Crispy Thread Paneer

A crisp deep fried appetizer, Crispy Thread Paneer is a delicious restaurant style recipe.

Batons of paneer covered in a flavorful marinade and fried to golden brown, Served with a spicy sauce, this is addictive, comes together in under 30 minutes and is super delicious!

Indo-Chinese cuisine is such a popular one. And from Hakka Noodles and Burnt Garlic Fried Rice to the popular Babycorn Machurian and Chinese Bhel; these are recipes that are amazing.

These are popular all over India, probably do not exist in China and have a whole lineage of their own. Something that was only popular in India has not moved throughout the world; with Indians migrating and taking their love for the cuisine with them.

If you check out the appetizers the cuisine has to offer, you will be in love too. A mix of various colors, textures and ingredients from various cuisines; these are simply lip-smacking and amazing.

Jump to:

• What is Thread Paneer
• What is Kataifi
• Why this recipe works
• Ingredients and Substitutions
• How to make this recipe
• Expert Tips and Notes
• Substitute for Kataifi
• Recipe FAQs
• More Indo-Chinese Recipes
• Crispy Thread Paneer

What is Thread Paneer

When we talk about Indo-Chinese appetizers; we can NEVER leave out Crispy Thread Paneer. When you first look at a platter of thread paneer at a restaurant, you would wonder what it was.

Rounds of shredded dough filled with seasoned paneer is served with either a spicy sauce or a sweet chili sauce is the easiest way to describe Thread Paneer. The name literally is thread and paneer.

Paneer batons covered in 'thread' like strings, this deep fried treat is a keeper! The threads are crisp, made with phyllo dough. The easiest way of course is to use store bought Kataifi but there are several other ways to make it.

And I must say, while I have enjoyed truckloads of it in India, I have not yet spotted it here in the US.

What is Kataifi

Kataifi is essentially shredded phyllo dough. Thin vermicelli kind of spun strings, these are great in many middle Eastern recipes, especially desserts. From baklava to Knafeh, kataifi is great to use in these.

In this recipe we use kataifi for a savory dish. When fried, these thin noodles crisp up really well. Plus, being super long they are easy to wrap around anything and hold it together. No wonder then that kataifi is perfect in this recipe.

While I am unaware of the origin of this recipe of Crispy Thread Paneer; it is something I grew up enjoying at so many Chinese restaurants in India (yes, they are just Chinese restaurants there and not classified as Indo-Chinese).

Why this recipe works

• It is a super popular appetizer to enjoy at any Indo-Chinese restaurant.
• It makes a delicious fried appetizer at home.
• We can make this with a handful of ingredients.
• A vegetarian recipe, it can be made Vegan by replacing paneer for tofu.
• The recipe comes together in under 30 minutes.
• Super flavorful, we can add some other ingredients to make it even more spicy.
• These taste the best when just made, however can be made ahead of time.
• While I like to use shredded phyllo dough, there are several options as listed below.
• It is easy to make this for kids and adults.
• If not paneer, there are several options like shrimp and chicken that can be used.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Paneer: Paneer is the prime ingredient here. I like to use regular paneer rather than malai paneer. This is because malai paneer tends to disintegrate while rolling or frying. If using frozen paneer, thaw to room temperature before using.
• Shredded Phyllo dough: This is the next important ingredient. Kataifi or kanufa dough as it is popularly called makes a great covering for paneer. It crisps up when fried and makes the 'threads' really well. Available online and at a lot of middle eastern stores, I have also found it in some regular grocery stores. If this is unavailable, simply get phyllo dough sheets and slice them fine.
• Corn Starch and rice flour: I like to add corn starch to roll the paneer before coating it with shredded phyllo dough. Make a slurry with sauces and spices to flavor the corn starch. A little rice flour helps make the coating crisp.
• Garlic: Some minced garlic adds a lot of flavor to the thread paneer. However, this skip if you want to. Moreover, shredded ginger or green chili works here too.
• Sauces: Like most Asian recipes, we use soy sauce, tomato ketchup, vinegar and schezwan sauce. Given that this is an indo-chinese recipe, I like to use schezwan sauce over chili sauce. However, chili sauce works too.
• Seasonings: The sauces we use are full of flavor. Thus, we do not need a lot of seasonings. Just a pinch of salt and pepper is great for the recipe.
• Oil: We need to fry the thread paneer to make it crisp. Any neutral oil will work well for the recipe.
• Apart from this, we use some green onions to top the thread paneer and some schezwan sauce to dip it in.

See the recipe card for detailed ingredient information, measurements and nutrition.

How to make this recipe

1- Cut the paneer into batons. I like to make them 3-4 inches long and about 1 cm thick. I can make 12-15 batons with the paneer.

2- In a bowl add the ½ cup Corn Starch and 1 tablespoon Rice flour.

3- Add in the sauces and seasoning.

• 1 tsp Garlic (minced)
• 3 tbsp Schezwan Sauce
• 2 tbsp Tomato Ketchup
• 1 tsp Vinegar
• 1 tsp Soy Sauce
• 1 tsp Salt
• ½ tsp Pepper Powder

4- Use 3 tablespoon water and mix everything to a thick slurry.

5- Add in the paneer batons and coat well in the slurry.

6- Thaw the shredded phyllo dough. Separate a small section of it and place it on the board.

7- Place a baton of coated paneer on it.

8- Roll tight till you reach the end of the kataifi and set aside.

9- Repeat with the remaining batons and set aside.

10- Heat ½ cup oil in a pan. Once it is hot, test with a small bit of kataifi. If it floats up immediately, add in the thread covered paneer batons.

11- Fry on medium high flame, turning it once mid-way.

12- Once it is golden brown, remove and set aside. Serve topped with scallion greens; with some schezwan sauce on the side.

Expert Tips and Notes

• These are best to serve straight after making. They can be kept for 30 minutes or more without getting soggy. However, they become cold and not very appetizing.
• To make these ahead of time, simply flash fry them in hot oil before serving. Or place in a heated air fryer at 400 F for 5-7 minutes before serving.
• This crispy thread paneer is best served with spicy schezwan or chili sauce. Or enjoy it with sweet chili sauce.
• Once the thread paneer is put into hot oil, it tends to get all over the pan. Do not disturb it for 30 seconds and then put them all together using a slotted spoon.
• Make sure the paneer is at room temperature when you start the recipe. Frozen paneer tends to splatter in the hot oil and does not fry well.
• Also, the kataifi has to be at room temperature. To defrost well, I like to pop them in the refrigerator overnight. While it can be left on the counter for sometime, it does tend to become soggy and unmanageable. So I like to use the refrigerator.
• The marinade is full of schezwan sauce and chili sauce. However, it is great with other sauces like vegetable stir fry sauce, gochujang and so on.

Substitute for Kataifi

Kataifi is nothing but shredded phyllo dough. It is easy to find in the frozen aisle of Mediterranean stores or other grocery stores. I have often bought it from Asian stores and Indian stores too, but maximum luck is definitely in Mediterranean stores.

However, if it is not available, try and get spring roll sheets. Made of phyllo dough, these thin squares can be cut into thin strips and used. Wrap it firmly on the marinated paneer and fry. This tastes just like kataifi as it is essentially the same dough.

Moreover, cooked ramen or noodles work too. These will not be as even as kataifi but work. Simply boil the noodles and cool. Wrap them and fry the paneer for Crispy Thread Paneer.

Last option is vermicelli. Wrap the marinated paneer in vermicelli and fry till golden brown. Make sure you use vermicelli that is not roasted.

Recipe FAQs

More Indo-Chinese Recipes