Take a shortcut with store-bought puff pastry and make this quick but impressive looking appetizer. Bake up this flaky puff pastry with an Indian spiced potato and pea filling and a tamarind sauce for dipping.
1teaspooncornstarch mixed with 1 teaspoon cold water
Instructions
For the Pastry
Thaw one sheet of puff pastry.
For the Filling
Peel and chop potatoes into half-inch cubes.
Boil potatoes in salted water for about 10 minutes. Add the frozen peas in the last three minutes.
Drain and set aside.
Preheat oven to 375°F.
In a frying pan over medium heat, heat the oil and then add the onions and cumin seeds. Cook for about 8 minutes or until onions are well done and browned but still soft.
Add the garlic and spices and cook them for a minute or so. Add about two tablespoons of water to loosen up the spice mixture. Cook another minute until it thickens up. Add the lemon juice now if you skipped the amchur powder, stir and remove from heat.
Add spice mixture to the potatoes and peas and stir everything together. Add cilantro and stir.
Roll the puff pastry out until it's a bit thinner. Cut triangular notches off the top of the pastry as in the photos. On the outer two thirds of the pastry, cut diagonal notches into the pastry. These are the parts you will braid. See blog post photos for exactly how to do this.
Lay the filling on the inner third of the pastry.
Fold over the top notch of pastry, onto the filling. Fold over the pastry over the filling, alternating sides, and layering. Continue until all pastry is braided or wrapped over, folding in the bottom notch of pastry before braiding the last few pieces. See photos for the exact method.
Once the pastry is braided and closed up, brush it with the egg wash (or almond milk) and then sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake for about 30 minutes.
While the pastry bakes, make the tamarind sauce if using.
For the Tamarind Sauce:
Mix together the tamarind concentrate, brown sugar, and water. Bring to boil. Add cornstarch slurry, whisk and remove from heat. Add water, a teaspoon at a time if the sauce is too thick when serving.
Remove puff pastry braid from oven, slice and serve with the tamarind sauce for dipping.
Notes
This recipe is vegetarian.
For a vegan version of this recipe, use almond milk instead of an egg wash and use a vegan puff pastry, such a Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets.
Nutritional information is an estimate and intended for informational purposes only, and not to be used as medical or dietary advice. Estimate is for one serving, sauce included.