Spicy Meat Puffs




Almost twenty or so years ago vegetable /meat puffs made a very dramatic entry into the bakeries in Kerala. Upscale Cochin based bake houses did welcome these impressive snack years before that, but in the above mentioned period, a silent culinary gale of change swiftly passed through many a number of small town and village bakeries spreading the word about this new tasty bite. As a child I was thoroughly impressed by this flaky, layered savory snack, and was a bit confused about that special trick those bakers applied to make the dough fine and flaky. In that pre-puff pastry awareness era, the only working concept I managed to develop for the building of this amazing pastry was a wee bit queer!!! My nearly nascent brain absolutely imagined and almost believed that, these fine layers are nothing but ultra thin chapatis, and liberally distributed this idea among all my friends. Luckily all of us grew up and I hope everyone found out the truth in their own way. This spicy sibling of a savory turnover is simple to make especially when you are using store bought puff pastry sheets. The following is a very basic recipe for regular meat puffs, the ones which made this snack immensely popular.
Read LG’s interesting “Growing up- puffs” story and egg puffs recipe here
Puff pastry sheets 2
Minced meat (chicken or beef) 2 cups
Finely chopped onions ¾ cup
Ginger-finely chopped 1 ½ tsp
Garlic-Finely chopped 1 ½ tsp
Green chilies (cut into rounds) 1/4 tsp
Green chilly skin (deseeded & chopped) 1 tsp
Curry leaves, coarsely chopped 1 ½ tbsp
Turmeric ¼ tsp
Coriander powder 1 tsp
Garam masala 1 tsp
Finely crushed Fennel seeds ¼ tsp
Egg ( beaten ) 1
Oil 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Thaw pastry sheets, unfold and spread on a flat surface, gently run a rolling pin over to repair any cracks or imperfections on the surface. Heat oil, sauté onions, ginger, garlic, green chilies, chopped chilly skin, curry leaves, adding in that order till the onions are slightly browned. Add turmeric, coriander powder, garam masala, fennel seeds, and sauté for a minute. Add the meat and mix well, keep it covered and cook for 10 more minutes. Remove the lid, increase the heat, and cook till the mixture is dry (2-3 min). Cut pastry sheets into squares, brush the sides with beaten egg. Keep some filling in the middle and turn one side over to the other covering the filling. Press the sides to seal, and brush the top with beaten eggs. Bake at 350 degree F for 20 minutes or till it is golden brown.

45 comments:

Shammi said...

My brother's written about veg puffs - not a food post but a nostalgic memories type thing :) (http://gopalsworld.blogspot.com/2005/11/my-first-puff.html)

Your cake photos are gorgeous... and those cakes - those are to DIE for! I'm completely bowled over by your huge talent. Going to add you to my bloglist because how could I NOT? :)

Nav said...

This is my first-time around on your website. Wow! you are a baking godess there. Really amazing baking and decorating skills.

Cheers,
Nav

Nabeela said...

those are wonderful looking puff pastries....haven't had them since I left India...do you know where I can get puff pastries? Any grocery store?

Sumitha said...

Hey Archana,a must try for me,I love to have puffs with a cup of tea!Beautiful pics too!

Anonymous said...

The egg has given your pastry a wonderful shade of brown.Wow!

Okay,Okay,now to serious matters. We poor non-cake makers have only these puffs etc to blog! Now you start making these puffs also look like gorgeous paintings, what are we simple souls going to post? Take a look at my puff pic now,
looks like mine came from somalia and yours from U.S.A :))
വെറുതെയാണെ,എനിക്കിച്ചരെ നാക്കു കൂടുതലാന്ന അമ്മ പറയാറ് :-) എല്ലാം എല്ലാം പോസ്റ്റണം കേട്ടൊ. :-)

Neelu said...

O wow...looks tasty, wonderful picture. I do this with paobhaji, If excess of it remains. I mash in a boiled potato to thicken it and it tastes great. Thankyou for sharinf the recipe wit h us.

Sudha said...

archana, thats a wonderful puff..miss them..havent had them since we left india,,btw can u tell me where do we get the puff pastery sheets? i wanna bake these puffs for my little one..your are recipes are great archana..

Nila said...

Hi archana,
Oh my God, all your cake decoration is marvellous. You have a wonderful artistic skills. Amazing photos.Keep up the good work.
Your puffs reminding me of Adayar Bakery in chennai. They make wonderful puffs too.

Anonymous said...

Hi sudhav,
If you are in U.S, you get pastry sheets from your American Grocery stories. Check here

Anonymous said...

Sorry, clicked before completing.
Puff Pastry Sheets will be in the frozen isle.

archana said...

Shammi,
Thank you for visiting, i have been to your blog many times before. I read the post, it is really amazing to read how we all were so fascinated about this snack as kids. I am so happy that you liked the cakes, thank you for linking me up. Do visit again

Nav
Thank you for coming, i appreciate your kind words

Nabeela
Thank you very much. LG has posted a link for the pastry sheet. Look for the dough in frozen food section, quite often you will find this near packs of phyllo sheets, and pre-made pie crusts.

Sumitha
Oh yes, i love it with a cup of tea or a cup of cofee. Do try it out ..

LG..LG..LG
No cake or puff will ever match the wonderful sense of humour you have,and morover if you had not posted your puffs story, i might not have made this one at all. Why r you being this humble to flatter my silly soul up? Thank you LG, u r a dear. Avisyam pole varthanam paranjolo LG, kuttiyude
comment vaiychu njangal randu perum sarikku chirichu. Nandi...
Thank you for posting the link LG

Neelu
Thank you,that sounds like a good idea. I can almost guess how good the taste will be with tomatoes and everything. Thanks for the idea.

Sudhav,
Thank you. I am sure that your cute little one will like it. LG, has answered your question, look for it in the frozen food isle , and you will find most of the time sitting near to frozen phyllo sheets, pie crusts etc.

Nila
Thank you, for these kind words. Don't we all miss those puffs bought from our favorite bakeries. BTW, i know someone who loves everyhting about Adayar bakery.

Jen said...

When it comes to pastry you can do no wrong, it's got my vote : ) your puffs are amazing.

I just discovered your blog, its great, I love your cakes and your photos..anyway i'm rambling, but yes, nice blog.

Unknown said...

I just made omething like tat using potatoes & prawns last week. Anyway, ur puffs look neater & more delicious.

Krithika said...

Pics look great. I usually make this with potatoes or tofu.

Anonymous said...

Hi Archana,

Your Puffs looks great. Just like the ones we get in Kerala bakeries. Hmmm mine come out really like Somalia ones like how LG mentioned :-)....LG not even as good as urs. Infact it doesnt puff up much, used to wonder y...Next time I am going to brush egg as you suggested. I hope it comes out like our good old Kerala puffs.

Ashwini said...

Oh I just loved the rose cake...orange juice??? Its more like champagne honey :-)

Vineela said...

Hi Archana,
I tagged you for meme.
Vineela

Mandira said...

Hi
You puffs look amazing. Beautiful cakes, and best of all gorgeous pictures!
Perfect place to get recipes for my sweet-tooth cravings!

archana said...

Jenjen
Thank you for visiting Spicyana, i do appreciate your kind words. Visit again..

Pushpa,
Thank you. Prawn filling is a nice idea, and considering your impressive baking skills i am sure it looked and tasted very good.

Krithika,
Thank you, i make the veggie version using potatoes,and other chopped mixed vegetables. Never tried tofu as a filling, sounds like a very good idea !!!

Kerala Girl,
Thank you, you are really flattering me now... I am not really doing anything special with the pastry sheets. I usually thaw the sheets completely by keeping it out for 2 hrs. Eggs will give a nice glow for the surface. It will be good to check the real oven temperature using an oven thermometer. ( Sometimes it will be drastically different from the set or displayed temp.). Hope this helps.

Ashwini,
Thank you dear, here's a toast for you, for those kind words !!!

Vineela
My very first meme!!!!!!
Thanks a bunch

Mandira,
Thank you for visiting, i am glad that u liked it. Do come in often.

Gattina Cheung said...

Archanat,
oh my gash!!! I love (love love love... ) savory pastries and green chillies. In the ingredient list has included chilly "skin" (interesting to me), but then this item isn't mentioned in the cooking process... did I miss something?
Archanat, you takes beautiful pics, perfect lighting and sharpness! I always enjoy reading your little story in the introduction. Can't wait to see more of your new entries and wonderful dishes/cakes!

RP said...

Beautiful puffs Archana!
As beautiful as your cakes!
So.......what's next? I love seeing your creations.

Anonymous said...

Archoos
I am going to cook this one for sure.
i remember those puffs we all used to eat at priyadarsini hills coffee shop...
Gone are those days.
One more comment
You are a better photographer too
start a blog with only pictures of whatever you like
I am sure there will be many more to admire
love
joyce

Shah cooks said...

hi,
Your meat puffs looks awesome. do you think u can fed-ex some to me?mouth watering photos.Nice work. Keep it up.

Sudha said...

archana, i tried the puff, taniya liked it a lot..But i tried the veg version of it..Thank you so much...

indianadoc said...

As usual, brilliant baking Archana...you seem to have specialised in it!

Anonymous said...

Archana ,your lovely Puffs picture is so tempting .. I have included this in my wish list for this week...:)

archana said...

Gattina,
Thank you for all these kind words, i love savory pastries too. The chilly skins are for getting that extra zing without adding the heat. I have corrected the instructions now. Thank you Gattina, i do learn a lot from your photos, your close up shots are a real feast to the eyes.

Joyce chechi
That's exactly what we were talking about when i made this. Puffs and coffee, forever paired,forever loved !!!! Do make it, it is easy as a breeze. Thank you so much, you are very kind.

Shaheen
Thanks for visiting, i am glad that u liked it. I guess i can !!!

Sudha,
Mhhh, now i know, that tiny little beauty is Tania !!!! I am so happy that u tried it, i have one more sheet remaining, i might try veg puffs today. Thank you for letting me know Sudha...

Doc
Thank you dear..

Lera
Thank you so much

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous puff pictures and a good meaty recipe..:)

Visala Manaskan said...

പണ്ട്, കോളേജില്‍ പഠിക്കുമ്പോള്‍ അടുത്ത റെസ്റ്റോറന്റില്‍ നിന്ന് ഉച്ചക്ക് പതിനൊന്നര പന്ത്രണ്ട് മണിയാവുമ്പോള്‍ മീന്‍ കറിയുടെ മണം വരും. അപ്പോള്‍‍ ഞങ്ങള്‍ പറയും.

‘ഇപ്പോ വെറും ചോറ്‌ മാത്രം കിട്ട്യാലും മതി, രണ്ട് കിണ്ണം ചോറുണ്ണാം‘ എന്ന്.

അതേ പോലെ, എനിക്കിപ്പോള്‍ ഓഫീസില്‍ ചായ കുടിക്കണമെങ്കില്‍ ‘കടി’ വേറെ വേണ്ട. ഈ ഫോട്ടോ നോക്കിയാ മതി!!

അപാര പടങ്ങള്‍.

കരാട്ടെക്കാര്‍ കുമ്പിടുന്ന (ബോ) പോലെ അര്‍ച്ചന സഹോദരിയുടെ മുന്‍പില്‍ ഞാന്‍ എണീറ്റ് നിന്ന് ‘ഹൂഷ്’ എന്ന പറഞ്ഞ് കുമ്പിടുന്നു/നമിച്ചിടുന്നു.

ഓഫ് റ്റോപ്പിക്ക്:

കഴിഞ്ഞ പോസ്റ്റിലെ കേയ്ക്കിന്റെ പടം കൊണ്ടുപോയി എന്റെ ഭാര്യക്ക് കൊടുത്ത്, ‘ഇത് പോലെ ഇണ്ടാക്കടീ’ എന്ന് പറഞ്ഞപ്പോള്‍ അവള്‍ എന്നെ ‘അല്‍ ഖയാം ബേയ്ക്കറിയിലേക്ക് റെഫര്‍ ചെയ്തു, അവിടെ പോയി വാങ്ങിക്കോ’ എന്ന് പറഞ്ഞൂ. :)

Gattina Cheung said...

Archanat,
thank you for the reply. I was going to make your meat puffs but suddenly occupied by somethings these days. Will let you know how mine turns out later.
Oh I'm flattered by your kinds words :) Thanks again!

archana said...

Sailu
Thank you

Vishalji
Thank you for visiting. Ithrayum prothsahippikkunna nalla manssinu nandi. Iniyum varuka.

Gattina,
You are very welcome, eagerly waiting to see your puffs photos
Archana

Sowjanya said...

wow, really mouth watering. Nice work archana.

Anonymous said...

I'm visiting your blog for the first time...Your recipes all look very tempting...Adipoli! I've added naan recipe and this meat puff in my "must try" list. thanks for sharing such wonderful recipes here.

Gattina Cheung said...

Archana,
I am going to make the puffs today. Suddenly one question pops in my head... would it make any different if I don't saute the meat for that long (10 mins)? As I was think they will be baked anyway? What do you think?

archana said...

gattina,
You can decrease the cooking time depending on how well you want the meat to be done.Probabaly you can reduce the cooking time, and cook it uncovered at high heat for a short while , so that most of the moisture will escape and the mixture will be semi dry. Can't wait to see the photos. Thank you for trying this friend.

Gattina Cheung said...

Archana,
I'm most happy to try your lovely recipe my friend! I do like the meat stayed a bit juicy inside the pastries. So, I did it (took your advice, not to cooked the meat for too long, the sequence of saute slightly different from yours, yours isabsolutely fine, it's only my habit). Everything came out perfect, very fragrance, very delicious! Both my husband and me savored every bit of it!

Anonymous said...

Enjoyed a lot! » »

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Anonymous said...

Tried this yesterday... It came out really well.... Thanx a ton Archana!!!

Madhu Taneja, Ameeta Atul & Ashima Taneja said...

Hi Archana,

I must say that the puffs look heavenly. I live in California. I tried searching for the pepperidge puff pastry sheets in the stores here but could not find it.

Could you please tell me which store did you get the puff pastry sheets from.

Thanks,
Ashima

Mishmash ! said...

Archana, last weekend when I was making puffs, I tried your meat filling and we all loved the taste...we had some guests too, and they were all saying that it tastes like those bakery-bought puffs back home :) Thank you for sharing this. Couldn't message earlier as my system was acting weird!

Be Good!
Shn

Anonymous said...

This recipe was perfect! Thanks. Not only did my hubby enjoy the meat puffs, my kids devoured them.
Thanks alot!

lan said...

archana, i just recommended this appetizers page to a blogger at http://paytpooja.blogspot.com/ since i have made your vada and puffs many times and they came out well each time. will add them to my 'from blog selection' when i get a chance next.
can we expect a new post soon?

Geeta said...

Great appetizers.
Like the new and unusual tarts though everything else looks so great too.

Unknown said...

Hey i really love this dish but never knew how to make it. Thanks for the recipe.
I have used big basket offers from GrabOna and the offers for various products is amazing

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