- ½ tspfine salt
- 2 tbspcilantro, finely chopped
- 4plain naan breads, approximately 18 cm wide
- 115 glow-moisture mozzarella, shredded
- 2 tbspunsalted butter, melted
- ½ cupplain yogurt, for serving
- ¼ cupmango chutney, for serving
Instructions
- 1Heat the oil in a 25 cm skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly golden.
- 2Add the crumbled paneer, garam masala, cumin, turmeric, and salt. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the spices are fragrant and the paneer is hot with a few browned edges. Remove from the heat, stir in the cilantro, and cool for 5 minutes.
- 3Heat the oven to 190°C and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. If the naan are stiff, warm them on the baking sheet for 2 minutes so they bend without cracking.
- 4Place the naan smooth-side down. Divide the paneer mixture over one half of each naan, leaving a 2 cm border. Top evenly with the mozzarella. Lightly brush the bare edges with water, fold each naan over the filling, and press the edges firmly together. Secure each pocket with two wooden toothpicks if the edges spring open.
- 5Brush both sides of the pockets with melted butter. Wipe out the skillet and heat it over medium-low heat. Working in two batches, cook the pockets for 2 minutes per side, pressing gently with a spatula, until crisp and deeply golden.
- 6Transfer the browned pockets to the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, until the cheese is completely melted and the centers are piping hot. Remove any toothpicks, rest for 2 minutes, then cut each pocket in half and serve with yogurt and mango chutney.