Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 4–5 minutes until soft and golden. Stir in the ginger garlic paste and green chili, cooking 1 minute until fragrant. Add the chicken mince and cook for 6–8 minutes, breaking it up with a spoon, until no pink remains and the chicken is cooked through (165°F / 74°C). Stir in the chopped tomato, garam masala, cumin, Kashmiri red chili powder, crushed kasuri methi, and salt. Cook for 3–4 minutes until the tomato breaks down and the mixture is fairly dry — a wet filling will make the pastry soggy. Stir in the cilantro, then remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
- While the filling cools, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease a 12-cup standard muffin tin. On a lightly floured surface, roll the thawed puff pastry sheet into a roughly 12×10-inch rectangle. Cut it into 12 equal squares (a 4×3 grid).
- Gently press one pastry square into each muffin cup, letting the corners stick up slightly — these puff up into beautiful flaky edges. Prick the bottom of each cup a few times with a fork to stop the pastry ballooning up.
- Spoon about 1½ tablespoons of the cooled kheema filling into each pastry cup — don't overfill. Fold a half-slice of cheddar over the filling in each cup so it drapes slightly over the edges (it will melt into the filling as it bakes).
- Brush the exposed pastry edges with the beaten egg (this gives them that gorgeous golden shine). Bake for 16–18 minutes, until the pastry is puffed, deep golden, and the cheese is melted and bubbling at the edges.
- Let the puffs cool in the tin for 5 minutes — this helps them set and makes them easier to lift out. Use a butter knife to gently loosen and transfer them to a serving platter. Top each puff with 2–3 pickled jalapeno slices, a tiny dollop of mayonnaise if you like, and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro. Serve warm.
Notes
Cook the kheema filling until dry so the pastry stays crisp; cool filling before assembling; chill filled tin 10–15 minutes before baking for maximum puff; leftovers keep 3 days refrigerated or 2 months frozen — reheat in the oven, never the microwave.