Chicken Curry Puffs

curry puff 1
curry puff 2
curry puff 3
curry puff 4

Traditionally eaten at tea time, curry puffs are pastries filled with hearty mix like potatoes or minced meats. These savory hand pies are similar to Hispanic empanadas or Indian samosas, and are a great treat that you can make at home to serve as an appetizer, cocktail food, or as a light lunch or dinner. Serve them hot, or make a big batch to freeze and keep for later. Once a month I make a batch of sauces, chutneys, puffs and mantoo to keep on hand in the freezer; my husband loves these because he can pop them in the oven whenever he’s in the mood for one. These puffs are delicious with my spicy green sauce or white sauce.


FILLING COOK TIME: 15 minutes lPREP TIME: 30 minutes l BAKE TIME: 15 minutes (small) & 30 minutes (large)

TOTAL TIME: 1 hour - 1 hour 15 minutes


Ingredients

  • 1 lb. chicken thighs, boneless and skinless (or) 1 lb. ground chicken

  • 1 tablespoon neutral oil

  • 2 cups of water

    • 1 cup for assembly

    • I cup for cooking chicken thighs only

  • 1 egg, whipped in a bowl with a tablespoon of water for egg wash

  • 2 teaspoons curry powder

  • 1 teaspoon garam masala

  • ½ teaspoon onion powder

  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

  • ½ teaspoon chili powder (optional)

  • 1 package 17 oz. package of puff pastry

  • Special equipment: baking sheet lined with parchment paper and rolling pin. If you don’t have a rolling pin you can use any long glass bottle on hand but just rinse it first.

set up
cutting pastry
ground chicken
pulled chicken curry
crimping curry puff
curry puff sizes

Directions

Makes: 18 small appetizer size (or) 8 large empanada size puffs

  1. Remove puff pastry from freezer and allow to defrost as per packaging instructions.

  2. Mix together curry powder, garam masala, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, chili powder (optional) and set aside.

  3. Cook chicken and allow to cool for 30minutes.

    • For ground chicken, add chicken to large skillet with 1 tablespoon of neutral oil. Crumble into small piece using a wooden spoon and cook until lightly browned. Stir in seasoning mix to evenly coat the meat mix.

    • For chicken thighs, coat the chicken with half the seasoning mix and sear in a large skillet with 1 tablespoon of neutral oil. Cook chicken on each side for 3 minutes or until browned on both sides. Once browned, add 1 cup of water to the pan and cook chicken on medium-low covered for 7-10 minutes. Shred cooked chicken using 2 forks, add back to skillet and stir in remaining half of seasoning mix.

  4. Roll out puff pastry sheets lightly to remove cracks and cut to size.

    • For large pastries, cut every sheet into 4 equal squares; for small, cut into 9 equal squares.

  5. Preheat oven to bake at 400 degrees.

  6. Set up assembly station with cut puff pastries, water bowl, filling mix, lined baking sheet and egg wash.

  7. Wet the edges of the sheet only using your fingers.

  8. Spoon filling onto each square (about 1.5 tablespoon for small, 3 tablespoons for large), and fold diagonally to form a triangle, pressing the edges together.

  9. Crimp the edges with a fork and transfer to a baking sheet.

  10. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sea salt.

  11. Repeat steps 7-10 for all puffs.

  12. Bake for 15 minutes (small) or 30 minutes (large), until golden brown.

Enjoy hot with spicy green sauce or white sauce !

Make ahead and freezing instructions:

Defrost dough: Follow instructions on packaging.

To make ahead: Filling can be made up to 3 days in advance (depending on freshness of ingredients used), and stored in the fridge.

To freeze: Place unbaked curry puffs on a baking sheet and freeze for 4 hours, then transfer to a freezer safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months, Thaw for 15-30 minutes (depending on size) prior to baking.


Tripti Kumar-Ghuman