Easy Vegetarian Curry Puffs

Spiced potato and pea filling

1. Peel the potatoes and cut into a small dice (about 1 cm). Place the potato in a bowl of cold water until ready to use.
2. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the onion and bay leaves and cook until onions are softened. Add garlic, ginger, turmeric (if using), 1 tsp garam masala, cinnamon and black pepper, and saute for 30 seconds. Add the potatoes, sugar and salt, and stir to coat the potatoes in the spice mix.
3. Cook the potatoes until they are softened and slightly caramelized. Stir potatoes every 5 - 8 minutes to prevent them from burning. The potatoes should be softened and caramelized in 15 - 20 minutes, depending on the heat of your stove.
4. Add the frozen peas and the remaining ½ tsp garam masala and saute the mix until the peas are heated through. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
5. Finally add the butter, and mix well.
6. Remove the filling from the heat and let it cool down to room temperature. The cooled down filling can also be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. Remove the bay leaf as soon as you’re ready to use the filling.

Vegetarian curry puffs

1. Roll out the puff pastry to a thickness of about 3 mm. If using puff pastry sheets, you may still need to roll it out until it has the desired thickness.
2. Using a 3.5 inch cookie cutter, cut out circles of puff pastry. Alternatively you can cut the puff pastry into 3.5 - 4 inch squares as well.
3. Flatten the edge of the puff pastry circle and place it on your palm. Then while your palm is slightly cupped, fill the center with a generous spoonful of the curried potato and pea filling.
4. Moisten the edge of the puff pastry and fold it over to form a puff pastry half circle. Seal the edge well with your fingers first, and then crimp the edges with a fork. (See pictures in the post for more details.)
5. If using square pastries, fold over to form a triangle, seal the edges with your fingers first, and then crimp with a fork, as above.
6. Place the pastries on a parchment paper-lined baking tray and cover with plastic wrap or a clean cloth napkin. Repeat with all of the pastry and filling.
7. Keep the pastries at room temperature if you’re baking them immediately. If you’re baking the next day, keep them covered with plastic wrap in the fridge (take care not to let the pastries touch, as they will stick to each other).
8. If you want to store them for longer, then transfer them to the freezer.

Baking the curry puffs

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the pastries on the baking tray with about 1 inch of space between each.
3. For the egg wash, whisk the egg lightly until the yolk and white are well-mixed.
4. Brush the tops with egg wash and bake in preheated oven until golden brown and puffed up - about 20 minutes.
5. Serve while warm, or at room temperature.