these vegetable hand pies are my husband’s favorite, but I was always intimidated to make them because it seemed so complex to make them at home. I’ve simplified the process by using pre-made puff pastry/crescent sheets. These puffs are the absolute best for a quick afternoon snack. I have included my favorite stuffing recipe below, but feel free to customize with your favorite stuffing.
Ingredients
Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheets or Pillsbury crescent sheets (keep refrigerated until needed)
1 tbs oil plus 1 tbs more to brush on top
½ tsp cumin
½ cup onion, diced
2 medium potatoes, diced
½ cup frozen green peas, defrosted
¼ cup carrots, diced
2 green chilis (per taste)
½ tsp each ground ginger and garlic
¼ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp each red chili powder, ground coriander powder, garam masala
1 tbs chopped cilantro leaves
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt to taste
Optional: shredded paneer or cheese to include in stuffing, black sesame seeds and red chili powder for garnish
Method
1 In a skillet, heat the oil and sauté in this order – cumin, onion, ginger, garlic, green chilis, potatoes, carrots, and turmeric. Let cook covered for about 5 minutes. Check for doneness and add salt, chili powder, coriander powder, and garam masala. Cook until all vegetables are cooked
2 Add peas and cook for 1 more minute. If using paneer, then add here and cook for 2 more minutes. Lightly mash together but keep the mixture chunky
3 Take off heat and add lemon juice and cilantro. Taste and add additional spices as needed. Let cool completely
4 Preheat oven to 375F
5 Cut puff pastry /crescent sheets into squares
6 Place cooled veg mixture on half of the square, add cheese if you want, and fold over either as a rectangle or triangle
7 Seal the edges either by pressing with your fingers or using a fork to make tines
8 Brush the tops lightly with oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds and a sprinkle of red chili powder
9 Bake for about 20 min or until golden brown
10 Cool for about 5 min and serve with your favorite dipping sauce (my favorites are cilantro chutney and Indian ketchup)
Tags: Indian, Snacks
