Samosas are the most popular among all Indian food. But thats just my opinion. I have never met anyone who dislikes samosas. They're spiced potatoes wrapped in dough and deep fried - a staple at every Indian restaurant and a favorite snack across the board. There are some great ways to make them healthier by substituting them with sweet potatoes. Or you can bake them instead of deep frying like my friend Priya at Recipris did. I love indulging in these savory enclosed galette-like snack.

You may not know but there is another dish that's the underdog of this category of food. They're known as "puffs". A mixture of spiced potatoes, onions and peas wrapped in puff pastry and then baked. I mean, its potatoes enclosed in a buttery flaky goodness, whats there not to like?!

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I wanted to come up with a recipe that is easy to make while satisfying the taste buds. I wanted to incorporate Indian spices somehow and this was the perfect opportunity for me to do so. I typically don't like sweet potatoes but I wanted to cook with them to expand my horizon. I thought of making a traditional sweet potato gratin or sweet potato galette but all of a sudden I was daydreaming about samosas and puffs. So I ended up making this dish...a culmination of all things I had in mind.

Ingredients

2 medium sized sweet potatoes - thinly slices, about 1/8 inch thickness
1 shallot - sliced
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Puff pastry sheet (10" X 15" X 1/8")
Cooking spray

Steps

Defrost the puff pastry sheet if they're frozen. I usually move them from the freezer to the refrigerator section the night before.
Preheat the oven to 435 degrees F.
Toss the sliced sweet potatoes in extra virgin olive oil and salt. Arrange the slices in a baking dish and roast for about 15-17 minutes or until they're tender.
While the sweet potatoes are still hot, sprinkle garam masala, cayenne pepper and garlic powder and toss gently. Do a taste test and add more salt or spices if you wish. Alternatively, you can sub the garam masala, cayenne pepper and garlic powder with cajun spice and enjoy a completely different flavor panel.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Place the puff pastry sheet on a cutting board and cut out 2x2 inch squares. Arrange the squares about an inch apart on the greased baking sheet. Place 2-3 slices of spiced sweet potatoes (stacked in pairs or single layer) and top them with shallots. Place the baking sheet in the oven for about 15-17 minutes and serve these bite size deliciousness warm or cold.

Prep time 15-20 minutes | Baking time 30-35 minutes | Serves a small crowd