Snacks

Beetroot Veg Puffs – Simple

Here is a simple crunchy savory Beetroot Veg Puffs made extra easy with ready-to-use frozen puff pastry.

They can always be made with left-over beets. You can also add any veggies that you would like into your puff filling. One can even pack these for lunch as take-away for picnics, outings or when going for a trek.

Puff Pastry – 1 pack ready-to-use, thaw it as per instructions on package (*see notes)

They look super delicious with a lovely golden color on top.

Crispy Veg Puffs | Dinner, lunch, Snacks

Beetroot Vegetarian Puffs

Beetroot Puffs with ready-to-use frozen puff pastry. Add desired veggies and pack them for picnics, lunch or outings during summer.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Baking Time 25

Total Time 55

Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine Indian, Mediterranean

Servings 2 people

Calories 323 kcal

Equipment

Oven

Ingredients

500 g puff pastry
1 egg (egg wash)

Filling

1 tbsp veg oil / ghee
1 small onion chopped
2 small potatoes
¼ cup water
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 small tomato
½ green bell pepper / red bell pepper
1 medium beetroot
½ tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
Salt to taste
⅛ cup green peas
1 tsp red chili powder (optional)

Instructions

Pastry Filling

Peel and Chop the onion and the potatoes. Heat a pan with 1 tbsp veg oil / ghee, fry the 1 small onion till translucent, add 2 small potatoes sprinkle some salt. Fry for 1-2 minutes, add 1/4 cup water.
Cover and cook on medium-low until potatoes are soft by piercing it with fork. We do not want the gravy to be runny so make sure not to add too much water. Meantime, while the potatoes cook prepare the rest of the ingredients
1 tbsp veg oil / ghee, 1 small onion, 2 small potatoes
Add chopped 2 cloves garlic and 1 small tomato. Fry for a minute then add green peppers and 1 medium beetroot, salt. You can now add 1/8 cup green peas. Fry for 2-3 minutes
2 cloves garlic, 1 small tomato, 1/2 green bell pepper / red bell pepper, 1 medium beetroot, Salt to taste, 1/8 cup green peas
Mix the spices such as 1 tsp garam masala powder and 1/2 tbsp coriander powder. We prefer non-spicy so haven’t added any chili powder.
Cook for another 3-4 minutes, check for salt. Turn off heat and set aside while you get the puff pastry ready.
1/2 tbsp coriander powder, 1 tsp garam masala powder, 1 tsp red chili powder (optional)

Pastry puff

I used the whole pack of 500 g puff pastry. If it is sticky, powder the work surface and the pastry with All-purpose flour. Flatten the pastry using a roller pin to get a rectangular shape, it doesn’t matter if its thick. Cut out the uneven edges. I divided this into 4 equal parts.
Meantime, pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
Deciding on how you want to fold it, fill one side of each pastry with the veg mixture leaving some gap on the edge to seal it.
Once you are done with filling brush the edges with egg wash by painting with egg mixture using a brush. Fold them and press to seal, you can also use a fork. Roll the left over pastry, fill it, brush the egg wash and bring the edges together to seal it.
They look super delicious with a lovely golden color on top.

Notes

The puff pastry is usually stored in the freezer. The package that I used says it needs to be kept outside for 10 minutes before flattening it in order to make it easier to handle. I had almost forgotten that I had kept the pastry out on the kitchen counter for too long for about 45 minutes and when I opened, it was slightly sticky and less manageable. I used flour while flattening it making it more easier to roll. So make sure to read the package instructions before using it.

Go for second round of baking for left over pastry puffs.
if your wondering what to do with left over unpeeled beets, wrap it in cling wrap to store and use it next time to prepare beetroot rice

Keyword Easy vegetarian recipe, Savory pastry, vegetarian puff recipe, Vegetarian snack

August 8, 2018

0 Comment

Rose cookies /Kokisan | Mangalorean kuswar | Delicious Sweet Aroma

Christmas Delights

0

Rose Cookies – Mangalorean Kokkisan

Crispy treat of rose cookies are traditionally prepared before new year in South-Indian Christian households are always available in Mangalore supermarkets during Christmas with varieties of other crispy and savory Christmas snacks.

Kokis are made using a special round iron mould in the shape of a flower with a long handle to hold called as ‘kokis achchuwa’ that I bought from Mangalore the last time I visited home. I have also seen a few different designs of moulds here in Singapore which can also be used to make kokis. In Mangalore we call it Kokkisan (or kokis), Rose cookies because of its rose-shape named in various regions, in Scandinavia (Swedish or Norwegian) its called Rosette cookies, Achu murukku in Tamil and Achappam (Malayalam) in Kerala. Similar mould is also available on Amazon Rose cookie mould.

Rose cookies are not baked but deep-fried from either freshly ground rice grains or rice flour batter that contain coconut milk, sesame seeds and egg. Some recipes use other additional spices to make savory varieties. It might get a bit tricky at first but once you get a hold of how it works with the batter and the mould it is very easy. If you prepare with rice grains make sure to get the Kerala idli Rice which are usually available at Indian stores and make a thin batter with the other ingredients mentioned below.

How to use a new cookie mould?

Wash the cookie mould with soap and then, applied oil to the mould 2 hrs prior to doing the following :

Drop the mould completely submerged in oil. Keep it dipped in oil until hot.
Once the mould has heated in hot oil, remove and immediately dip the mould in a bowl of water at room temperature. You will hear it sizzle.
Tap dry of any moisture on the cookie mould. Continue with step 3 (under step-by-step pictures) until it gets heated on medium-low heat.

Tips to prepare rice paste

Soaking – Rinse the rice with running water until the water runs clear. Transfer to a large bowl and add enough water to cover it. Cover with a lid and let it soak for 4.6 hours. The soaking process softens the rice and makes it easier to grind into a smooth batter.
Grind the batter – After soaking, drain the water from the rice. Using a mixer jar or blender grind the rice into a smooth batter with some water (approx. 1/2 cup). The lesser the water the finer the paste. But make sure the blades keep moving.
Consistency – The batter should have a thick yet pouring consistency. To achieve the right texture add water as needed.

How to make Rose Cookies with step-by-step pictures

1. Take the bowl containing rice paste, add salt, sugar, sesame seeds and mix. Pour coconut milk and the egg. Stir to combined together to make a thin batter of pouring consistency.

2. Add more coconut milk if the batter is very thick. The batter must be of pouring consistency (*see notes). Reserve until your ready with next step.

3. Heat a heavy bottomed container with enough oil up to 3-inchs to submerge the mould. Place the mould in oil completely covering the whole mould till the top.

4.When the mould is heated you will know when it radiates heat by placing you palm few inches away from it (careful not to touch it).

Dip the mould in the batter making sure the sides are 3/4 covered in batter (see picture below). Hold steady in the batter for minimum 10 seconds and not less (it is important because otherwise it will form a shape in the batter itself and batter will not cling to the mould). Video clip here

5. After 10 seconds immediately place the batter covered mould completely dipped in hot oil to deep-fry (induction #6). You will see the oil bubbling, hold it in oil for at least 10 seconds then gently shake the mould to release the cookies.

If not, It should loosen up in 30 secs to 1 minute from the mould. You could also use a wooden skewer to release it from the sides.

6. Meantime, leave the mould in hot oil for few seconds until your ready for the next cookie and continue with step 4. Depending on the size of the container used you can fry more than one but just make sure you have enough space to dip the mould after each cookie (*see notes).

7. Flip them with the wooden skewer to fry evenly until light brown color on both sides.

8. Remove the fried ones and place them on kitchen paper towels. Repeat from step 4 until all the batter is used.

Leave them to cool completely before storing them in an airtight container or airtight storage bags.

Rose Cookies with rice | Mangalorean Kokisan | Achu Murukku

Indulge in the delightful world of South Indian sweets with Rose Cookies, also known as Kokisan. Perfectly balancing sweetness and sophistication, Rose Cookies are not just a snack; they are a cultural celebration that captivates both the palate and the heart.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 30

Soaking Time 4

Total Time 1 15

Course Snack

Cuisine Indian, Malaysian

Servings 50

Calories 98 kcal