Recipe Indian Potato Pie (Revisited)

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Over the years, we find that we edit and modify recipes, change little things along the way and simplify cooking and this is one of those recipes. We have adapted it to our tastes, and cooking requirements and finally have something we not simply like, but love.



Ingredients
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1/2 tsp asafoetida (optional)
handful crushed curry leaves (chop them if fresh, crush them if dry - also optional)
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 red chilli, finely chopped (seeds and all)
1 decent thumb-size piece ginger, grated
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp (homemade) garam masala
1 tsp dried red chilli flakes
200-300g frozen peas (or combination of edamame beans, broad beans and garden peas)
juice 1 decent sized lemon
bunch coriander, chopped
700g potato
400g sweet potato
25g vegan butter, melted (oil can be used but won't give you a brown crispy and tasty pastry finish)
275g pack filo pastry
½ tsp poppy seeds

Method
  1. Pre-heat an oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas mark 5/6. Grease an 8 inch springform loose bottomed cake tin (make sure it is a deep one!). You can use a 9 inch but it will produce a less deep pie that may good more quickly.
  2. Heat a small frying pan, and roast the mustard seeds and cumin seeds until aromatic. Add the asafoetida, curry leaves and olive oil and stir for 30 seconds before adding the chopped onions and frying until soft. Once cooked, add in the garlic, chilli and ginger with the remaining spices (ground cumin, ground coriander, garam masala and dried red chilli flakes). Cook for a further 2-3 mins, then turn off the heat and add in the peas (or pea and bean mixture), lemon juice and fresh coriander.
  3. Using the thick (4mm) slicing attachment of a food processor, slice the potatoes and sweet potatoes evenly and quickly. We leave the skins on both, move to a larger bowl.
  4. Using the melted vegan butter/olive oil, brush 1 side of the phyllo pastry and lay into the tin. You want to have it overhanging the tin by a good margin and you need to work reasonably quickly to prevent the pastry sheets from drying out, so keep the rest covered with a clean damp tea towel. With the next sheet, you want to rotate the tin and layer the next sheet accordingly. Keep repeating until you have worked all the way around. (See image below to clarify). Ensure you reserve 2 phyllo pastry sheets for the top.
  5. Quickly mix the spicy pea mixture into the raw potatoes and ensure that all slices have some spicy mixture on them. This is easiest done by washed hands, messy but quick and you can use the same messy hands to move the filling into the tin a handful at a time, layering and pressing down the potatoes as you go. It will all fit into the tin, honest!
  6. Quickly rinse the spice mix from your hands, and now add the remaining 2 phyllo pastry sheets folding the sheets into quarters (again use melted vegan butter to stick the sheets together) and then fold the overhanging sides up and over the top of the pie. Brush with any remaining melted vegan butter to get a great browned tasty pastry top as well. Cut one or two slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
  7. If you remember, sprinkle the top with poppy seeds and bake for 30-45 mins until golden brown. You can also cook this at a lower temperature if you are using your oven for more than 1 thing, and simply extend the cooking time accordingly. Low and slow produces great results as well - ours can take an hour at 160C (fan assisted).
Image for step 4 clarification

Image for step 6

All images relating to this recipe

Edit: this recipe is adapted from the Recipe - Indian Potato Pie that vernon posted back on 24th December 2013 which is the BBC Good Food recipe that can be found here.
 
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Its a very eye catching dish and I love all the spices.

Its a substantial pie and really too large for me to make, given that my partner has a small appetite (as do I really) - I fear it would be served day after day... Its great for a family meal though.

I suppose I could make a mini version though.
 
I suppose I could make a mini version though
I was thinking of that. I have pie dishes or you could even use large ramekins but I'd drop to a 2mm slice at that point and probably petit pois.
You'd only need 2 sheets of phyllo pastry and a small potato or two. I'd drop the sweet potato for a dish that small. You have given me an idea though for future. It may also work in a sweetcorn tin. You'd have to line it to get it out, but I've done that for miniature Christmas cakes before now.

Full sized, we get 8 decent sized portions from it.
 
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