These Schezwan Paneer Cigars are made with crunchy layers of phyllo dough filled with spicy Szechuan sauce-coated paneer and veggies. It is an easy vegetarian Indo-Chinese appetizer great for entertaining your guests at a party. 

If you are planning to make Indo-Chinese at home then including Veg Manchurian and Hakka Noodles as a main dish alongside the cigars is a good idea.

A firecracker appetizer for Diwali!

This Diwali, don’t light a patakha, eat a patakha! These fiery cigars are literally firecrackers in your mouth bursting with a lot of crunch and texture. Don’t forget to dip it into extra Szechuan sauce for more flavor!

Paneer is always a hit

Paneer aka Indian cottage cheese is loved by vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. It is a crowd-pleasing ingredient and very easy to work with. A great finger food option to cater a gathering, potluck, or dinner.

It is all about the Schezwan sauce!

The Szechuan sauce also popularly known as Schezwan chutney in India is so flavorful that I can add it to everything. It is traditionally made with Szechuan peppers, garlic, and soy sauce as the main ingredients. If you don’t have access to it then dried Kashmiri or Bydagi chilies work great. I like to deseed the chilies before I make the sauce so that I can add a generous amount of it to any recipe without getting it extremely spicy.

How to make Szechuan sauce at home?

Szechuan sauce is very easy to make at home with a handful of ingredients, mainly dried red chilies, oil, soy sauce, and garlic. Here is a quick recipe for how to make a small batch of Schezwan sauce at home without Sichuan peppers.

Ingredients

Method

1. Mince the garlic and ginger by blending them in a food processor. (Very convenient).
2. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil.
3. As the water is boiling wash the chilies, cut off the top, and deseed chilies.
4. Do not deseed all of it.
5. Soak them in the hot water for 30 minutes or till they turn soft.
6. After 30 mins, discard the water and blend to make a nice and smooth paste by adding just a few tablespoons of water if needed. Keep the paste aside.  
7. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a wide pan.
8. Add in the minced garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
9. Add in the minced ginger and sauté for additional 2 minutes.
10. Now add in prepared chili paste and stir well.
11. Let it cook on low flame stirring occasionally for 2 minutes.
12. Next, add sugar, black pepper, soy sauce, and ketchup.
13. Stir everything well and cook for 6-8 minutes. Make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan.
14. Now add in the vinegar and cook for 2 more minutes or until you see oil separating on the sides.
15. Taste, and decide if it needs salt.
16. Let it cool completely before storing.
17.  Store it in an airtight container and refrigerate it until use.

Ingredient list to make this recipe.

Phyllo Dough Sheets – These sheets are famous as baklava sheets. The key to the crunch in this recipe is the outer covering that is the phyllo sheet. These sheets are easily available in leading departmental or grocery stores in the freezer section.

Melted Butter – To brush between the sheets and

Cooking oil – to cook the filling.

Paneer – I have cut long strips of paneer to roll it conveniently into the phyllo sheets. You will need one paneer piece per cigar.

Onions – I prefer thinly sliced onions. You can use white, red, or golden onion, does not matter. You can even use spring onions if you like.

Peppers – Adds a great crunch and color to the cigars rolls.

Szechuan sauce – I prefer homemade sauce as it is not crazy spicy and I can add a generous amount to this recipe. Store-bought Ching’s Szechuan sauce is very spicy, so be mindful while adding it.

Soy sauce– To make it a little tangy.

Ketchup – I like to add it for a bit of sweetness, just like it is for any Indo-Chinese dish.

Sat and pepper to taste.

Taste as you go!

Ok so let me tell you that this recipe is more of a freestyle one. There is no right or wrong about the spice going on in it. Add a little, taste, and adjust the quantity accordingly. As I mentioned earlier that the heat level of homemade and store-bought sauce varies, you will have to play with the quantity needed. It has to be spicy, a little tangy, and a bit sweet.

Step by step process

Thawing the phyllo sheets

Thaw the phyllo sheets as directed on the package. I use the Athens brand which mentions thawing overnight in the refrigerator or 3 hours on the countertop until pliable.

Preparing the filling

1. Heat oil in a wok or a broad pan.
2. Once warm add in all sauces, stir well.
3. Add in the onions, pepper, and paneer.
4. Cook for a minute. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Keep in mind that the sauces have salt in them. So, use it sparingly.
6. Let it cool down to room temperature before use.

Filling and baking process

Important tips!

• Do not overcook the filling. This is important to retain a good crunch.
• You can make the filling up to 2 days in advance and store it in the fridge until use.
• Do not forget to brush oil in between the phyllo sheets covering the borders as well.

Possible substitutes

• Swap homemade chutney for store-bought.
• Substitute ketchup with 1 teaspoon sugar.
• You can use spring roll wrappers instead of phyllo dough. But you will require just one wrapper per filling and a cornflour paste to seal the edges after rolling.

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Some more awesome paneer recipes here –

Paneer masala for dosa & sandwiches.

Achari paneer braided puff

Paneer Tikka

Shahi Paneer

Stir-fry paneer veggies

Schezwan Paneer Cigars Recipe

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5 from 5 votes

Schezwan Paneer Cigars

Schezwan Paneer Cigars is a vegetarian Indo-Chinese appetizer filled with spicy Szechuan paneer and veggies tucked in phyllo dough sheets

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Indian, indo-chinese

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Adjustable Servings –6 people

Author Khushboo

Ingredients

• Phyllo dough sheets 1 pack
• Melted Butter for brushing

For the filling

• 2 teaspoons oil
• 250 grams paneer cut lengthwise into thin strips
• 2 small onions cut thinly
• 1 bell pepper sliced lengthwise
• 1 cup
• 2 teaspoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons homemade Szechuan sauce
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Thawing the phyllo sheets

• Thaw the phyllo sheets as directed on the package. I use the Athens brand which mentions thawing overnight in the refrigerator or 3 hours on the countertop until pliable.

Preparing the filling

• Heat oil in a wok or a broad pan.
• Once warm add in the onions, pepper, and cook for 30 seconds.
• Add in all the sauces, and stir well for 20-30 seconds.
• Next, add in and paneer and gently fold it in.
• Cook for 30 seconds. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Keep in mind that the sauces have salt in it. So, use it sparingly.
• Let it cool down to room temperature before use.

Filling and baking process

• Preheat the oven at 400 deg F.
• Carefully unwrap it. We will work with 5 sheets at a time.
• Keep the remaining phyllo sheets covered under a damp towel so they don’t dry out.
• Place one sheet of phyllo on a baking tray or clean work surface and brush it with some melted butter all over the top. Make sure to cover the edges as well. Gently press the second sheet of phyllo on top. Repeat the process until you have stacked up 5 sheets.
• Do not brush butter on the topmost sheet as we are going to spoon filling on it.
• Now cut the stacked phyllo sheets into 6 even squares with a pizza cutter or a sharp serrated knife.
• Spread the prepared Szechuan paneer veggie filling along one side of the phyllo square closer to the edge, leaving about ¼ inch on each side. See video.
• Gently roll up the phyllo sheet to form a cylinder shape like a tube.
• Transfer the roll, seam side down, to a baking tray. Similarly, repeat the process to make more cigars.
• Once all cigars are placed on the baking sheet brush them with some melted butter on the top.
• Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the cigars are golden brown and crispy.
• Remove the baking tray from the oven and allow the cigars to cool down for a few minutes before serving.
• Enjoy it with a side of Szechwan sauce for dipping.

Step by Step video of the recipe –

Notes

Important tips!

1. If using store-bought Szechwan sauce start with 2 teaspoons, taste and add more as it is spicier.
2. Do not overcook the filling.
3. Do not forget to brush butter in between the phyllo sheets covering the borders as well.
4. This is important to retain a good crunch. I have used 24 paneer pieces so I got 24 rolls. 1 long strip of paneer in every cigar.

Make ahead of time tips.

• You can make the filling up to 2 days in advance and store it in the fridge until use.
• Store leftover phyllo rolls in a zip lock bag or air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• To crisp, it again, bake it at 200 deg C for 10 minutes.

Possible substitutes

• Swap homemade Schezwan chutney for store-bought.
• Substitute ketchup with 1 teaspoon sugar.
• You can use spring roll wrappers instead of phyllo dough. But you will require just one wrapper per filling and a cornflour paste to seal the edges after rolling.

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