Lucky are those who have a gem in their neighborhood. What kind of gem do you ask? A restaurant that you absolutely love and gives you a break from weekly kitchen duties. My gem is none other than Amy’s Thai Bistro! It’s a little piece of heaven in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn and one that offer delicious Thai eats. I have a long list of favorites from their menu and it hits the spot EVERY SINGLE TIME! If you currently reside in Brooklyn or if you’re ever in the area, definitely stop by Amy’s for your Thai favorites with a twist!

COVID has prevented us from dining indoors at this lovely establishment but it hasn’t prevented us from ordering takeout at least 2-3 times a month. And so has everyone else lol. The restaurant often has a crowd waiting outside in anticipation for their order. Yes, it’s that good.

Remember that long list of favorites I mentioned, one is undeniably their Curry Puffs! It’s not your average Curry Puff. This one is extra flakey and is filled with both curried potatoes and pumpkin. The sweetness of the pumpkin is so delicious in this pastry and I’m totally obsessed. So much that I just had to try it for myself. It took a few tries but I finally created a recipe that’s just as good as Amy’s and I’m totally stoked.

Here’s the inside scoop:

What’s a curry puff? A curry puff is a snack of Malayan origin. It is a small hand pie usually made with puff pastry and filled with curried vegetables or protein. The pastry is typically filled with potatoes and deep fried or baked.

Why Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry? I love using Pepperidge Farm puff pastry for this recipe and any recipe that requires puff pastry because it’s vegan. It’s actually one of the only store bought puff pastry doughs that includes oil instead of butter. I’m not a vegan but some of my husbands friends are so it makes life easy when I need to whip up a quick snack/appetizer/dessert when we have company over.

Why are the potatoes and pumpkin boiled ahead of time? Many Curry Puff recipes involve cooking the potatoes in the curry sauce until soft. I instead chose to boil the potatoes. Boiling ahead of time was a lot more convenient and made cooking a breeze.

Ingredients:

2 sheets of Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry dough
1/4 of a medium sized pumpkin (about 2.5 cups), peeled cubed
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
Half of a shallot, diced
2 tablespoons of curry powder
2 tablespoons of sugar
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne
1/4 cup of water
2 tablespoons of oil, for cooking
1 egg, beaten for an egg wash
water, for boiling

Directions:

In a medium pot, boil your cubed potatoes and pumpkin until soft and cooked through.

Next, add 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium pan under medium heat. To the oil add your diced shallots and sauté for a 2 minutes to allow the shallots to soften. Then, add your curry powder, sugar, cayenne and water. Mix to combine and simmer for about 2 minutes.

Once the curry mixture has simmered, add in your pumpkin and potatoes and combine. While combining use your cooking spoon to break up the potatoes and pumpkin just a bit. You want a mashed consistency while still having chunks of potatoes in the mixture. Cook on low for 3 minutes. This will be the filling used to fill the puff pastry.

Now that our pumpkin and potatoes filling is ready to go, it’s time to fill our dough! Before we fill, preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Grab your puff pastry sheets and divide each one into 9 equal squares. Use the folds on the puff pastry to help with accuracy.

With a spoon or scoop, grab some of your curried pumpkin/potatoes filling (about 2 tablespoons) and add to the center of your squares. Fold diagonally to form a triangle, pressing the edges together. Then, use a fork to press the edges. Repeat until all of your squares are sealed and pressed.

Then, transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. You’ll need to cook the curry puffs in two batches or will need two baking sheets to cook at once.

Next, use a pastry brush to brush each one of your puff pastry filled triangles with your egg wash.

Bake for 9-12 minutes or until golden brown. Then, let cool for at least 7 minutes before attempting to eat, or else you’re prone to burning your mouth!

Plate your baked Curry Puffs with a side of sweet chili sauce. Enjoy!

Notes:

These are great for parties and hosting. Make ahead and pop in the toaster oven right before your guests arrive.
Not a fan of pumpkin, substitute for sweet potato. It’s just as delicious!