Sicilian Orange!.. an interesting baked snack made using sweet potato and paneer.. soft inside and crunchy outside this starter is one of the crowd pleasers in parties and get-togethers..

Tasted this for the first time at one of my friends anniversary party at her house. She had prepared this using mashed potato and panner. Inspired by its unique shape and remarkable taste, got to know the recipe from my dear friend and tried it at the next immediate occasion. Just to give some variation, I incorporated sweet potato in place of potato to enhance it’s taste, texture and health quotient. Since then, I have made this snack frequently for family as well as for parties. Each time, this cute little snack Sicilian Oranges never failed to impress whosoever relished them.

The best part of this recipe is you can prepare this well ahead (except for the baking part) and freeze it in a zip-lock bag for weeks. Just before serving, thaw them and bake. A hassle-free starter in true sense. Do give it a try and let me know how it tasted in comments section.

Ingredients

For Dough

• Sweet Potato – 4 nos, medium-sized, boiled and mashed
• Rice Flour – ½ cup
• Butter – 2 tbsp
• Black Pepper – ½ tsp, coarsely powdered
• Salt to taste

For Stuffing

• Paneer – ½ cup, crumbled
• Onion – 1 medium-sized, finely chopped
• Green Chilly Paste – ½ tsp
• Ginger Paste – ½ tsp
• Salt to taste
• Cooking Oil – 2 tsp

For Coating

Cornflakes – 3 tbsp, coarsely powdered

For Garnishing

Fresh Mint Leaves – few twigs

Method

• For Dough: In a mixing bowl, add butter, rice flour, salt and pepper to mashed sweet potato. Mix well sans any lumps. Cover and keep it aside.
• For Filling: In a kadai, heat oil, sauté green chilly and ginger paste. Add chopped onion and sauté till it turns translucent.
• Add salt and crumbled paneer. Saute for a minute till it absorbs the moisture. Remove from flame. Let it cool.
• Take large lemon-sized dough, fill it with paneer stuffing, cover the edges. Shape it like an orange.
• Give a nice coating with crushed cornflakes. Make a slight dent on the top. Repeat the same for the remaining dough.
• Arrange them in a lined baking tray. Bake at 200 C for 10 mins.
• Transfer to a serving tray. Garnish them with fresh mint leaves.
• Serve hot with any sauce of your choice.

Happy Cooking!