Crispy Chris

 

 

First broadcast live on John Levine’s 209Radio’s Happy and Healthy Hour on 105fm in Cambridge on 5/5/09. To listen to a recording of the show or live on-line go to www.209radio.co.uk (and click archive for earlier shows).

 

 

 

This is a simple but delicious starter or party snack which will have your guests fighting over the last one!  Curry puffs look a bit like Samosas in that they are triangular parcels with a spicy filling (I’m loath to use the word “curry” as no samosa I have ever had tasted remotely like curry). But unlike the ubiquitous deep-fried greasy samosa, the Crispy Curry Puff is a real curry encased in Crispy, light puff pastry.

 

Today I’m doing minced beef and potato but you can use any minced meat like lamb, chicken or pork and the vegetarian version is just as delicious using Quorn mince or mixed vegetables.

 

 

Ingredients;

 

For the puffs;

 

Ready-rolled sheets of puff pastry – 4 sheets

Egg-wash or milk for the pastry glaze

Lean minced beef – 400gm

Waxy potatoes (reds or new) finely diced to about ¼ inch cubes – 150gm

Onions – 1 medium

Garlic – 2 cloves crushed

Curry powder – 2 teaspoons (try Bolsts)

Cinnamon Bark (optional) 3 or 4 small pieces

Finely-chopped coriander – 1 table spoon

Light olive or ground nut oil – 4 table spoons

Sea Salt – to taste

 

For the Salad;

 

Ripe tomatoes – 500 gms

Ordinary cooking onions – 1 medium

Fresh Coriander – 2 tablespoons roughly chopped

Juice of 1 whole lemon

Saltl – 2 good pinches or o taste

Sugar- 1 pinch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Method;

 

First cook the curry by sweating the finely-chopped onions in the hot oil with a large pinch of sea salt. After about 5 minutes, add the crushed garlic and fry gently without letting it burn.  Meanwhile, season the mince with a good sprinkling of ground sea salt, mix well and add to the pan. Stir fry over a higher heat until the meat is brown then add the curry powder and cinnamon bark and continue to stir over a moderate heat, adding small amounts of water to stop the mixture sticking to the pan and burning.

After about 10 minutes of stir frying in this fashion add the finely diced potatoes and enough water so the mixture doesn’t burn (remember, this is going to be a very dry curry when it’s finished so don’t over-do the water). Cover the pan and simmer gently until the potatoes are cooked checking and adding water and stirring as necessary.  Check and adjust the seasoning by adding more salt if needed. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely and remove the cinnamon bark. (You can simmer the meat longer if you wish before adding the potatoes).

When the curry is cold, un-roll the puff pastry and cut it into squares at least 4” x 4”.  You’re going to fold the square once diagonally to form a triangle so scoop a heaped table spoon of curry onto one corner of the square, brush water around the edges of the pastry then fold the empty half over the curry and seal off by crimping the edges with a fork.  Place the puffs on a baking tray that has been smeared with butter to stop them sticking, brush the egg-wash or milk over the pastry and put in the fridge for about 4 hours or in the freezer for about half an hour. Puff pastry works better when it’s cold.

 

When the puffs are nice and cold, place the baking tray in a pre-heated oven for about 25 mins on gas mark 7 (220C) or until the pastry has risen and is golden brown.  They are best eaten straight from the oven but are still very nice warm or cold.

 

The Salad;

 

Again, this is a very simple salad but is bursting with flavour. Roughly chop the tomatoes into small pieces, and finely chop the onion and roughly chop the coriander. Mix them together with the salt, sugar and lemon juice. Job done!

 

Serve two Crispy Curry Puffs on a plate with the salad as a garnish as a starter or put a huge heap of them on a large plate as a party snack.

 

 

 

 

 

Chris 209 Radio