Vegetable Samosa Pie (2024)

• ▢ 700g / 1.4lb potato , cut into 2cm / 4/5" pieces

Filling:

• ▢ 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• ▢ 1.5 tsp black mustard seeds (Note 1)
• ▢ 1 tsp cumin seeds (Note 2)
• ▢ 1 tsp fennel seeds (Note 2)
• ▢ 15 curry leaves , fresh (Note 3)
• ▢ 1 tbsp garlic , finely grated
• ▢ 1 tbsp ginger , finely grated
• ▢ 1 onion , finely chopped (brown, white, yellow)
• ▢ 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• ▢ 2 tsp curry powder (Note 4)
• ▢ 1/2 tsp chilli powder , adjust spiciness to taste ((pure ground, not US Chili Spice Mi, sub cayenne)
• ▢ 1 tbsp tomato paste
• ▢ 1 tomato * , chopped into 1.5cm / 1/2" pieces
• ▢ 1 zucchini * , chopped into 1.5cm / 1/2" pieces
• ▢ 1 carrot * , chopped into 1.5cm / 1/2" pieces
• ▢ 1/2 cauliflower * (small), cut/broken into small florets (~ 3 cups)
• ▢ 1/2 tsp black pepper
• ▢ 1 tsp salt
• ▢ 2 cups water
• ▢ 1 cup frozen green peas *

Puff pastry crust:

• ▢ 2 sheets puff pastry (Note 5)
• ▢ 1 egg , lightly whisked

Serving:

• ▢ Plain yogurt
• ▢ Coriander/cilantro leaves , option (decorative only, pictured)

* Asterisk-marked - can be substituted with any vegetables that can be cooked.Use 8 cups total.

MASHED POTATO:

• Bring a pot of water to the boil then cook potato for 12 - 15 minutes until very soft.

• Drain, mash and set aside.

FILLING:

• Sizzling spices: Heat oil in a dutch oven or pot over high heat. Add black mustard seeds, cumin and fennel seeds. Let them sizzle for 15 seconds - careful, they might pop!

• Curry leaves: Then add curry leaves and stir for 15 seconds.

• Aromatics: Add garlic, ginger and onion. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until onion is tinged with gold.

• Tomato: Add tomato paste and tomato, cook for 30 seconds.

• Spices: Add curry powder, turmeric and chilli. Cook for 30 seconds.

• Most Veg: Add zucchini, carrot and cauliflower. Stir well to coat in the spice paste.

• Water: Add water, salt and pepper. Stir, bring to a simmer then put the lid on and reduce heat to medium low (so it's simmer gently).

• Cook & reduce: Cook for 15 minutes until vegetables are soft. Then remove lid and simmer for 5 minutes to reduce liquid a bit.

• Add mash: Remove from stove. Add peas and potato, mix through well.

• Taste: Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.

• Cool: Place lid on and cool for at least 30 minutes (even overnight is fine).

ASSEMBLY & BAKING:

• Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (all oven types).

• Grease a large pie dish with butter, or oil spray (Note 6). Drape in a puff pastry sheet.(I don't blind bake here - see Note 5)

• Fill with Filling - slightly mounded is fine.

• Fold in the corners of the puff pastry sheet.

• Top with puff pastry sheet - turn 90 degrees to the base puff pastry sheet (see photo).

• Fold the overhang puff pastry under itself - no need to be neat here, this is a rustic pie!

• Egg wash: Brush with egg, cut a 2cm / 1" cross in the middle (to let steam escape).

• Bake 50 to 60 minutes, until the top is very deep golden and flaky.

• Stand 5 minutes then slice to serve. A dollop of plain yogurt goes well with this!

1. Black mustard seeds - key ingredient for authentic flavour. Look like poppyseeds, wasabi bite, Indian aroma! ~ $1.50 in small packs at Indian grocery stores (my local is Indian Emporium in Dee Why, Sydney). Also sold in the Indian food section at some Woolworths (Australia) $1.70, otherwise try online.

Substitutes (starting with best):

• Brown mustard seeds
• Yellow mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp mustard powder*
• 1 1/2 tsp Garam Masala* (different flavour, but is intended to make up for absence)

* Add with curry powder in recipe

2. Cumin seeds - can sub with 3/4 tsp cumin powder but add it with the curry powder.

Fennel seeds - can sub with 1/2 tsp powder, but add with curry powder.

3. Fresh curry leaves - another key ingredient for authentic flavour! Sub 10 dried curry leaves. Fairly accessible nowadays for Sydney-siders, sold at Harris Farms, most Coles and Woolworths.

Substitute:

• dried curry leaves (not quite the same, but it's the best sub);
• 1 tsp Garam Masala powder (add it with rest of spices).

Also used in the recently shared Eggplant curry.

4. Curry powder - any curry powder is fine here, I use Clives of India or Keens. Don't use HOT unless you know you can handle the heat, or reduce chilli powder.

5. Puff pastry here in Australia comes in 20cm/8" square sheets, recipe calls for 2 sheets.

Can be substituted with pie crust or shortcrust pastry, anything suitable for a pie like this. Filo would work too - brush each layer with butter and use perhaps 6 to 8 layers (enclose it like a parcel).

No blind baking - Usually, I blind bake pastry bases, butbecause I'm going pretty rustic and basic here, I haven't bothered so it's not crispy - but it does cook through in the relatively long cook time. It doesn't bother me here (the filling flavour and crispy top really is the focus) and also I am not convinced that the base would stay crispy even if you did blind bake it because the filling is juicy. But if you want to blind bake, do as follows:

• Puff pastry (per Chicken Pot Pies direction, in the notes): Line dish with puff pastry, place in oven at 180C/350F. After 10 min or whenever the partially cooked base starts to puff up, just push it back down. Repeat once more or as required to stop the puffing (it doesn't take much). Then once the pastry is golden, remove from oven and let cool. Proceed with recipe.
• Shortcrust / pie crust pastry: Follow directions in this Meat Pie recipe.

6. Large pie dish diameter - rim: 24cm/9.5", base: 20cm / 8" base, height: 4cm / 1.7".

It will also fit a 20cm / 8" square dish but it will be a bit flatter (bonus: more puff pastry surface area - yay!).

If you use a 9"/23cm pie dish, you'll have a bit leftover so make a little one in a ramekin.

You could also do handheld triangles using puff pastry - seal the edges using the egg.

7. Storage:

• Leftovers in Fridge - 4 to 5 days. To reheat and retain crispy top - stick a strip of foil over exposed filling (so it doesn't dry out), then bake in the oven at 180C/350F for 10 - 15 minutes until the top is crusty and the filling is hot.
• Leftovers for freezing - haven't tried but see no reason why it wouldn't work. Thaw then reheat per above.
• Make ahead - assemble with thawed puff pastry then either freeze (3 months) or fridge (2 days). Thaw, egg wash, bake per recipe + 10 minutes (takes longer due to chill in centre.Thawed-fridge stored / thawed-frozen-thawed puff does not rise quite as much as thawed then immediately baked, but the difference is marginal in a pie like this. Also, for those concerned, for store bought puff, thaw-freeze-thaw again poses no health issues (unlike meat).

If you microwave, I take no responsibility for your disappointment over the soggy puff pastry.

8. Nutrition per serving, assuming 6 (that's a BIG meal size slice, no sides required!).