The Magical Ingredients for a Wholesome Life From the Heart of my Home: Masala Labneh Pastry Swirls

This is an amazing appetizer with creamy labne and spicy onion-tomato-red pepper filling all wrapped in a flaky puff pastry! These cute little pinwheels are a bite of heaven with fantastic flavors. These swirls are great appetizers and also a great snack along with a piping cup of chai.

I received samples to create recipes and all the opinions expressed are my own. I received Labne Original spread and dip from Karoun Dairies as a part of developing recipes and for the contest. The labne makes this appetizer standout with comforting and addictive flavors!

Labne aka labneh is strained yogurt that can be spread like a cream cheese or ricotta cheese. I often buy Karoun Dairies labne from the usual Mediterranean market that I often go to. I use it in making dips and sauces and to make shrikand. Shrikand is our traditional dessert that is made with strained yogurt. Labneh and Greek yogurt are creamy and save time to make shrikand when you want to make a quick one. But labne can be used in baked goods too. When I received these samples, I decided to share these pinwheel appetizer made with #Karoun Dairies labne that is a family favorite .

When spreading, try to use between one-third to a half cup. Do not overfill as this would result in a messy roll. Rolling may not be easy. The right amount of filling plays a major role in getting perfect swirls. The spicy masala made with onion tomatoes and red pepper is perfectly balanced by creamy and tangy labne. When making this, if you couldn't find curry leaves or asafetida, skip these. But do not skip cumin, fennel, turmeric, and garam masala. These add to the yum flavors in this appetizer.

It is a best choice to make for the following reasons:

Very delicious
Perfect balanced flavors
Creamy and tasty filling
Buttery flaky puff pastry
Easy to make
Crowd pleaser

Labne has the perfect tanginess and creaminess that is spreadable but at the same time not very thin. This perfectly balances the spicy filling. The traditional Indian spices with lovely notes of mint and cilantro make this out of the world. Speaking of the filling, I always double the batch as this comes in handy for quick meal fixes. The filling is kind of a fusion between the Indian and Mediterranean flavors. Red peppers and labne are used extensively in Mediterranean cooking and the masala powders add to the Indian flavors. With a puff pastry to hold this filling, this is a perfect fusion appetizer that would be the ultimate appetizer!

I have used Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheets. It comes in a package of two. Double or triple this recipe and use both the sheets or extra sheets, if you are making for a bigger group. I love to use puff pastry as it is versatile and can be used to make appetizers, main, or dessert. I love to make Puff Pastry Samosa Pinwheels or Onion Puffs with it more often. Did I say that Muhammara, a red pepper dip, is a dip that I love to dip anything in?

Holidays, weekends, having guests for special occasions all call for something. Special brunch! That carries all the love you show. Today is our first day of #brunchweek. Christie is hosting this event and we share delicious recipes to make brunch a tasty and memorable one, right from beverages to desserts! Every component of the meal is important to make the event or day stand out. Be it Mother's Day or Father's Day, look for amazing ideas at the end of the post. Thanks, Christie!

Ingredients

Makes 12

Puff pastry - 1 sheet (Pepperidge Farm)

Karoun Dairies Labne - 1/3 to 1/2 cup

Onion - 2/3 cup, finely chopped

Tomatoes - 1 cup, finely chopped

Red pepper - 1/2 cup, finely chopped

Ginger - 1/2 tbsp, finely minced

Garlic - 1/2 tbsp, finely chopped

Oil - 1 tbsp

Cumin - 1/4 tsp

Fennel - 1/4 tsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric - 1/8 tsp

Cayenne - 1/2 tsp

Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp

Cilantro - 1 tbsp, choppd

Mint - 1 tbsp, chopped

Asafetida - 1/8 tsp

Curry leaf - 1 sprig

Method

Heat oil in a pan and add the cumin, fennel, followed by asafetida and curry leaves, fry for 30 seconds.

Add the onions, ginger, garlic, and sauté for 4-5 minutes until the onions become translucent.

Add the tomatoes and bell pepper, followed by salt and turmeric. Cook until the tomatoes and bell peppers are cooked, this may take about 4 to 5 minutes. Switch off the flame.