Homemade Spicy Green Peas & Spinach Pastry Puffs are incredibly easy to put together and make the perfect bite-sized party appetizer. This vegan puff pastry is a crowd-pleaser for sure!
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How the food scene has changed today!
When my husband moved to the US some 18 years ago, he had a tough time finding good vegetarian food at restaurants. The concept of vegetarian food was still not that popular as it is today. Over the years, he has definitely witnessed the change in the food scene here.
Now it is so much easier to get something vegetarian or vegan when eating out. The food scene is constantly evolving and more and more eateries are embracing vegetarian and vegan food choices, which is a good thing.
But 18 years ago, he had a tough time obtaining vegetarian food at restaurants and ended up cooking at home a lot. Even when I moved to the US nearly 7 years ago, things were a bit different. I was coming from India where there is absolutely no dearth of vegetarian food at restaurants.
It did take a bit of adjusting for me when I got here. I began to settle for things like taste, flavor or cuisine when dining out. Today, things have changed marginally - my palate has adapted to the new tastes here, but I'm still a bit of a picky eater :).
My go-to cuisines when eating out are still either Thai, Italian, Chinese or Indian.
Making it at home is always a better option
I understood early on that if I wanted to eat something delicious and suited to my palate, I needed to make it myself or ask my friends to make it for me. Thankfully we have a group of friends here who fulfill each other's cravings ever once in a while. We have a friend who loves making Chaat and we request her to make it for us whenever someone is craving for it.
Similarly, if someone is craving for something South Indian, I make it for them. Given that all of us are far away from our respective families, we have become a close-knit family here. We take turns to host parties and that is when I get an opportunity to try out various party recipes.
I don't like to order food from outside because I enjoy playing host and putting out a lip-smacking spread for friends and family! Since we have friends over all the time, party snacks/appetizers/finger foods and bite-sized desserts are always in demand.
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Why Maille®?
When Maille®‎ reached out to collaborate with me, I decided to create a fun puff pastry snack with a hint of mustard flavor! I am not new to Maille®‎ mustard. I have used it before to make Vegan Grilled Potatoes Cooked In Spicy Mustard Gravy (which was a great hit if I do say so in all modesty! :)). In fact, I still use it to recreate this recipe for my friends when they ask for it. It is my de facto mustard brand now and is a constant in my refrigerator! I love the taste and the fact that it's creamy - makes it so easy to use in gravies!
Dijon Mustard gets its name from the town of Dijon, France. A long time ago, someone used the juice of unripe grapes to create the mustard paste (instead of vinegar). This lends the resulting mustard a bit of spicy tartness. Maille®‎ products can truly transform simple recipes into delicious food experiences and cooking with them is exciting! Did you know that from Dijon Originale mustard to Cornichons, Maille®‎ has a rich heritage starting in 1747?
Also, check out this delicious dish I made with Maille® recently - Coconut Mustard Rice.
Why make this Puff Pastry appetizer?
You will love this mustard flavored homemade Spicy Green Peas & Spinach Pastry Puffs, with Maille® Dijon Originale mustard as the star ingredient, because:
- is a vegan puff pastry recipe
- addictive and irresistible
- a fun, easy and quick appetizer
- needs basic ingredients
- minimal prep work
- fit for a crowd
- is baked
- very flavorful
Recipe to make Spicy Green Peas & Spinach Pastry Puffs
Soak frozen peas in warm water for 30 minutes. Drain and grind it coarsely without adding any water.
- Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Temper some cumin seeds and then add minced garlic and ginger. Fry for a minute. Then add chopped onions and saute until they turn translucent.
- Next, add the peas paste and fry over medium heat till all the moisture is evaporated and the raw smell disappears.
- Add chopped spinach.
- Then add Maille® Dijon Originale Mustard (for the awesome mouth-watering taste), salt, turmeric powder, paprika, cumin powder, chickpea flour, and dried cilantro. Mix nicely and cook it for another few minutes.
- Turn off the heat and allow the filling to cool down completely. Transfer to a bowl.
- Meanwhile, roll each sheet of vegan puff pastry on a floured work surface. Cut each sheet into 4 squares, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Keep the sheets in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.
- Remove and scoop some of the peas mixture and place it in the center of each sheet.
- Add grated cheese on top.
- Then fold the corners of pastry squares over the filling and toward the center, pinching the corners to seal.
- Brush each square with milk, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- Bake in an oven for 12 to 15 minutes at 350 degrees F, or until crisp and golden brown, checking bottoms of squares with a spatula to make sure they are browned.
- Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Serve with some chutney or ketchup.
Notes & tips to make the best pastry puffs
- Soak the green peas in water to make it soft. It will then be easy to grind.
- Fry the peas till all the moisture evaporates and the raw smell disappears.
- You can substitute green peas with shelled edamame.
- You can substitute spinach with any greens you have at hand.
- Cool down the filling before you add them to the puff pastry sheets.
- You can use vegan or regular puff pastry sheets in this recipe.
- Thaw the puff pastry sheets before using them. But use it at the right time, i.e when the pastry is pliable enough to be rolled and shaped but isn’t so warm that the dough is too limp to shape or the butter starts melting.
- You can use any cheese (vegan or dairy) in this recipe.
- Feel free to shape them as you want. It is very customizable.
- They don't take long to cook. Keep checking the bottoms of squares with a spatula to make sure they are browned.
- Make only what will be eaten and make it as close to serving as possible. Puff pastry loses its lovely crispiness after a few hours.
Cooking for a crowd?
Puff pastry snacks are great for large groups plus one can get very creative with its usage. Store-bought frozen puff pastry is a lifesaver at any time of year, but especially as we move into the busy holiday season. Here are some of my favorite appetizers made with puff pastry sheets -
- Tomato Thokku Stuffed Puff Pastry Pinwheels Recipe
- Chutney & Cheese Puff Pastry Straws
- Puff Pastry Samosa
- Spinach & Paneer Puffs
If you do try this Spicy Green Peas & Spinach Pastry Puffs or any other recipe from the blog, please let me know. I welcome your comments, star ratings, tweaks, and suggestions.
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Homemade Spicy Green Peas & Spinach Pastry Puffs
Ingredients
Stuffing
- 1 cup frozen green peas
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 jalapeno, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup chopped spinach
- 2 tablespoon Maille® Dijon Originale Mustard
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- salt as required
- 1 tablespoon dried cilantro or parsley
- 2-3 tablespoon gram flour/chickpea flour
Pastry Sheets
- 1 frozen puff pastry sheet
Assembly
- ½ cup grated cheese
- â…“ cup milk
Instructions
- Soak frozen peas in warm water for 30 minutes. Drain and grind it coarsely without adding any water.
- Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Temper some cumin seeds and then add minced garlic and ginger. Fry for a minute. Then add chopped onions and saute until they turn translucent.
- Next, add the peas paste and fry over medium heat till all the moisture is evaporated and the raw smell disappears.
- Add chopped spinach.
- Then add Maille® Dijon Originale Mustard (for the awesome mouth-watering taste), salt, turmeric powder, paprika, cumin powder, chickpea flour, and dried cilantro. Mix nicely and cook it for another few minutes.
- Turn off the heat and allow the filling to cool down completely. Transfer to a bowl.
- Meanwhile, roll each sheet of puff pastry on a floured work surface. Cut each sheet into 4 squares, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Keep the sheets in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.
- Remove and scoop some of the peas mixture and place it in the center of each sheet.
- Add grated cheese on top.
- Then fold the corners of pastry squares over the filling and toward the center, pinching the corners to seal.
- Brush each square with milk, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- Bake in an oven for 12 to 15 minutes at 350 degrees F, or until crisp and golden brown, checking bottoms of squares with a spatula to make sure they are browned.
- Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
- Serve with some chutney or ketchup.
Notes
- Can also use fresh green peas. But you will have to boil it first till they soften.Â
- Soak the frozen green peas in water to make it soft. It will then be easy to grind.
- Fry the peas till all the moisture evaporates and the raw smell disappears.
- You can substitute green peas with shelled edamame.
- You can substitute spinach with any greens you have at hand.Â
- Cool down the filling before you add them to the puff pastry sheets.
- Thaw the puff pastry sheets before using them. But use it at the right time, i.e when the pastry is pliable enough to be rolled and shaped but isn’t so warm that the dough is too limp to shape or the butter starts melting.
- You can use any cheese (vegan or dairy) in this recipe.
- Feel free to shape them as you want. It is very customizable.Â
- They don't take long to cook. Keep checking the bottoms of squares with a spatula to make sure they are browned.
- Make only what will be eaten and make it as close to serving as possible. Puff pastry loses its lovely crispiness after a few hours.
Nutrition
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Any greens suggestion besides spinach?
You can use any greens like kale, beet leaves, spinach or even skip adding them if not available.
Fantastic, delicious Preparation.
So glad you liked it. Thanks.