Onions caramelized in masala and swirled with flaky, buttery puff pastry. These are the perfect appetizer for any celebration!
These caramelized onion puff pastry pinwheels pay homage to my childhood favorite snacks called puffs. Puffs are warm pockets of goodness. That goodness can be anything from spiced potatoes to caramelized onions. Street-side stalls in India sell these puffs which are made hot and fresh for the evening rush when children are leaving school and parents are trekking back home through traffic.
My only complaint with the puffs that we bought was that there was far too little filling. So in my version of this dish, I created a pinwheel shape not only for its undeniably hypnotizing shape but also to ensure that there was plenty of filling in each and every bite. With some store-bought puff pastry sheets, these pinwheels are the easiest appetizer to feed a crowd or to serve at your next chai (tea) party.
Caramelize Onions
Rely on how your onions look rather than the timing of the recipe. You are looking for the onions to brown and caramelize which may take shorter or longer depending on how hot “medium heat” is for your stove.This is how your onions should look after they have caramelized with the masala spices!
Assemble Pinwheels
It really helps create clean cuts and spirals if you freeze your puff pastry log in the freezer before you cut it. You can always prep and freeze your pastry log up to a week ahead of time before you are ready to cut and bake.
Cut and Bake
These pinwheels are perfect for a chai (tea) party and are a great appetizer when hosting a big crowd.
Caramelized Onion Puff Pastry Swirls
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 20 pinwheels 1x
Description
Onions caramelized in masala and swirled with flaky, buttery puff pastry. These are the perfect appetizer for any celebration!
Ingredients
- 1 - Puff Pastry Sheet (Pepperidge Farm) - (10” X 15” X ⅛”)
- 2 Tbs - Ghee (Neutral Oil will work as a substitute)
- 3 - Yellow Onions, medium (600g) - thinly sliced
- 1 Egg, beaten, for brushing onto pastry (You can alternatively use milk)
- Spices
- ¼ tsp - Turmeric
- 1.5 tsp - Cumin Powder
- 1.5 tsp - Coriander Powder
- 1 Tb - Kashmiri Chili Powder (or 2 tsp of regular chili powder)
- 1.5 tsp - Kosher Salt (or 1 tsp table salt) - plus more to taste
- 1.5 tsp - Sugar
- Equipment
- 10” x 15” Sheet Pan
- Parchment Paper
Instructions
Prep Work
- Thaw the puff pastry according to the instructions on the box.
- Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a 10” x 15” baking sheet with parchment paper.
Caramelize Onions
- Heat 1 Tbs of ghee in a large pan over medium heat until it melts and coats the pan.
- Add onions to the pan and stir until they are coated with ghee and glisten.
- Stir onions every minute or so until they have reduced in size by half and start taking on a light brown color. This should take approximately 8-10 minutes, but remember to rely on how the onions look rather than strictly the time estimate!
- Add an additional 1 Tbs of ghee, turmeric, cumin powder, coriander powder, Kashmiri chili powder, salt, and sugar. Sauté onions until they are coated in the spice mixture. Keep sautéing onions until they have a deep caramelized color and the raw smell of the spices is gone. This should take about another 8-10 minutes.
- Once onions are cooked, turn off the heat and let them cool while working on your pastry.
Assemble Pinwheels
- Take the sheet of puff pastry dough and spread the caramelized onions evenly across the entire sheet.
- Tightly roll the dough starting from the longer side and place seam side down. Wrap the puff pastry log with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for at least an hour. Chilling the puff pastry makes it easier to cut beautiful swirls and ensures that you get an extra flaky pastry.
- Brush the chilled pastry log with egg wash.
- Using a serrated knife, cut the puff pastry log into 20 swirls that are roughly ½ inch in thickness and place them on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake your puff pastry swirls on the middle rack of the oven for 10-12 minutes until the puff pastry becomes golden brown. Allow the puff pastry to cool for ~5 minutes before digging in! Enjoy!
Notes
- You can freeze your rolled pinwheel log in the freezer up to a week ahead of when you plan on baking them!
- Giving the cut pinwheels time in the freezer allows them to puff up and turn out extra flaky!
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 35
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Indian
Keywords: Caramelized Onion Puff Pastry Swirls
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