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
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
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
