Curried Vegetable Pasties

Recipe by Dani Venn

Prep Time: 30 minutes, plus resting for 30 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Serves: 3

Ingredients

Shortcrust Lard Pastry

2 cups plain flour

50g chilled unsalted butter, cubed

50g chilled lard, cubed

Curried Vegetable Filling

2 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil

1 clove garlic, diced

½ small onion, diced

1 teaspoon brown or yellow mustard seeds

2 springs curry leaves

1 teaspoon Indian curry powder

½ cauliflower, chopped into small florets

½ cup frozen peas, blanched

2 potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 teaspoon salt flakes, to season

1 egg, lightly beaten

Method

To make the shortcrust pastry, ensure that all equipment and ingredients are cold and room is not too hot. Wash hands under running cold water if hands are warm.

Place flour into a mixing bowl, add butter and lard and cut the pastry using a butter knife until its crumbly and then use the tips of your fingers to rub the pastry together until it resembles breadcrumbs. If there are some small chunks of butter or lard in the pastry that’s OK. Don’t overwork the pastry too much.

Add a few tablespoons of chilled water into the pastry at a time and use the butter knife to bring the pastry dough together. Once the dough has come together, remove from the bowl onto a clean work surface and lightly press dough just to bring together. Place onto a sheet of cling wrap, wrap tightly and place in the fridge and leave to rest for about 30 minutes, or you can leave for a few hours too. If leaving in the fridge longer you may need to let the dough soften a little at room temp before rolling out.

To make the curried vegetable filling, place a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, add coconut oil and when hot add onion, garlic, mustard seed, curry leave and curry powder and sauté for five minutes, add cauliflower, peas, potatoes and a few tablespoons of water and cook until mixture is slightly softened for around 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool in fridge before using as the pasty filling.

Preheat fan-forced oven to 180 degrees.

To make the pasties, lightly flour a clean bench space as well as a rolling pin, cut a piece of dough roughly third of the size, roll out dough so it’s about 3mm thick and a circular shape. Place filling in the centre of the dough, leaving a two centre metre  border around the edge. Roll the pasty onto its self to create a half moon shape, then press the sides down with your thumbs and crimp the edges with a fork. Repeat with remaining mixture. Place pasties on baking tray lined with baking paper. Brush with a little beaten egg wash. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until pastry is golden and crispy. Serve warm or store in fridge or reheat to serve.