Chickpea tikka masala puffs - chickpeas and veggies in a super delicious 1-bowl no cook tikka masala sauce, stuffed into crisp puff pastry pockets. These are perfect for holiday parties!

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 25 minutes
  • Cook time: 40 minutes
  • Total time: 65 minutes
  • Yield: 12
  • Category: Appetizer
  • Cuisine: Indian, Indian Fusion

Ingredients

For the Tikka Masala Sauce

  • 3/4 cup canned tomato puree (or unseasoned tomato sauce or passata)
  • 1/4 cup non-dairy yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste (or 3 cloves garlic and 1/2 inch ginger minced)
  • 2 teaspoons Kashmiri chili powder (or paprika)
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (or black pepper, or use both)
  • 2 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves ((Kasuri methi))
  • 1/4 teaspoon sugar (or maple syrup)

For the Filling

  • 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
  • 1/2 cup or more chopped bell pepper (red or green or a mix of both)
  • 1 hot chili (such as serrano, finely chopped, optional)
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)
  • 15 ounce can chickpeas (drained, or use 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas, or white beans or see notes for other protein options)

For the Pastries

  • 2 Puff pastry sheets, (thawed for 15 minutes)
  • flour (for your work surface)
  • 1 tablespoon non-dairy milk
  • 2 teaspoons maple syrup
  • vegan cream cheese and/or vegan cheese (optional)
  • sesame seeds, hemp seeds, nigella seeds (for topping)

Method

  1. Set out your puff pastry sheets to thaw for at least 15 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, add all of the sauce ingredients to a bowl, and mix really well. Taste and Add more salt, if needed. Then, chop the onion and peppers, if you haven't already, and add the onion, peppers, cilantro, and chickpeas to the bowl and mix well.
  3. Preheat your oven to 400° F (205° C).
  4. Once the puff pastry sheets are starting to soften, use a little bit of flour, and roll them out to about an 1” to 2” larger than what they were. Then, slice each one up into six equal squares. Mix the nondairy milk and maple syrup, and brush some of this mixture onto the edges of the puff pastry squares. You can spread some vegan cream cheese onto each of the squares at this point, if you want a creamier puff. Place a good helping of the chickpea tikka masala in each of the squares, and top with some vegan cheese, if using. Seal the edges diagonally, so that they make little pouches, then brush these pouches again with the milk-maple syrup mixture, and top with seeds of choice.
  5. Transfer the puffs to a parchment-lined baking sheet and Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until they're starting are getting nicely golden. At the 25-minute mark, turn the baking sheet around, so they will brown evenly, then continue to bake until they’re golden all over with some browned edges. Remove the pastries from the oven, and serve! See notes for storage and make ahead.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.