Green Peas and Green Garlic Masala Puffs

Favorite springtime memory

My favorite springtime memory of my kids is when I’d get green peas, still in their pods from the farmers market. They would be so curious as to where the peas came from. They’d help me open the pods and remove the peas into a bowl — and, well, half of the peas would be eaten in the process.

Each spring, I look forward to the arrival of green peas and green garlic. They typically start appearing at my local farmers market sometime in March, and are available for just a couple months of the entire year.

All about my favorite allium – green garlic!

Slightly pungent and very flavorful, green garlic is a young garlic plant whose bulbs are not fully matured. Farmers typically start planting the garlic seeds during autumn and harvest the crop in early spring. Green garlic has a milder, fresher taste than its dried counterpart: garlic cloves.

Inspiration for the Green Pea and Green Garlic Masala Puffs

My latest recipe, Green Pea & Green Garlic Masala Puffs with Carrot Chutney, is a riff on a childhood dish called Matar Kachori or Peas Kachori. It’s a famous Gujarati snack, typically served at events such as weddings. The appetizer is essentially whole wheat dough stuffed with green pea masala filling and fried to golden perfection. My 94-year-old grandma, who has slowed down over the years, used to make them really well, and it was something I would always look forward to when I’d visit her.

When I wrote this article for S.F.Chronicle and where I got the green garlic from!

A couple of years ago, we were up in the beautiful town of Mendocino for a few days of decompressing and spending time with family. We went to the must-see Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, with its stunning flora and fauna along with a drop dead gorgeous view of the ocean from the cliff. There’s a vegetable garden with a couple beds filled with green garlic, and I of course got excited to see the green garlic!

I explained to them that I wrote a column called Modern Vegetarian in the San Francisco Chronicle, and that my next recipe revolved around green garlic and peas. The staff graciously let me pluck a few stalks of their flavorful green garlic, even though they do not sell their produce. All the vegetables harvested from their garden are generously donated to the food banks in the area. Picking the green garlic right out of the garden was a fun experience, and I got to use it to test this recipe.

Green Peas and Green Garlic Masala Puffs and it’s ingredients

The ingredients for the green peas and green garlic filling are:

• Green peas : I use fresh peas when in season. You can also use frozen peas
• Ginger
• Vegetable oil
• Cumin seeds
• Spices like garam masala and toasted fennel seeds. Fennel seeds provides a lovely licorice taste
• Granulated sugar
• Grated coconut : can be frozen or fresh. The frozen one is available at Indian stores.
• Cilantro
• Roasted peanuts
• Lemon juice

Method for making the Masala Puffs

Most people are familiar with the classic samosa filling of potatoes and peas, but this green pea and green garlic version is truly delicious and underrated. I coarsely grind green peas, ginger and green chile in a food processor. Then I add the mixture to a skillet with oil and cumin seeds. Lemon juice, coconut, peanuts and cilantro give it body and elevate the taste.

I use puff pastry here for ease, forming filled triangles and sealing with heavy cream. I place the puffs in the freezer for a few minutes so that they don’t lose shape when baking. They’ll puff up and turn golden brown in the oven. Be sure to wait for them to cool down a bit before digging in. They are best eaten the day of with carrot chutney, cilantro-mint chutney or even tomato ketchup.

How to make the Carrot-Tamarind Chutney

The carrot-tamarind chutney comes together fairly quickly. It starts off with sauteing onions, green garlic and carrots in oil, then seasoning with tangy tamarind paste and blending the mixture. I garnish it with fresh green garlic, which can be eaten raw since it’s mild.

Can I make the filling in advance?

If you want to get ahead, you can store the filling in the fridge for a few days, then assemble and bake the puffs whenever the craving strikes. My kids love them as an after-school snack.

What kind of puff pastry do you use?

I use puff pastry here for ease, forming filled triangles and sealing with heavy cream.

How long will the puff pastries last?

Once made the puff pastries are best eaten the day of since they will lose their crispness as the day progresses. You can make a few at a time as well (using the filling that has been made in advance). You can keep them utmost for a day and reheat them by using a toaster oven.

Can I eat this as a main lunch or dinner?

You can most certainly eat these for lunch or dinner. They would make a great lunch option for kids as well.

Other appetizer recipes from my blog are:

• Healthy Gobi Manchurian
• Indian Spiced and Stuffed Squash Blossoms
• Gujarati Sabudana na Vada

If you make this recipe, please tag #thejamlab on Instagram and/or leave a comment on this blog post.

XO
Amisha

Green Peas and Green Garlic Masala Puffs

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• Amisha Gurbani

The quintessential potato-and-pea samosa filling is well known, but this mild and fresh-tasting pea-and-green garlic filling is one to try this spring season. Also, unlike traditional samosas, these masala puffs are made with store-bought puff pastry and baked instead of fried for ease. (Make sure you have space in your freezer for baking sheets, as the puffs need time there in order to hold their shape in the oven.) They’re best paired with a carrot-tamarind chutney, but you could also try a store-bought cilantro-mint chutney or tomato ketchup. Once baked, you should eat them the same day. Alternatively, you could store the filling in the fridge for a few days and then bake a fresh batch whenever the craving strikes. 

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Carrot-Tamarind Chutney:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• ¼ cup onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons green garlic, finely chopped, plus 1 tablespoon for garnish
• 1½ cups carrots, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon tamarind paste
• ¼ cup water, plus more if needed

Green Pea and Green Garlic Masala filling:

• 10 ounces green peas, fresh or frozen
• 2 green chillies, stem removed
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, roughly chopped
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1½ teaspoons toasted fennel seeds, coarsely crushed
• 2 tablespoons green garlic, finely chopped 
• ½ cup fresh or frozen grated coconut
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped
• ⅓ cup roasted peanuts, finely chopped

Assembly:

• 3 sheets puff pastry, thawed
• All-purpose flour, for rolling
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• Microgreens, for garnish (optional)

Get Recipe Ingredients

Make the Carrot-Tamarind Chutney:

1. Place a small saucepan on the stove on medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil. After 30 seconds, add the onions. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the green garlic and saute for another minute.
2. Add the carrots and mix. Add the salt, sugar and tamarind paste. Saute, stirring occasionally, for 6-7 minutes, until carrots are softened.
3. Puree the mixture with the water in a high-speed blender until smooth. If the mixture seems too thick, add 1-2 additional tablespoons of water.
4. Place chutney in a bowl and let it cool completely. Garnish with 1 tablespoon of green garlic.

 

Green Pea and Green Garlic Masala filling:

1. Add the green peas, serrano chile and ginger to a food processor and pulse to make a coarse mixture. You still want some texture so don’t grind it all the way into a paste. 
2. In a large skillet, on medium heat, add the vegetable oil. After 30 seconds, add the cumin seeds and let them crackle, about 20 seconds.
3. Add the green pea mixture and saute for 2 minutes. You want to remove a bit of moisture from the mixture.
4. Add the garam masala, salt, sugar and coarsely crushed fennel seeds, and saute for another 2 minutes.
5. Finally add the green garlic, coconut, lemon juice, cilantro and peanuts, and saute for another minute. Remove from the heat. Let the mixture cool completely, about 30 minutes.

 

Assembly:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Dust flour on a work surface. Place a puff pastry sheet on the surface and dust more flour on the top of the sheet. Roll it out slightly to straighten the creases. If your sheet is a rectangle, roll it into a square.
3. Using a sharp knife, cut into 4 equal squares.
4. Place them on a prepared baking sheet.
5. In a small bowl, combine the heavy cream and sugar.
6. Using a pastry brush, brush the edges of each square with the cream.
7. Place about 3 tablespoons of the cooled pea mixture onto one half of each square, leaving a ½-centimeter border. You want the filling near one corner, so that you can pull the opposite corner over the filling and gently close the pastry to form a triangle. Gently seal the edges using the back of a fork.
8. Repeat with the remaining 3 squares. Place one of the lined baking sheets in the freezer for 10 minutes. This will help the puffs maintain their shape in the oven.
9. Meanwhile, repeat all the steps with the remaining 2 puff pastry sheets, placing some more puffs on the baking sheet that’s already in the freezer. 
10. Remove the baking sheets and brush all the puffs with the heavy cream. Use a sharp knife to cut an X through the top layer of pastry for each puff to prevent it from splitting while baking.
11. Place the sheets in the bottom and middle racks of the oven, and bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until the puffs are golden brown in color. Switch the baking sheets midway through for even baking. Cool completely before serving, garnished with microgreens (optional), alongside the carrot chutney.

 

Note: The puffs can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 day. Toast them in a toaster oven or in an oven set to 400 degrees for 4-5 minutes before serving. You can also make fewer puffs, store the pea mixture in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days, and then assemble the remaining puffs when you want to eat them.

Notes

How to make the Carrot-Tamarind Chutney

• The carrot-tamarind chutney comes together fairly quickly. It starts off with sauteing onions, green garlic and carrots in oil, then seasoning with tangy tamarind paste and blending the mixture. I garnish it with fresh green garlic, which can be eaten raw since it’s mild.

 

Can I make the filling in advance?

• If you want to get ahead, you can store the filling in the fridge for a few days, then assemble and bake the puffs whenever the craving strikes. My kids love them as an after-school snack.

 

What kind of puff pastry do you use?

• I use puff pastry  here for ease, forming filled triangles and sealing with heavy cream. 

 

How long will the puff pastries last?

• Once made the puff pastries are best eaten the day of since they will lose their crispness as the day progresses. You can make a few at a time as well (using the filling that has been made in advance). You can keep them utmost for a day and reheat them by using a toaster oven.

 

Can I eat this as a main lunch or dinner?

• You can most certainly eat these for lunch or dinner. They would make a great lunch option for kids as well.