There are a few dishes that I miss in the USA. One such dish is Aloo Puffs or aloo patties. I grew up in IIT-Kanpur. We used to have a bakery shop inside the campus. Like any other bakery shop in India, this one too used to carry hot Aloo puffs. I guess, when I was in the 12th standard, along with aloo puffs, Manchurian puffs were a new addition to the bakery items. Slightly spicy yet very tasty, these Manchurian puffs were so yummy. I am sure by now, you must have started imagining the taste, and your mouth must have started to water.

They were a little extra hot as per my spice level at that time, so I used to have one pastry along with Manchurian puffs. After I came to the USA, I neither had aloo puffs nor Manchurian puffs. But after looking for some recipes, I found out that Indians here use the Puff Pastry Sheets to make these puffs. I tried them, and voila. I was able to enjoy, or should I say, relish my all-time favorite puffs. Since then, I have been making aloo puffs at home. But this time, I tried Manchurian puffs, and they came out perfect.

I am a big indo-chinese fan, so I added noodles to the filling to give it a twist. I had leftover noodles, so I used them. You can skip the noodles and keep it pure Manchurian puffs. Here, these sheets are used to make desserts. I gave it a desi twist. Have a look at these cuties..

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Now, Texas’s weather has started to get cold, and it is the perfect time to enjoy these yummy, hot puffs with a cup of adrakh wali chai (ginger tea).

Another dish that I make during winters is Aloo-Matar Kachori. Well, for today lets make these Manchurian Puffs.

Let’s get started. 

You will need:

Noodles version:

1. Puff Pastry Sheets (in the USA, you will find it in the frozen dessert section)

2. Ready Noodles (roughly chop them. It will help while biting them)

3. Sauce (Soya, Chili or garlic-chili)

4. Garlic

5. Black pepper

Method: 

1. Thaw the pastry sheets as per the packet direction.

2. Heat the pan. Add noodles. Adjust sauce and garlic level. I would suggest you make it a little spicy. You can take the filling out for kids and add chili sauce or green chili. 

3. Don’t cook it for long. Remember, we are using prepared noodles. 

4. Let the mixture cool down completely.

5. Once the sheets are thawed, cut them into rectangle or square. 

6. Take 1-2 spoons of the mixture and place it on one side of the cut piece. Bring the other side over the filled side. And press it with a ring finger. You can also wet your finger with water and supply some water on the edges and then fold the other side over it.

7. With the help of a fork, press it lightly. It seal the edges even better and gives a nice design.

8. Place the prepared puffs on the baking sheet and brush the top side with oil. If you eat eggs, then you can also brush it with egg wash.

9. Bake it as per the directions. 

10. When they are ready, place them on a cooling rack and not on the plate. By placing them on the cooling rack, the heat will not make them soggy.

For pure Manchurian style: finely chop the onion, cabbage, carrot, bell pepper.

The rest of the process will remain the same. 

Enjoy these yummy Manchurian puffs with sauce or chutney and tea.

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You can make variations in the filling. Egg puffs or paneer puffs are also very easy to make. I prefer aloo or manchurian or paneer puffs, but if you want to try a new version, then do give it a try.