Spiced Beef & Mashed Potato Puffs

I came across this recipe in the book 500 Curries by Mridula Baljekar and wanted to try it.  It is simple and makes good use of left over mashed potatoes. These small meat pies are made with puff pastry, but you could just as easily use egg roll wrappers or filo dough.  When I saw the cost of the puff pastry, I thought it was a bit expensive.  Since I had never used it before, I thought that I would give it a try.  The best part is that the pastry is very crispy.  I like this recipe very much and compare it to a vegetable samosa.  I baked it instead of frying as the recipe suggested.  Adjust the heat to your taste. Personally, I don't like food that is so hot that you cannot taste the flavor because of the heat.

Ingredients:

2 TBS butter
1/2 small onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ginger
1 tbs hot curry powder, I have the mild and used it instead
1/2 pound ground beef, chicken, or turkey
salt/pepper to taste
1 red chilli, seed and chopped or 1/4 to 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 1/2 cups of mashed potatoes
3-4 tbs cilantro, chopped
2 sheets ready made puff pastry
1 egg, lightly beaten or 2 tbs melted butter
1- 3 inch (or larger) cookie cutter

Heat the butter in a pot over medium heat, then add the onion and saute until it is golden brown. Next add the garlic and chopped cilantro.  Saute for a couple of minutes.  Then add the beef and spices, salt and pepper.  Cook the beef until it is brown.  Take off the heat and pour into a bowl. Add the mashed potatoes to the meat and mix well.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lay the pastry sheets on a clean, lightly floured dry suface and cut out eight rounds using a 3 inch cookie cutter. Place a large spoonful of the meat mixture in the middle. Brush the edges with beaten egg and fold over.  Pressing the edges together with the tines of a fork to seal.  I, also, used two rounds and made a round pie by putting a large spoonful of the meat mixture in the middle and placed another round on top. 

Brush the pies with melted butter. Place the meat pies on a greased cookie sheet and bake for about 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Turning over half way through to brown the other side.  I fried the first two pies and it was a mess.  Baking them produces a much better version and healthier too.  Serve with a salad or as a snack.  Enjoy!