Vegetable stuffed Puff Pastry

Finally, I got the perfect recipe!

I tried several recipes to make puff pastry dough but nothing worked for a perfect pastry. While surfing the internet I came across a recipe for puff pastry. I found that its actually the method which you use plays an important role in making perfect puffs .This method seemed quite easy compared to other recipes where you have to brush the dough with fat several times. Here you only need to roll & fold, no brushing again & again. One very important thing I learnt is that while making pastry the temperature of the dough should be always maintained cold & the butter or margarine which ever you use should not be allowed to melt in the process. So here's my tried & tested recipe for puff pastry. Its actually very easy to make the pastry dough only thing scary about it is that its time consuming. So make the dough ahead when you have enough time & store it in Freezer for instant snacks.

makes: 20 medium puffs

for the pastry dough

2 cups plain flour

250 gms margarine (you can also use butter)

1/2 tsp vinegar

1 tsp salt

extra flour for dusting

for vegetable stuffing:

2 potatoes, boiled & mashed

1 1/2 cup boiled mix veg(chopped carrots, beans or peas)

3 green chillies finely chopped

2 onions chopped

1/2 tsp turmeric powder(optional)

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp lime juice

salt to taste

2 tbsp oil

for vegetable stuffing:

Heat oil & saute onions until light brown.

Add the spices, mix veg, potatoes & salt. Mix well & cook for 3 min.

Remove from fire & add lemon juice.

For the pastry dough:

1. Cut a small strip from the margarine about 40gms & mix it to the flour along with salt & vinegar. Knead the flour into a soft dough using some water.
2. Cut another thin strip from the margarine about 20 gms & keep aside. This we can use for brushing purpose.
3. Now crush the margarine lightly & assemble again like a dough & roughly form into a square shape. Remember, the margarine should not melt while you are handling it.
4. Flatten the dough & place the assembled margarine block on it & wrap the dough around it.



5. Sprinkle some flour & roll the dough into an oblong shape. Don't press at once else the margarine will pop out of the dough. So gently roll it.
6. Now fold it into three parts as shown in the picture.
7. Keep it in the Freezer for about 10 min. (If the quantity of the dough is more you will have to increase the Freezing time also.)
8. Take ou the dough & roll again into an oblong shape & agin fold it into 3 parts.
9. Put it back in the Freezer. Repeat this process for 5 to 6 times.
10. Finally take out the dough from Freezer & roll it into oblong shape to a thickness of 1/4 inch & cut into small squares depending on the size required by you for your pastry.
11. Fill the stuffing in the squares & fold it either into a triangle or rectangle shape by pressing the edges together.
12. Arrange the puffs on a greased baking tray . Brush the top with the melted margarine we kept aside in the begining.
13. Bake in a preheated oven at 220 degrees for first 15 min.
14. Reduce the temperature to 180 degrees & bake for another 10 min.

Variations: You can make any stuffing of your choice for these puffs like cheesy puffs, sweet puffs etc.