Lovingly known as Sri Lankan ‘short-eats’, these lip-smacking chicken patties are often served as a mid-afternoon snack to stir the appetite between lunch and dinner.
If you haven’t tried one before, you’re seriously missing out on some seriously good stuff. Nothing beats the look of pure delight on everyone’s faces when they take their first bite.
The moment you’ve had one, you’ll find yourself thinking… “I’m home”.
Flavours and pairings
These spicy, buttery parcels are best served straight out of the oven with cup of piping hot tea. For a curious twist, try with a dash of tomato sauce for a hint of sweetness.
Ingredients
To cook:
- 3 chicken breasts, diced into 1 cm pieces
- 1 potato, diced into 1 cm pieces
- 2 medium tomatoes, blended
- 2 medium red onions (or banana shallots)
- 1 large green chilli, cut into 3 pieces
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1 pandan leaf
To blend:
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 thumb-sized piece ginger
To spice:
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise
- 3 cardamom pods
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
To bake:
- 3 sheets puff pastry (each sheet will give you 6 patties)
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp black sesame seeds (optional)
Method
- Blend the garlic and ginger, set aside. Blend the fresh tomatoes until they reach a fine consistency, then set aside.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok or wide-based pan. Add the fenugreek seeds, star anise, cardamom and cinnamon stick.
- Then add the onions, green chilli, curry leaves, pandan leaf and lightly roast for two to three minutes on high heat (or until the onions are light brown).
- Add the blended tomatoes, garlic and ginger to the pan. Then add the chilli powder, turmeric and curry powder before stirring well to combine.
- Allow the tomatoes and chilli powder to cook well, stirring constantly for about three to five minutes. It’s ready when the oil begins to split.
- Once the tomato masala is ready, add the chicken and potatoes to the pan, stir well to combine.
- Add about one cup of water to cover the ingredients, cover with a lid and allow to simmer on gentle heat for 15 minutes (or until the water is completely reduced).
- The mixture should be fairly dry and the potatoes should be fully cooked.
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Remove the pandan leaf and all the large spices (cinnamon, cardamom, star anise).
- Once cool, finely chop the chicken and potatoes until you have a roughly textured filling for the patties.
- You’re ready to fill the patties!
- Dust a clean table with a little flour, then lay a sheet of pastry down and cut into six rectangular pieces.
- Spoon one to two tablespoons of the filling into each rectangle, then fold and press down firmly to seal. Finally, gently crimp three sides with a fork.
- Once you have your tray of patties ready, lightly brush each parcel with a layer of egg wash and top with a sprinkling of black sesame seeds to finish.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 20-30 minutes, or until each parcel turns golden brown.
- Serve straight out of the oven and enjoy with a hot cup of tea.
@theorangesieve serves up recipes from the heart, inspired by travels near and far. It’s all about food that humbly invites you to discover the truth about flavour, that is: the people, the culture and the stories behind them. The kind of food that leaves you with a smile for reasons you can’t quite put your finger on.