Indian Masala Street Corn & Cheese Puffs

Flaky. Puffy. Fluffy. Corny. Cheesy. Street. Taking the classic corn and cheese empanada and making it Indian. Fusion Style.

Masala corn can be found in abundance on any street corner of India. It’s a classic, quick-fix spicy snack you’d find most people eating out of a paper cup. And if you know anything about Indians and Street food, we love our butter and cheese. What better way than to combine it all into a warm pocket of goodness?! In low abundance of course – we semi healthy out here.

Almost every culture has a dish that’s a dough based pastry filled with sweet or savory ingredients: samosas, empanada, dumplings, perogies, kolaches,… and the list goes on and on. As my blog name says: it’s all about sharing cultures together to create new and exciting culinary experiences.

Taking the classic Argentinian Corn & Cheese Empanada and fusing it with Indian spices and street food culture within a flaky dough (my favorite dough actually). PUFF DADDY ALL UP IN THESE STREETS FAM.

Cheesy. Corny. Street. If I didn’t know any better, I’m describing myself. 😉

PREP: 20 minutes
TOTAL: 50 minutes
YIELD: 3-6 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 sheet frozen Puff Pastry, cut into 9 equal squares (thaw according to package instructions)
2/3 cup Frozen Yellow Corn
2/3 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 small Yellow Onion, diced small
1 Jalepeño, deseeded and diced small
1/2 tsp. Minced Garlic (1-2 garlic clove)
1/2 tsp. Minced Ginger (1/2 ginger root)
3-4 Green Chilis, minced (optional)
1 tsp. Lime Juice
1 tsp. Red Chili Powder
1 tsp. Chaat Masala
1/2 tsp. Turmeric
1/2 tsp. Garam Masala
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
1/4 tsp. Salt (to taste)
1 tbsp. Butter
Milk

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 400°F.
In saute pan over low heat, melt 1 tbsp. Butter. Add in Yellow Onion, Jalepeño, Ginger, Garlic, and Green Chilis. Saute for 1 minute.
Add in Frozen Yellow Corn, Lime Juice, Red Chili Powder, Chaat Masala, Turmeric, Garam Masala, Salt, and Black Pepper. Mix and saute for 1-2 minutes.
Turn off heat. Mix in Shredded Cheddar Cheese. Don’t worry if it doesn’t melt, it will in the oven!
Roll out edges of each puff pastry square to make it slightly larger in size.
Equally distribute corn-cheese mixture on each puff pastry square. Fold to form triangle or rectangle. Crimp edges with fork to seal & ensure nothing spills out. PS, I found more of my taste-testers preferred the rectangles.
Spread out evenly on baking pan. Brush top and edges of puff pastries with milk. This will ensure it stays golden & doesn’t burn.
Bake for 30 minutes or until tops are slightly golden brown.
Enjoy!

#TashTip: Serve with Chai or Wine/Cocktails. It’s a great brunch, high-tea, or cocktail party snack!