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Thanksgiving Leftover Curry Puffs

Thanksgiving Leftover Curry Puffs (咖喱角)

5 from 2 votes
Turn your Thanksgiving leftovers of mashed potatoes and turkey into this classic Chinese dim sum dish – really easy!
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: Chinese
Servings: 18 puffs
Author: Maggie Zhu

Ingredients

Curry mix

  • 1 tablespoon curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder

Puffs

  • 2 tablespoon peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
  • 1 white onion , minced
  • 2 cloves garlic , minced
  • 1/4 cup chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
  • 1 and 1/2 cups leftover mashed potato and turkey (*Footnote 1)
  • 1 pack (17.25-oz) frozen puff pastry , thawed in fridge (*Footnote 2)
  • 1 egg

Instructions

  • Combine the curry powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, sea salt, sugar and black pepper in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside.
  • Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat until warm. Add white onion. Cook and stir until translucent and the edges are lightly brown, 8 to 15 minutes. Add garlic. Cook another minute until softened. Turn to medium low heat if the skillet gets too hot.
  • Add the curry mix. Cook for a minute or so, until fragrant but not burned.
  • Add chicken stock. It should be brought to a boil immediately. Remove the pan from the stove.
  • Place leftover mashed potato in a large bowl and pour in the curry mixture. Mix with a spatula until the liquid is absorbed. Let cool completely.
  • To make egg wash, beat the egg with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl.
  • Unfold puff pastry. Cut the sheet into 9 squares. Place about 2 to 3 tablespoons of the filling in the center of each square, then fold diagonally to form a triangle. Press the edges together with your fingers to seal. Transfer the puffs onto baking sheet, two fingers apart between.
  • Place the puffs into the fridge to let cool for at least 15 minutes while preheating the oven.
  • Preheat oven to 400 F.
  • When the puffs are chilled, gently brush with a thin layer of egg wash. Transfer into the oven immediately. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown.
  • Transfer onto a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes or longer.
  • Serve warm or at room temperature.
  • Cool the puff pastry completely before storing. Store leftover puffs in a airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Reheat in oven at 150 degrees C (300 F) to let crisp up. You can heat the puffs on a skillet too.

Notes

  1. For the mashed potato to turkey ratio, I used 1 cup of mashed potato plus 1/2 cup turkey. The ratio of 1:1 works too. You can also replace turkey with other leftover meat, such as chicken and beef.
  2. Properly thawing the puff pastry is the key. It usually takes 4 hours to thaw in the fridge, or 20 to 40 minutes to thaw in room temperature (check it often in this case). The dough should be cold but not frozen.