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Curry Puffs recipe
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St Helena Curry Puffs

A Curry Puff is a St Helena favourite. Learn how to make these unique Curry Puffs pastries with this easy to follow recipe.
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: Saint, Saint Helena, Saint Helena Island, St Helena, St Helena Island
Servings: 12 Puffs
Author: The Saint Cooks

Equipment

  • 10cm or 11cm Round Pastry cutter
  • Baking tray
  • 1 Egg
  • Pastry Brush

Ingredients

For making the Filling

  • 3 Onion (Chopped)
  • 2 tins Corned Beef
  • 2 tbsp Curry Powder (Medium)
  • Chopped Parsley

For the Shortcrust Pastry (or buy some ready made shortcrust pastry from the shop - it saves some time).

  • 125 g Plain Flour
  • 55 g Butter
  • 2 tbsp Cold Water
  • Pinch of Salt

Instructions

Making the Shortcrust Pastry

  • Please ignore if using shop brought pastry.  Otherwise, follow the steps below.
  • Put the flour and salt in a large bowl and add the cubes of butter.
  • Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until you have a mixture that resembles coarse breadcrumbs with no large lumps of butter remaining. Try to work quickly so that it does not become greasy.
  • Using a knife, stir in just enough of the cold water to bind the dough together.
  • Wrap the dough in clingfilm and chill for 10-15 minutes before using.
  • Alternatively using a food processor, put the flour, butter and salt in the food processor and pulse until the fat is rubbed into the flour.
  • With the motor running, gradually add the water through the funnel until the dough comes together. Only add enough water to bind it and then stop.
  • Wrap the dough in clingfilm as before and chill for 10-15 minutes before using.

Making the Filling

  • Fry the onions in a large frying pan.
  • Once the onions had soften, add the curry powder and fry.
  • Once fried, add the corned beef.  Using a spoon to mix and mash everything together.  (Tip: cut the Corned Beef into cubes before adding to make it easy to mix and mash together).
  • Mix in the Chopped Parsley.
  • Allow to rest and cool a little.

Making the Curry Puffs

  • Roll out the shortcrust pastry to about 3-4mm thick.  (You don’t what it to thin because it will break when folding.  Neither to thick otherwise it the pastry will overpower the filling.)
  • Cut the pastry into as many round discs are you can.
  • Fill each round disc with a dessert spoon amount of filling.  Be sure to place in the middle of the disc. (Tip: Don’t over fill the puff.  Do one as a test first before filling all discs.)
  • Beat the egg.  Brush the edges of the disc using a Pastry Brush.
  • Fold the pastry over to completely cover the filling.  Press down the edges using a fork to seal the filling in.  Pierce the top of the puff using the fork.  Brush more egg over the top and seal.
  • Bake in a moderate oven at 350F / 180c / Gas 4 for 15-20 minutes. Until the pastry is golden and baked.
  • Once baked and cooled, enjoy anywhere really.  Great as a picnic or party snack – thats the way we Saints love to eat them!