Baked Flaky Curry Puff

I prefer savory over sweet when it comes to finger food. After trying many different pastry recipes, with trial and error, I settled on this one. It's light and fluffy. Plus with the food processor, it takes less than 10 minutes to prepare.  

If you look carefully, the pastry in the above curry puff is fluffier than the one below, as I have rested the dough for 2 days in the fridge and the one below just rested overnight.  The taste and texture of the pastries are the same.

For the filling in the above picture, I had the potatoes cut into cubes, with some black mustard seeds and green peas. For the recipe below I had the potatoes shredded, no mustard seeds or green peas, as I ran out of them. The rest of the ingredients are the same. This recipe is vegetarian, you can add chicken of beef if you would like. Do feel free to ask if you have any questions.

 
For the pastry:  
(This recipe is enough for a 9" pie plate or 16 pieces of curry puff)
 
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, chilled and cubed
3 to 5 tbsp ice water






In a food processor (or you can use your fingers), add all purpose flour, salt and pulse a couple of times. Add butter and process until mixture resembles coarse sand. Add ice water, a tablespoon at a time and process until mixture forms into a ball. (PLEASE!! start checking the dough after adding the 2rd or 3rd tbsp of water, if the dough sticks together when pressing, that means you have enough water) 

 
Dust the counter top with some flour, place the dough on it and roll into a log (see picture on the right). Do work fast before the butter starts to melt or it will be very difficult to roll. Molding the dough into a log will make dividing easy later.

Wrap in a ziploc bag and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.  This dough can last up to a week in the fridge.

Note: I notice the pastry are fluffier after two days rest in the fridge. Use just a little flour for dusting, more will make the dough hard.

For the filling: 
(This recipe can make up to 32 pieces of curry puff.)

500gm potatoes, cut into small cubes or shredded
1 big onion, chopped
2 tbsp curry powder  (I used Baba's meat curry powder)
Curry leaves from a stamp, chopped
1 cube of chicken flavor bouillon (optional)
1 1/2 tsp garam masala (or 1 tsp fennel seeds and 2 tsp coriander seeds)
salt to taste
2 tbsp oil

1/3 cup frozen peas, optional
1 tsp mustard seeds, optional

Note: I find the shredded potatoes cooked faster compared to the cubed ones.

Rinse the shredded potatoes with cold water a couple of times to remove the potato starch (this will enable the potatoes to cook faster). Place in a strainer and set aside.

In a frying pan, heat oil on medium high heat and cook the onion until translucent. Add curry powder, garam masala (or fennel and coriander seeds) and mustard seeds if you are using them. Stir until you smell the aroma of the spices, be careful not to burn the spices. Pour in the potatoes, stir to combine with the onion and spices, add salt, chicken flavor bouillon and continue to stir from time to time until the potatoes are fully cooked (if you are using green peas, add when the potatoes are almost cooked).

Remove from the frying pan and let cool. This can be cooked in advance. Just store them in an air tight container or ziploc bag and refrigerate it.


Wrapping: 

Dust the counter top or chopping board with some flour, remove the dough from the ziploc bag and cut into 18 pieces. Use a roller and roll the dough into a round shape or almost round hehehe... (see picture on the right)  I am not perfect, but it works anyway.






Place 1/2 tbsp of the filling onto the pastry, fold into half moon shape. (see picture on the left)

Press the edges together (see picture on the right).

Now use your fingers to seal the edges by pinching a little of the dough at the edge, gently fold upwards and press to seal. Repeat until finished. (See the two pictures above) You can also use a fork or anyway you want to seal the edges together.

Heat oven to 350F. Keep the curry puff in freezer/fridge while waiting for the oven to heat up. Skip this step if your oven is ready. Bake for 30 minutes or until the color turns golden brown. Serve warm. 

Note: Return the dough to the fridge for at least 1/2 hour if it starts to get sticky when you roll them. 

Uncooked curry puff can be kept in the freezer for up to a month. When ready to bake, just put into the heated oven directly from the freezer.  

Cajun Chicken and Mushroom Stuffed Bell Peppers

 

We stopped in Pittsburgh PA on our way back from Toronto.  This city is also known as The Iron City and is the country's largest inland port. There are many things that interested us to make the stop. Other than the historical side, this is also the city of three rivers, the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers join to form the Ohio River.

There are many fresh markets and restaurants there. You will also find many old shops selling souvenirs, kitchen utensils, Asian groceries, herbs and spices from many different nationalities. I was especially attracted to one Italian grocery shop. The minute we stepped into the store, the aroma from the spices really enticed me. They have many freshly ground spices, baked Italian bread, cheeses, cured meats like ham, salami, Porchetta... all kind of nuts, fresh meats, vegetables etc. Their spices are stored in big containers and it is sold by weight. I was busy at the sample section!


The taste of their freshly baked  bread goes with the olive oil, the cheeses and not to forget the cured meat, mmm mmmm mmm! It is unforgettable. The shop has been there for over a  hundred years  and this is my kind of shop.





That afternoon, we had Mediterranean food for lunch, the food was barbecued right in the front of the restaurant and it was delicious. Their dinning area is nicely air conditioned. 

Now back to cooking. One of the spices that we bought is Cajun. I have used it mostly on chicken and fish. Today I used it on chicken, mushrooms and rice and here is the recipe.




4 large Bell Peppers, cut off the top and remove the seeds

For the filling:

1 cup Fresh chicken meat, cut into cubes  
1 tbsp Cajun Spice
1/4 tsp salt, omit this if the Cajun Spice has salt 
1 tsp red Spanish Wine

1 medium size Onion, chopped
3 large Button Mushrooms, cut into big pieces
2 cups Cooked Rice
1/3 cup frozen Green Peas 
1/4 cup Cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup Shredded Cheese
1/4 cup water 

1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

Wash bell peppers with cold running water, cut off the top of the bell peppers, remove seeds and core. Dry with paper towel and set aside.

Marinate the chicken with cajun spice, salt, red wine and set aside. 

Heat a frying pan on medium high heat. Add in 1 tbsp oil and 1tbsp butter, stir in the chopped onion. Once it starts to get translucent add mushrooms, stir for about 2 minutes then add chicken and saute until it is fully cooked (no more pink), pour in the cooked rice and green peas, stir and cover with lid for about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the lid, add salt and chopped cilantro, mix well and they are ready to stuff into the bell peppers. 

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Spoon the cooked chicken rice into the bell peppers, top with cheese and place into a baking pan/dish. Add 1/4 cup of water into

the pan and bake for 30 minutes. 

Serve warm with salad.

Pan Fried Potatoes with Paprika and Cumin

There are many definitions of Tapas. Generally, people know them as snacks, finger food or a light meal and can be served at any time of the day.  Tapas can be made by many different ingredients: ham, cheese, sausages, anchovies, eggs, nuts, vegetables and more. In Spain almost all the bars serve these. Usually they are displayed on the bar, the waiter will serve your selections on small plates. Every region has their own version/taste of Tapas.  It is something you should not miss when you visit Spain. This is one of the hundreds of recipes of Tapas, hope you like it.

3 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper, optional if you don't like spicy
1/2 tsp Salt

I lb Yukon Gold potatoes

Oil for frying

In a small bowl, mix together the paprika, ground cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and set aside.

Peel, wash the potatoes and cut into wedges. Heat oil, add the potatoes in single layer and cook for about 10 minutes, turning from time to time until golden brown. Remove and drain the oil on paper towels. While the potatoes are still hot sprinkle with the spices and gently toss it until all sides are coated. Serve warm.

Moroccan Tagine Chicken

I wanted to try Moroccan Chicken with preserved lemon for a long time. The spices used in the recipe look delicious. We finally brought a Tagine over a month ago, I can't wait to try the recipe but cannot because I couldn't find preserve lemon anywhere in the nearby supermarkets. Out of frustration I made my own. The lemons are supposed  to be preserved for at least a month. I couldn't wait and used it after a week hahahah... and it turned out fine. I have made another patch after that, this time I will wait for a  month at least, anyway you can use fresh lemon, I haven't tried that yet. I hope you will enjoy it as much as we do. This is another delicious comfort food that we love.

Ingredients:

1 tsp Cumin

2 cardamon

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon powder

2 tsp ground paprika

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 of a chicken, cut into medium size

1 tsp fresh ginger, I used a microplane to grate

Salt

1  medium Onion, chop 

2  clove garlic, chop

1 preserved lemon, rinsed, (discard pulp) and cut lemon into thin strips

1/2 cup olive, pitted
1/2 cup water

1/4 cup sour cream

fresh cilantro or parsley or both

Method:

1. Grind cumin, cardamon and pepper in a grinder, place in a small bowl, add in the rest of the spices, mix well and set a side.

2. Wash chicken with cold water, pat dry with paper tower and cut into medium size pieces, rub oil, ginger, salt (hold your horses on the salt here, as the preserved lemon has a lot of salt) and the mixed spice over the chicken and marinate for at least 2 hours or over night.

3.  Heat oil in a tagine or a heavy pot, on medium high heat, lightly brown all sides of the chicken, once ready add onion and garlic, stir well, add water, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Turn chicken, add sour cream, olives, preserved lemon and simmer until the chicken is fully cooked (about 30 minutes). Add salt to taste.

4.  Skim oil, mix in fresh parsley and serve hot with rice or couscous. 

Note: Tagine may crack with sudden change of temperature, If chicken is marinated in the fridge overnight, let the chicken sit in room temperature for a while before cooking.

Paprika Roast Chicken.

This is an easy meal to prepare. The leftovers can be made into many different dishes like sandwiches. It can be added into fried rice and goes into paprika soup, etc... You don't have to cook the whole chicken, you can cook with just drumsticks, thighs, breast meat or a mixture. If you cook less than the whole chicken, you will have to adjust the cooking time.

1 (4 - 5 lb) whole chicken
1 tbsp Paprika
1 tsp poultry
Salt and pepper to taste
2 gloves garlic cut into half, more if you like roasted garlic
5 tbsp melted butter 
1 tbsp cooking oil
2 lbs of potatoes, peeled






Preheat oven to 450°F. In a small bowl mix together paprika, poultry, salt, pepper and set aside.
 
Cut the potatoes into big chunks, drizzle with some oil and salt, mix together then arrange them into a roasting pan and set aside, the chicken will be placed on top of it.

Remove giblets from chicken (giblets can used for soup later). Rinse chicken inside and out with cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels. 

Rub oil all over the chicken, sprinkle the herbs mixture inside and out. Tie ends of the legs together with kitchen twine and tuck wingtips under. Place chicken breast side up onto the potatoes in the roasting pan. Reduce the heat to 400°F. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

Open the oven, baste the melted butter on the chicken. Drizzle some oil on the cut side of the garlic and add into the pan with cut side down. Bake 10 minutes and loosely shield the chicken with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning, cook for another 30 minutes or until the kitchen meat thermometer reaches 165°F in the inner thigh or the juices runs clear. Take the chicken out of the oven and let rest for 10 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a platter. Serve with roasted garlic and potatoes.