Baked Taro Puffs Recipes

BAKED TARO CHIPS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Place taro disks in a 1- to 2-inch deep dish. Brush disks evenly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
• Bake in the preheated oven until tops of chips are crisp, about 15 minutes; flip chips and continue baking until second side is crisp, about 15 more minutes.

BAKED CURRY PUFFS

Steps:

• In a wok or pan, heat a little oil and fry chopped garlic until golden add onion and ginger.
• Add in the minced meat and fry for 2 minutes breaking up the meat into small pieces. ( I use a separate pan to fry the meat and drain off excess fats, then add the meat to the onion mixture).
• Add potatoes, cook for further 2-4 minutes.
• Add the curry powder, water, sugar salt and pepper and simmer over a medium low heat stirring occasionally to prevent burning, until the potatoes are almost soft. (About 10 - 15 minutes).
• You may need to add a little extra water if there is no sauce left.
• Add in the mixed vegetables and coriander last and cook for a further 2 - 3 minutes until the vegetables are just starting to soften.
• Remove from heat and cool.
• Cut the puff pastry into 4 inch by 4 inch squares.
• Put some filling onto one half of the square.
• Brush edges with a little water and fold over pastry to make a rectangle or triangle shape.
• Use a fork press the sides together to seal the edges of the puff pastry, and also the makes a nice pattern.
• Brush the puffs with the egg wash (beaten egg).
• Bake in a preheated oven 185°C until a nice golden colour. (about 10 minutes).
• Arrange the curry puffs on a serving platter and serve with dipping sauce.

BAKED POTATO PUFFS

Steps:

• Place potatoes into a large pot and cover with salted water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Butter 24 mini muffin cups.
• Combine water and butter in a saucepan over medium heat and season with salt. Heat until butter melts and starts to bubble. Stir in flour until mixture pulls away from the pan and comes together into a dough.
• Transfer pastry dough to a bowl. Spread in the bowl and let cool, about 5 minutes. Mix in eggs using a spatula until dough is very soft and sticky. Add 2 cups of the mashed potatoes and mix until well combined. Add a pinch of salt, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg. Give it one last mix.
• Scoop potato dough into the greased muffin cups.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and puffed, about 20 minutes. Let rest for 1 minute before removing puffs onto a wire rack. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve warm.

BAKED TARO PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 475°F Using 1 tablespoon of the butter, butter two muffin pans with 1 3/4-inch cups.
• Sift flour with baking powder and salt. Work flour mixture into mashed taro. Shape into 1-inch balls and place in prepared pans.
• Press pieces of remaining butter into the top of each ball. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until puffy and brown.
• Serve immediately.

TARO PUFFS

Steps:

• To make the filling, combine the pork, dark soy sauce, and ginger in a bowl. Set aside to marinate.
• Toss the shrimp with the 1/4 teaspoon salt and then rinse. Drain well and pat dry with paper towels. Finely chop and set aside.
• Make the seasoning sauce by combining the pinch of salt, white pepper, sugar, cornstarch, sesame oil, oyster sauce, rice wine, and water in a bowl. Stir to dissolve the cornstarch. Set aside.
• Heat the canola oil in a medium skillet over high heat. Add the pork and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute, or until the pork has turned a beautiful glossy brown. Add the shrimp and continue stirring for about 1 minute to cook the shrimp through. Give the seasoning sauce a stir and add to the mixture. Stir for about 15 seconds, or until the mixture has cohered and taken on a sheen. Turn off the heat and stir in the scallion. Taste and add adjust the flavor as necessary. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool completely. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, and as long as 2 days. You should have about 3/4 cup.
• To make the dough, trim off the ends of the taro root to reveal the flesh. Stand the taro on its wider end and use a knife in downward motions to remove 1/4 to 1/3 inch of the outer layer, which includes the rough brown skin and a tough ring of flesh where there is a greater concentration of the speckled chocolate brown flecks. As you work all around the taro, your knife blade may sense the density difference between the more tender inner flesh and the harder outer layer. Do not worry about removing it all because you will have another chance later. Halve the taro lengthwise and then cut into half-circles about 3/4 inch thick. Put into a bowl of water and set aside while you bring water to a boil for steaming (see page 17 for guidance).
• Drain the taro, put it in a steamer tray (there is no need to line it), and steam over boiling water for 30 to 45 minutes, until the taro is soft. Poke several pieces with a toothpick; there should be no resistance. Depending on your trimming job, some areas at the rim may be hard still. That is fine because you will shortly discard them. Aim for most of the flesh to be soft. The texture of cooked taro will seem dry. Remove the steamer tray and set aside to cool for about 5 minutes, or until the taro is still warm but cool enough to handle with your fingers. Warm taro mashes easily.
• While the taro steams, put the wheat starch in a bowl. Gradually add the water, stirring with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. When the mixture is pasty and has a texture resembling frosting, stop adding water. There may be left over water. Set aside. Expect the wheat starch to firm up as it sits. Cover if it begins to dry.
• Pick up each taro piece and crumble and mash it with your fingers into a bowl. It should fall apart easily. Discard all the hard pieces. Tiny firm bits suspended in the mash are fine. Measure out 1/2 pound (1 packed cup) and transfer to the bowl of wheat starch; discard or save the extra taro for another use. Add the salt and sugar and combine the ingredients with your fingers until well blended. Add the lard and keep mixing and kneading for 1 to 2 minutes, until a soft dough with the texture of mashed potatoes forms. Gather the dough into a ball and put it in a clean, dry bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, and as long as 2 days. Firm dough is easier to work with.
• When you are ready to form the dumplings, remove the dough and filling from the refrigerator. Line a baking sheet or plate with parchment paper. On an unfloured work surface, roll the dough into a thick 12-inch log. Cut the log into 12 even-size pieces. Roll each one into a ball and set aside. Chill the dough balls for about 5 minutes to firm them up so that they are easier to manipulate, if you like. For each dumpling, take a ball of dough and use your thumb to press a well in the center. Then press on the walls with your fingers to form a shallow bowl a good 2 1/2 inches wide and 1/4 inch thick. Put a scant tablespoon of filling in the center and tap it gently to flatten it out. Then bring up the edges of the dough to close up the dumpling. Gently push and press the dough to fully enclose the filling. It should look like a small football (see page 164 for guidance). Put it on the work surface and neaten it up, if you like. Put the finished dumpling on the prepared plate. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
• To fry the dumplings, pour 1 1/2 inches of oil into a medium saucepan. Because the oil will dramatically bubble during frying, make sure that there is at least 2 inches between the top level of the oil and the rim of the pan. Heat over medium-high heat until 360° to 370°F on a deep-fry thermometer. (Without a thermometer, test a dumpling to gauge the oil temperature. The chopstick test here is not as helpful.) When frying these dumplings, begin at a medium-high oil temperature and then immediately lower the heat after the dumplings have set. This assures that the dumplings do not disintegrate, creates their signature lacy coating, and allows them to adequately cook without browning too fast. Fry in manageable batches of 3 dumplings. After adding the dumplings to the oil, the oil will rush to a boil, sending the dumplings floating upward. At that point, lower the heat to medium-low. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until the dumplings are a beautiful brown. If they stick together, nudge them a bit as they fry, and they will eventually separate. Use a slotted spoon or skimmer to lift the dumplings from the oil (you will hear them sizzle still) and drain them on paper towels. Raise the heat to medium-high to return the oil temperature to a moderately high temperature between batches. Skim and discard any floating bits in the oil, as needed.
• Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature, as long as the dumplings are crisp. Present on a platter, each one each cut in half with scissors or a knife so it is easy to pick up with chopsticks. Freshly fried dumplings will hold their crispness for about 3 hours if left at room temperature. To serve them hot, reheat in a 400°F oven for about 5 minutes. Refrigerated ones soften, and the best way to revive them is by refrying in 350°F oil for about 1 minute; the lacy crispness will return.

TACO PUFFS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions. Cool slightly. , Flatten half of the biscuits into 4-in. circles; place in greased 15x10x1-in. baking pans. Spoon 1/4 cup meat mixture onto each; sprinkle with 1/4 cup shredded cheese. Flatten the remaining biscuits; place on top and pinch edges to seal tightly. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Freeze option: Freeze cooled pastries in a resealable plastic freezer bag. To use, microwave pastry on high on a microwave-safe plate until heated through.

BAKED CHEESY SAMOSA PUFFS

Steps:

• Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 400°. Place potatoes in a medium saucepan and pour in cold water to cover by 1". Season generously with salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are very tender, 25-30 minutes. Drain potatoes and let sit until cool enough to handle.
• Peel potatoes, then place in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher or fork until mostly smooth with some pea-size pieces remaining.
• Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium. Cook cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and asafetida, stirring, until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add chile and ginger and cook, stirring, until softened, about 30 seconds. Stir in coriander, turmeric, and 1 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 2¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add potatoes and mix until spiced oil is thoroughly incorporated. Return potato mixture to bowl and let cool.
• Stir cheese, cilantro, lime juice, garam masala, and sugar into potato mixture. Taste and season with more salt if needed.
• Unfold puff pastry sheets on a lightly floured surface and cut into eighteen 2½" squares. Roll out each square to about 4½", then divide between 2 parchment-lined baking sheets.
• Working one at a time, brush edges of pastry with egg. Spoon a heaping tablespoonful of potato mixture onto center of each square. Fold pastry in half by bringing one of the top corners up and over filling and matching it up with the opposite bottom corner to make a triangle. Pinch edges together to seal, then crimp with a fork. Brush tops with egg. Chill puffs 15 minutes.
• Bake puffs until pastry is golden brown and cheese is melted, 25-30 minutes. (Some cheese may ooze out and that is okay.)
• Serve puffs with ketchup, green chutney, or hot sauce for dipping.