Vegetable Puff

Directions

• FOR THE PUFF PASTRY
• Add all the dry ingredients onto a clean surface and mix them well. Make a well in the centre of the flour and gradually add in the water and vinegar until well combined. The dough may look slightly wet but keep kneading with the palms of your hand by pushing it away from you and then rolling it back towards you. Knead continuously for 6-7 mins. Cover with plastic wrap and place it in the freezer for an hour. The dough should be cold, but not frozen.
• Prepare the butter – Place the butter block (90 grams) in a Ziploc bag and seal well. Using a rolling pin flatten out the butter evenly by gently rolling on the outside of the cover. The butter block should be roughly 5 inches by 3 1/2 inches even slab. Place the Ziploc cover in the freezer for half an hour for the butter to harden.
• Take out the cold dough after it has been in the freezer for an hour. Dust the surface with flour and roll out the dough to a rough rectangle, a little more than double the width of the butter block – around 8 inches (length) and 6 inches (width). Place the cold butter slab in the centre of the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border on the top and bottom.
  
  
• Fold over both flaps of dough onto the slab of butter and seal by pinching the dough in the centre. Seal the sides as well. Gently compact the butter within the dough with a rolling pin, wrap in plastic film and place in the freezer for 15 mins to harden.
  
  
• Remove the cold dough from the freezer and dust your surface with flour. With a decent amount of pressure, using your hands flatten the dough. Be gentle, the butter should not leak. Roll out the dough to a long sheet measuring around 13 inches (length) and 6 1/2 – 7 inches (width).
  
  
• Folding the dough – we will need to do a double fold. Fold over the two sides of the dough equally to the centre. Fold one side again creating a single slab of dough with three layers. Refer image below. Gently compact the folds with a rolling pin, wrap it in plastic film and place it in the freezer for 30 minutes.
  
  
• Take out the cold dough, dust the surface with flour and repeat step 5 and 6. Rolling and double-fold. Gently compact the folds with a rolling pin, wrap it and place it in the freezer again for 15 mins.
• Take out the cold dough and the last fold we’ll do is a single fold. Roll out the dough to the same measurements as before while doing the double fold. Divide the rolled dough into three parts – mark a point with a toothpick. Fold over once to the right. You should have two layers on the left and a single layer on the right. Fold over the single layer on top of the double-layer thereby creating three layers of dough. Refer image below. Gently compact the folds with a rolling pin, wrap it and place it in the freezer for 15 minutes.
• Take out the cold dough, roll it and cut it into rectangles. You should be able to get 4 rectangles – 4 puffs. Roughly each rectangle should measure 6 1/2 inches by 3 1/2 inches. Place the rectangles on a baking tray lined with plastic film, cover with film and place it in the fridge until we bake them.
  
  
• Prepare an egg wash – this is to give a colour to the puff. In a small bowl, add in the milk and egg. Whisk well and set aside.
  
• FOR THE VEGETABLE FILLING
• In a large pan, heat oil and add in the onions and ginger garlic paste. Sauté until the onions turn golden brown.
• Add in all the spices – turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder and coriander powder. Stir well.
• Add in the chopped carrots and beans and mix well. Add in half a cup of water and let it cook. Cook until soft and season with salt. Garnish with coriander leaves and mix well.
  
• ASSEMBLY
• Place the rectangular puff pastry on a baking tray. Place 2 tbsp of filling in the bottom half of the pastry and fold over the pastry. Leave a gap while placing the filling. You can also make a criss-cross pattern with a sharp knife. Brush with egg wash (milk + egg mixture).
  
  
• Bake for 40 mins at 160°C or until the top looks golden brown and you can see the layers.
• Serve warm and enjoy your homemade vegetable puff!