Cheese pockets are made with a stuffing consisting of grated cheese and chopped vegetables like carrots, capsicum and beans along with sweet corn, onions, ginger, garlic as well as a variety of spices. It is stuffed inside a maida wrapper and deep fried to perfection. The steps are quite easy to make cheese pockets at home, as you will realize when reading my recipe.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Cheese pockets are one of the favorite snack items, especially for kids.
- Serve them hot with tomato ketchup, tamarind chutney, green chutney, mustard sauce, or yogurt dip.
- Cheese pockets taste creamy, spicy, and slightly sweet.
- Other similar recipes are paneer pockets, vegetable pockets, chicken pockets, prawn pockets, and mutton pockets.
The Ingredients:
To make the stuffing:
- 1 cup processed cheese (grated)
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 tbsp ginger (finely chopped)
- 1 tbsp garlic (finely chopped)
- 1 tbsp green chilies (finely chopped)
- ½ cup onion (1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped)
- ½ cup carrots (finely chopped)
- ½ cup capsicum (finely chopped)
- ½ cup beans (finely chopped)
- 2 tbsp sweet corn
- ½ tsp black pepper powder
- 1 tsp garam masala powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 piece potato (medium size, boiled, mashed)
- ¼ cup of coriander leaves (finely chopped)
To make the dough:
- 300 grams refined wheat flour (maida)
- 3 tbsp cooking oil
- Salt to taste
- ¼ tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
- Water as required
To make the slurry:
- 2 tbsp refined wheat flour
- A pinch of salt
- Water as required
To deep fry the pockets:
- Cooking oil – An adequate amount
I found this recipe on a chit inside my younger son’s drawing box. I asked him what it was all about and he said that he had heard it on a cartoon channel and copied it. He also added that I try to make it for him. I was impressed and laughed at him but took his wish as my command.
I made it the next evening to surprise him. My husband was impressed by the creativity, and both boys were delighted. “See, cartoons are useful!” they said. Now, it is our fun Friday meal. That tiny note reminded me that inspiration can come from anywhere—TV, toys, or the unexpected corner of a crayon box filled with messy dreams and magical recipes.
How to Make Cheese Pockets? (Step by Step Guide with Images)
Step 1: Heat 1 tbsp of cooking oil in a frying pan and put 1 tbsp of finely chopped ginger, garlic, and green chilies in it. Sauté them for a minute on a high flame. Now, add ½ cup of onion (1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped) and sauté it for a minute as well.
Step 2: Then, add ½ cup of carrots, capsicum and beans, all finely chopped, and fry them on a high flame for about a minute or two. When done, add 2 tbsp of sweet corn and mix nicely.
Step 3: Now, add ½ tsp of black pepper powder, 1 tsp of garam masala powder, salt to taste, and 1 piece of potato (medium size, boiled, mashed) to it and mix everything nicely.
Step 4: Now, switch off the gas stove, add ¼ cup of finely chopped fresh coriander leaves, and mix nicely with the stuffing. Let it cool down completely.
Step 5: While the stuffing cools down, make the dough for the pockets. Take 300 grams of refined wheat flour (maida) in a mixing bowl and add 1 tbsp of cooking oil, salt to taste, and ¼ tsp of carom seeds (ajwain) in it. Mix them nicely until the maida sticks together and forms like a ball when pressed by hand, as shown in the image below.
Step 6: Now, add water gradually as required to make a soft dough. Cover it and keep it aside for 15 minutes to set properly.
Step 7: Now, add a cup of grated processed cheese to the stuffing and mix it nicely.
Step 8: Now, in a separate bowl, take 2 tbsp of refined wheat flour, a pinch of salt, and add water as required to make a thick slurry.
Step 9: Now, to make the pockets, take a small portion of the dough, make a small ball, and roll it like a thin puri, and apply the slurry on its edges.
Step 10: Put a spoonful of the stuffing in the middle.
Step 11: Now, fold one side, then another, and then the two ends to complete the pocket.
Step 12: Repeat steps 9 to 11 to make all the pockets and keep them on a plate aside.
Step 13: Now, heat an adequate amount of cooking oil in a kadai on a low to medium flame to deep fry the cheese pockets. When the oil is hot, put the pockets one by one carefully from one side of the kadai and turn the flame to low.
Step 14: Let it fry on one side nicely for 3 to 4 minutes and then flip them one by one. Let them cook for another couple of minutes on a low flame until they turn golden brown in color. Remove when done and put them on a plate with tissue paper to absorb the excess oil. Fry all the pockets in the same way.
Step 15: Your tasty and crispy cheese pockets are now ready to serve. Transfer them to a plate and serve them with tomato ketchup.
Recipe Card
Cheese Pockets
Ingredients
To make the stuffing:
- 1 cup processed cheese grated
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 tbsp ginger finely chopped
- 1 tbsp garlic finely chopped
- 1 tbsp green chilies finely chopped
- ½ cup onion 1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped
- ½ cup carrots finely chopped
- ½ cup capsicum finely chopped
- ½ cup beans finely chopped
- 2 tbsp sweet corn
- ½ tsp black pepper powder
- 1 tsp garam masala powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 piece potato medium size, boiled, mashed
- ¼ cup of coriander leaves finely chopped
To make the dough:
- 300 grams refined wheat flour maida
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- Salt to taste
- ¼ tsp carom seeds ajwain
- Water as required
To make the slurry:
- 2 tbsp refined wheat flour
- A pinch of salt
- Water as required
To deep fry the pockets:
- Cooking oil – An adequate amount
Instructions
- Heat 2 tbsp of cooking oil in a frying pan and put 1 tbsp of finely chopped ginger, garlic, and green chilies in it. Sauté them for a minute on a high flame. Now, add ½ cup of onion (1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped) and sauté it for a minute as well.
- Then, add ½ cup of carrots, capsicum and beans, all finely chopped, and fry them on a high flame for about a minute or two. When done, add 2 tbsp of sweet corn and mix nicely.
- Now, add ½ tsp of black pepper powder, 1 tsp of garam masala powder, salt to taste, and 1 piece of potato (medium size, boiled, mashed) to it and mix everything nicely.
- Now, switch off the gas stove, add ¼ cup of finely chopped fresh coriander leaves, and mix nicely with the stuffing. Let it cool down completely.
- While the stuffing cools down, make the dough for the pockets. Take 300 grams of refined wheat flour (maida) in a mixing bowl and add 3 tbsp cooking oil, salt to taste, and ¼ tsp carom seeds (ajwain) in it. Mix them nicely until the maida sticks together and forms like a ball when pressed by hand, as shown in the image below.
- Now, add water gradually as required to make a soft dough. Cover and keep it aside for 15 minutes to set properly.
- Now, add a cup of grated processed cheese to the stuffing and mix it nicely.
- Now, in a separate bowl, take 2 tbsp of refined wheat flour, a pinch of salt, and add water as required to make a thick slurry.
- Now, to make the pockets, take a small portion of the dough, make small ball and roll it like a thin puri, and apply the slurry on its edges.
- Put a spoonful of the stuffing in the middle.
- Now, fold one side, then another, and then the two ends to complete the pocket.
- Repeat steps 9 to 11 to make all the pockets and keep them on a plate aside.
- Now, heat an adequate amount of cooking oil in a kadai on a low to medium flame to deep fry the cheese pockets. When the oil is hot, put the pockets one by one carefully from one side of the kadai and turn the flame to low.
- Let it fry on one side nicely for 3 to 4 minutes and then flip them one by one. Let them cook for another couple of minutes on a low flame until they turn golden brown in color. Remove when done and put them on a plate tissue paper to absorb the excess oil. Fry all the pockets in the same way.
- Your tasty and crispy cheese pockets are now ready to serve. Transfer them on a plate and serve them with tomato ketchup.
