Crispy Chicken Curry Puffs

These crispy chicken curry puffs are an absolute winner. They take inspiration from a traditional south-east Asian snack, which origins are unknown (many south-east Asian countries have their own variation). I've changed things up making this a more fragrant affair. I used ingredients I already had it goes to show what you can really make when rummaging through your cupboards.

These puffs turn out incredibly crispy thanks to this spiral pastry. It consists of two doughs combined together with layers of fat. Much the same as puff pastry, only this takes 5 minutes instead of 2 days. Combine that pastry with a fully loaded filling and you're set for a handy snack. This filling reverts away from a traditional curry filling in a sense, using similar ingredients and flavours to make up a lighter less heavy filling.

In the recipe I mention komatsuna, it's a leafy green vegetable grown in Japan and Taiwan. If you can't get hold of any, adding your favourite Asian greens will suffice. Whether it be Asian cabbage or pac choi, it will work well.

I'd recommend eating these crispy chicken curry puffs within 18 hours of cooking. The pastry loses is crisp afterwards. These can also be baked if you don't wish to fry.

Recipe

Ingredients:

(Water Dough)

115ml water
15g butter
200g flour
Pinch of salt

(Butter Dough)

100g flour
75g butter/ margarine

(Filling)

1 chicken breast, small dice/ thin strips
1 potato, peeled and 1/2 cm dice
1/2 onion, finely diced
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped/ crushed
1 red chilli, finely chopped
1 tbsp turmeric
2cm piece of ginger, finely chopped/ grated
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 bunch komatsuna/ your favourite greens

Method:

• For the filling, part cook the diced potato in boiling salted water. In a medium sized pan, toast off the turmeric and the fennel seeds. Add the onion, the chilli, garlic, ginger and the chilli with a tablespoon of sunflower oil.
• Sweat the vegetables down until the onions translucent. Add the part cooked potato and chicken. 
• Cook for a couple of minutes, add the chopped komatsuna or replacement. Add 75ml water and cook until the waters disappeared. 
• Check the potatoes are cooked before seasoning and leaving to cool.
• For the pastry, start by making the water dough. Rub the butter into the flour and salt, add the water gradually until you form a soft smooth ball. Leave to one side.
• For the butter dough, mix the butter with the flour until fully combine and a smooth ball is made.
• Wrap the butter dough with the water dough so it's fully encased.
• Roll out the dough on a floured surface, in only one direction until 1 cm thick. You should end up with a long thin rectangle. 
• Roll the dough up, tightly like a swill roll. Roll out again with the spiral facing you, once it's 1cm thick and a long thin rectangle, roll up tightly again. Leave to rest for 10 minutes.
• Cut the dough into 1cm thick slices. Roll out gently to form a disc. 
• Place a couple of spoonfuls of the filling in the middle. Fold over the sides to create a half-moon. Press the edges together before crimping.
• Cook the filled puffs in a deep pan of oil or a deep fat fryer at 180 degrees, until they turn golden and crispy. Remove from the oil and drain before serving.