Easy Food Recipes and Cooking - Spicy Pasties
Makes 8
• 1 tsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 long red chilli, finely chopped
• 5cm piece ginger, finely chopped
• 1 tsp brown mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 10 curry leaves
• 200g lamb, chicken or goat, cut into lcm pieces
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cauliflower, cut into very small florets
• 1 x 400g can chickpeas, drained
• 3 tomatoes, finely chopped
Pastry
• 3 1/2 cups (500g) plain flour, plus extra to dust
• 250g chilled unsalted butter
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
Salad
• 1 handful baby (Dutch) carrots, halved lengthways
• 1 butter lettuce, outer leaves discarded, sliced
• 1 small bunch mint
• Plain yoghurt, to serve
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
Preheat the oven to 200°C. In a small frypan heat the oil, then add the garlic, chilli and ginger, and fry for about 1 minute or until softened but not coloured. Add the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves, then fry for a further 1-2 minutes until the mustard seeds start to pop. Set aside to cool, then combine with the remaining filling ingredients in a large bowl, add a drizzle of oil, then set aside.
For the pastry, sift the flour into a bowl and add a pinch of salt, then rub in the butter with your fingertips. Pour in 150m1 water and mix with your hands, squeezing until the pastry comes together. Add more water if needed, but try not to overwork it.
Divide the pastry into 8 equal pieces and shape each one into a ball. Dust a clean surface and a rolling pin with flour, then roll out each piece of pastry to a thickness of 3mm, dusting and turning as you go. Repeat until you have 8 rounds.
Place an even amount of filling on one side of each pastry round, leaving a lcm border, and brush the edges of the pastry with a little beaten egg. Pull the other half of the pastry over the filling, feel where the filling is and use your thumb to press down and seal around the edges. Brush the pasties all over with the beaten egg, then place on a greased baking tray and bake for 30-35 minutes until golden.
Meanwhile, for the salad, toss the carrot and lettuce in a bowl. Chop the mint and stir into the yoghurt in a separate bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper. Squeeze over a little lemon juice. Serve the pasties hot, with the salad and dressing on the side.