Curry Puffs

How can anyone be tired of eating curry puffs?  To me, this is comfort food  and I will never refuse one even though i am packed full and looked like the curry puffs that are offered to me. They are the most delicious morsels that i ever ate, with  spicy curry paste for extra oomph and packed with soft potatoes, chicken/beef.   They are  deep fried to a guilty perfection with a crusty and crunchy exterior and to achieve this, the dough has to be rolled very thinly.   

Ingredients:

Pastry:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
5 tbsp margarine/shortening
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp water


Filling:

1/2 lb chicken meat - dced
1 small onion - chopped
1 tbsp Garam Assam Paste
2 tbsp curry powder for meat
2 large potatoes - peeled and diced.
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper
5 tablespoons oil

Oil for deep frying

Method:

To make the filling:

Heat oil and fry the chopped onions until sweat through. Add the garam assam paste, curry powder and saute until fragrant. Add the chicken, potatoes, and 1 cup water, cook until potatoes are fork tender.  Add salt and sugar to taste and cook until filling is dry.. Leave aside to cool.

To make pastry:

Using the food processor, add in flour, baking powder and salt, pulse to mix, then add margarine/shortening and pulse until it looked like breadcrumbs.  Add water and pulse until the dough is combined into a ball.. Let it rest for 1/2 hour.

Roll dough out into a long rope and cut into small portions.  Roll each portion into a very thin circle and put the filling in the center(amount of filling depends on the size of the circle). Fold pastry over to make a half circle and crimp the edges.

Deep fry in hot oil until golden.

Serves
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Hum Cheem Paeng With Red Bean Filling

I have not make this snack for a long time and when my dear friend, Nellie, wanted to make some, i had to pull up  the Hum Cheem Paeng II recipe to refresh my memory of how the recipe goes, it has been awhile ago and i did not remember that vinegar was used for the starter instead of yeast.  It was a lengthy process - 2 days but it was worth it. It must be the presence of vinegar which made the starter more acidic and  made the baking soda very happy and that made me happy too, a good puffy cake. The red bean paste filling is a perfect match for this cake, it was so good that they were hijacked - I wanted one for breakfast but found the whole bag was missing.  I made some "kap chung"  with the same dough and will post the method soon.

Ingredients:

1 Hum Cheem Paeng II recipe

1 Red Bean Paste recipe Sesame seeds
Oil for deep frying


Method:

Make the dough folowing Hum Cheem Paeng II and when dough is ready for adding the salt and 5 spice, just sprinkle these two into the dough, then divide into portions of your choice.

Roll portions out into a circle and put a tsp of red bean paste in the center and wrap dough up sealing the edges well.  Leave aside.

Repeat until all the portions are done.

Heat oil for deep-frying until 325f.

Roll out the first filled portion thinly and finish rolling the rest of the portions.

Wet the center of portions with a little water and press in some sesame seeds

Lower 2 - 3 pieces(do not crowd the pan) into oil and as soon as the dough rises up to the top, flip it over.  Try and flip as often as possible, this will enhance the puffiness.  Fry until golden brown.

Remove and drain on rack and then on kitchen towel.

Serves
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Banana And Pineapple Easter Cakes

Easter festival arrives during the spring season and is one of the most important religious holidays celebrated among Christians.  Besides going to church on the first Sunday after the full moon night in the spring season, easter bunnies and eggs occupy supreme positions.  Easter rabbits signify fertility and beautifully painted Easter eggs remind us of spring season. Other symbols are the  Easter lilies and Hot Cross Buns.

HAPPY EASTER

Ingredients:
A:
2 cups all-purpose flour (remove 2 tbsp)
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup fine granulated sugar

B:
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large ripe banana- mashed
1/2 cup chopped pineapple

Method:

Preheat oven to 350f.

Grease moulds which signify spring.

Sieve ingredients A into a large bowl.

In another bowl, beaten eggs lightly, then add in all the other ingredients in B, and mix well.

Pour ingredient B mixture to ingredient A and mix in until is combined in about 10 strokes, do not overmix, it is alright if there are still some flour not mixed.  Leave mixture to rest for about 5 - 10 minutes.

Spoon batter into greased moulds and bake for 18 - 20 minutes.

Cool before frosting with buttercream



Serves Read More......