Samosa Pie

Since last Friday, my fiance and I have been battling an awful viral infection. I'm talking coughing, sneezing, runny noses, ear infections - the works. It has not been pleasant. In that time, though, we have adopted a new kitty - the one year old, short hair domestic "Bob," and have cooked our way through a few new and wonderful meals.

Meet Bob the Cat

In our sickness, we've only been in the mood for comfort food. Something warm and cozy, and really healthy. On Monday night I broke out Vegan on the Cheap and decided to try the Samosa Pie recipe. Now, if you've never had samosas before, you're missing out. They are delicious little hand pies filled with a spicy little mix of veggies. Robin Robertson takes inspiration from these little pies and transforms them into one large savory pie. Although her notes say that the pie is "quick and easy" to prepare, let's be honest, pies are not a quick dish and you will need to set aside some time to prepare this. 

Taste - the pie has wonderful flavors, though I'd add a bit more spice (my fiance and I are spice lovers though, so you'd have to adjust it to your own tastes). We also felt like it needed a nice sweet chili dipping sauce, something often served with samosas. It's certainly something we'll try again though! 

Samosa Pie - from Vegan on the Cheap

1 lb. baking potatoes, peeled & cut into 1-inch dice (We used red potatoes and did not peel them. The skins added nice flavor and texture and they have a lot of nutrients so don't trash them!)

8 oz green beans, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 recipe Double Pie Crust (see below)

1 Tbsp canola oil

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

1 medium carrot, finely chopped

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

1 Tbsp hot or mild curry powder

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp ground cayenne

1 1/2 cups cooked or 1 can chickpeas, drained & rinsed

1 cup thawed frozen peas

Steam the potatoes until just tender, about 12 mins. Set aside. Steam green beans until tender, about 8 mins. Set aside. Preheat oven to 400. 

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface. Fit the crust to the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate or quiche pan, crimping the edges. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven. Set aside. Reduce oven temp to 350. 

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook until soft, about 7 mins. Stir in the ginger, curry, coriander, salt, cumin, and cayenne. Remove from the heat. Add the steamed potatoes and chickpeas, stirring to mix well and mash the potatoes and chickpeas coarsely. Add the peas and steamed green beans, stirring to mix well. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if necessary. 

Spread the filling mixture evenly into the prepared pie crust. Bake until the filling is hot and golden and the crust is browned, about 45 mins. Serve hot (but it tastes great cold for lunch the next day too!).

Double Pie Crust

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

2/3 cup cold vegan margarine, cut into 1/4 inch dice (we love Earth Balance)

1/2 cup cold water

*The author, Robin Robertson suggests making this in a food processor. We do not own one, so I used our Kitchenaid mixer. You can do either. I'm including her food processor steps below, but if you use a mixer, just do the same thing using the mixer!

In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, and salt and pulse to blend.

Add the margarine and pulse to cut the margarine into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. 

Add the water and process just until the dough holds together, adding a splash more water if needed. 

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and use your hands to shape it into a ball, then divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a ball and flatten each into a 1-inch thick disk. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using. Properly stored, it will keep in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 2 months.