Curry Puffs

There's a Thai restaurant near my office called Rhong-Tiam. Their food is really good and they even use organic chicken and grass-fed, hormone-free beef. Plus they deliver! So every once in a while I indulge and have their curry puffs for lunch. They're so delicious, I like to get an extra order and bring them home to heat up the next day. Now don't get too excited, because this isn't their recipe. I just made this one up in an attempt to recreate something similar (only my version is vegetarian). I can't claim mine rival Rhong-Tiam's, but I liked them a lot and if I didn't live or work anywhere near Rhong-Tiam, I'd totally make them again (of course I don't have to, so I'll probably just pick up the phone and dial).

CURRY PUFFS

Yield: 18

1 large Yukon Gold potato (or 2 small)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 red onion, finely chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger

1 clove garlic, pressed or finely minced

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon sugar or palm sugar

1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper (or black pepper to taste)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro

1 (17.3 oz.) package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed

1 egg, beaten (optional)

1/2 cup unseasoned rice wine vinegar (optional, for dipping)

1.      Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Peel the potato and chop into large chunks. Boil until easily pierced with a fork (but not falling apart). Drain and rinse under cold water. Once cool enough to handle, dice and set aside.

2.      Heat oil in a large skillet. Saute the onion, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the curry powder, chili powder and turmeric and cook for 1 more minute.

3.      Add the diced potato, sugar, pepper and salt and cook for another 5 minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed. Set aside to cool.

4.      Heat oven to 400º F.

5.      Roll the puff pastry dough to ¼-inch thickness. Using a round cookie cutter, cut the dough into 3-inch rounds.

6.      Place a tablespoon of filling in the center of each round. Fold the pastry over to form a half circle. Crimp the edges together with a fork.

7.      Brush lightly with egg wash (optional – it just makes the pastry shinier) and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

8.      Serve puffs warm with rice wine vinegar for dipping (if desired).

raw red onions

adding garlic and ginger to cooked red onions

adding spices

spices mixed in

adding potatoes, sugar, salt and pepper

filling mixed

cutting rounds from rolled dough

filling on dough

folding over & sealing dough

crimping with a fork

brushing with egg

raw curry puffs

baked curry puffs

more baked curry puffs, without
egg wash (you can see they're duller)

curry puff up close

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