Do you crave for snacks or treats that you enjoyed as a kid or during your childhood? I sometimes do. These crispy and delicious puffs made with eggs used to be my absolute favorite to order at the bakery near our school. Growing up, I never thought I will make this this treat at home. But store bought puff pastry sheets make these extremely easy and convenient. This is my post for blogging marathon’s theme ‘protein rich dishes’. After posting vegetable frittata for breakfast, egg & lentil curry for lunch, today I have a tea time snack.
What is Puff Pastry?
I enjoyed boat load of these puffs growing up, but I had no clue what puff pastry was. It wasn’t until I moved to the US that I got to know about it. Puff pastry is flaky French pastry known as pâte feuilletée. It is made with 4 basic ingredients - flour, butter (lots of it), water and salt. The dough is laminated with butter to create lot of layers. Classic puff pastry does not use any yeast. The ‘puff’ comes from the heat of the oven working on the layers of butter to create steam. The steam separates the layers of dough, giving ‘rise’ to the distinct texture and characteristic flakiness to puff pastry. If you want to make your pastry at home, Gayathri has a great post on homemade puff pastry. Do check it out.
Ingredients
This is an easy recipe with very few ingredients. The 2 main ingredients in this recipe are boiled eggs & puff pastry. To give an extra favor to this snack, a layer of spiced onions is added. To make that you need onions, tomato paste, chili powder and garam masala.
Instructions
This recipe needs a little pre-planning. So start with thawing the puff pastry sheet according to package instruction. Depending on the brand that you use, it might take anywhere from 1~2 hours to thaw. Sheet should still feel cold but pliable when ready. While the puff pastry is thawing, boil the eggs. Peel and halve them lengthwise. Set aside. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they turn translucent and lightly browned around the edges, about 4~5 minutes. Then stir in tomato paste (if using) and cook for 1 minute. Add red chili powder, garam masala, salt and 2 tablespoons of water. Mix well and cook for 2~3 minutes for the flavors to mingle. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool slightly. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the thawed pastry sheet into a rectangle. Then using a sharp knife, cut the rectangle in half widthwise. Then cut into thirds lengthwise to get 6 rectangles. Place 1 tablespoon of onion mixture in the middle of each rectangle. Place the cut side of the egg on the onion mixture. Bring opposite corners of the puff pastry over the egg and pinch lightly to seal. Use a drop of water to seal properly. Place the puffs on a prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8~10 minutes or until the puffs are golden brown and puffed up. Check the bottoms - they should be lightly golden as well. Remove from the oven and serve hot with some ketchup.
Taste Test
Puffs turned out crispy, flaky and slightly spicy from the onion mixture. My goal was to get my US born kids to try my childhood favorite treat. They enjoyed it a lot. My son came back for seconds and I think that means a hit recipe.
Tips & Substitutions
These puffs are best when eaten hot right out of the oven because they lose their crispness and do not store well. To expedite the recipe, boil and prepare the eggs ahead of time. Make sure to thaw the puff pastry ahead of time and have it ready.
Few More Indian Tea time Treats:
Curry Puffs - if you don’t eat eggs, then make this recipe eggless by using a spicy vegetable mixture as filling.Gathiya - crispy and crunchy tea time accompaniment.Instant Vada - quick and easy snack for any time of the day.
Let’s check out what my fellow marathoners have cooked up today for BM# 113.
