Rose harissa, parsnip and paneer puff pastry plait

by Deena Kakaya
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2
2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 sheets of puff pastry, ready-rolled
  • 250g of parsnip, peeled and cut into 3cm cubes
  • 1 tbsp of oil

Paneer cheese (makes approx. 150g)

  • 1l whole milk
  • 2 tbsp of lemon juice

Rose harissa

  • 175g of tomatoes, small, halved
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 10g of dried red chillies, soaked in warm water
  • 2 1/2 tbsp of rose petals, culinary grade, soaked in warm water
  • 3 tbsp of rose water
  • 1 tbsp of honey
  • 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1 pinch of salt

Method

1
Start by making the paneer. In a non-stick pan, heat the milk until it starts to boil. Turn down to a simmer and then add the lemon juice – the milk should start to curdle with large clumps that look like cottage cheese starting to appear. Turn off the heat and allow the acidic reaction to fully separate the curds and whey (this should take about 10 minutes)
2
Meanwhile, line a colander with muslin and place in an empty sink. Pour the milk mixture into the muslin and then tie the loose ends of cloth together to form a package, then squeeze out any excess liquid. Place something heavy (like a saucepan) on top of the wrapped paneer and allow it to set overnight
3
Once set, unwrap the muslin cloth and cut the paneer into 2–3cm cubes before starting the plaits
4
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 160°C/gas mark 3
5
Spread out the tomatoes, cut-side up, and garlic cloves on a large baking tray and roast in the oven for 40 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool
6
Increase the oven temperature to 180°C/gas mark 4
7
Toss the parsnips in the oil then spread out on a large baking tray. Roast for 30 minutes, or until crisp on the outside and tender when pierced with a knife. Set aside to cool
8
When ready to assemble the plaits, remove the pastry sheets from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature for 10 minutes
9
Place the roasted tomatoes and garlic in a blender or food processor with the remaining harissa ingredients and blitz to a paste
10
Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6
11
Lay a piece of baking paper flat on the work surface and place one of the sheets of pastry on top. Cut off the top two corners with a sharp knife. Leave the central rectangle clear for the filling, then cut horizontal strips down either side (so you have about six or seven strips fanning out from the centre)
12
Fill the centre with half of the harissa, roasted parsnips and paneer. Criss-cross the strips over the filling in the middle to form a plait down the centre, then fold in the top and bottom edges to seal. Transfer to a baking tray then repeat with the second sheet of pastry and remaining fillings
13
Bake in the preheated oven for 30–40 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden