Vegetable Samosa Pie

Vegetable Samosa Pie – Everything you love about Samosas…in giant pie form! Oh – and with handy store bought puff pastry and loads of extra veg. Excellent centrepiece vegetarian dinner recipe. Something different yet familiar, totally delicious with a bit of (rustic) wow factor.

Vegetable Samosa Pie

I don’t hold this vegetarian pie to be in anyway authentic Indian in its construct (BIG), the filling (VEG loaded!) and the use of puff pastry instead of homemade samosa pastry (handy!).

But I do hope those of Indian background can recognise that I’ve stayed respectable of traditional Samosas by using authentic Samosa filling spices.

And while this might look a far cry from those little hand held, deep fried Samosa pastries we all know and love so much, just one bite is all it will take for you to think Ah! NOW I get why she calls it a Samosa pie!

What you need – Vegetables for the Filling

The ingredients list for this Vegetable Samosa Pie is fairly extensive, but that’s partly because I’ve put in a decent variety of vegetables. But in fact, other than potato and onion, all the vegetables are customisable. I could’ve just made a zucchini and potato filling to make it look far simpler!

So here are the vegetables I’ve used:

You can substitute all the vegetables except potato and onion. Potato is used to bind the filling. Onion is for essential flavour!

What you need – Filling Spices

And here are the flavourings for the filling. Don’t be alarmed if you don’t recognise some of these – I’ve got options for you!

• Black mustard seeds – they look like poppyseeds but have a slight wasabi-like bite to them. And they smell Indian, not Japanese! Not spicy, more a fresh zing.  It’s about $1.50 in small packs at Indian grocery stores – I go to Indian Emporium in Dee Why on the Northern Beaches, Sydney. Also sold in the Indian food section at some Woolworths (Australia) $1.70, and also sold online – small, light pack so postage should be minimal! Also used in an Eggplant Curry I shared last week (big hit with readers!) and Dal. 
• Curry leaves – imagine curry powder, in fresh curry leaf form! Adds incredible curry perfume into anything it’s used in. Fairly accessible nowadays for Sydney-siders, sold at Harris Farms, most Coles and Woolworths. I intend to find a plant! They keep for ages in the fridge – as in several weeks. This too is used in Eggplant Curry and Dal. Throw in 10 or so when cooking Curried Rice, or into this Indian Chickpea Curry or Vegetable Curry – it will really take it to a new level! Substitute: dried curry leaves (not quite the same, but it’s the best sub) or Garam Masala powder;
• The other spices – nothing out of the ordinary here, everything you find at local grocery stores; and
• Tomato paste – for a little flavour and help thicken the liquid.

Puff pastry

I’ve taken the path of least resistance with this Vegetable Samosa Pie and used store bought puff pastry.  Shortcrust / pie crust pastry will also work a treat. And if you really want to impress, try homemade shortcrust pastry.

How to make Vegetable Samosa Pie

The vegetables are simmered with the spices until soft and fragrant, then it’s all mixed up with mashed potato to make a big pot of juicy, heavenly smelling filling. Then we simply pile this into a pastry lined pie dish (I like to use a big one), top with pastry then bake until puffed and golden!

OK, I realise that summary is VERY condensed, this pie does take time to come together.

But BOY is it worth it. Just look at what comes out of the oven! ↓↓↓

Ugh, that flaky puff pastry. I swear, puff pastry can make anything good. (Case in point: Chicken Pot Pie, Spinach Ricotta Rolls, Aussie Meat Pies, Sausage Rolls. See? All good stuff!)

I like to serve it with a dollop of plain yogurt, just to add an extra dimension to the dish.

As for a side salad? Na! I’ve been having a (big!) slice of this Vegetable Samosa Pie for dinner, with no side salads or anything. This is a VEGETARIAN pie. It is jam packed with vegetables – almost 12 cups, to be exact! (PS Onion counts towards your veg intake – did you know that? )

However, if you were to serve this at a dinner with family or friends and you wanted to add some more to the table, I’d probably add a couple of these salads:

Indian Tomato Salad with Mint Dressing

Green Bean Salad

Cucumber Salad with Herb Garlic Vinaigrette

Creamy Cucumber Salad with Lemon Yogurt Dressing

Roast Pumpkin, Spinach and Feta Salad

Garlic Butter Warm Red Cabbage Salad

Everyday Cabbage Salad

Roasted Broccolini with Tahini Sauce (Ottolenghi recipe)

Lastly – I realise this recipe has a lengthier ingredients list and more steps than my typical quick ‘n easy Monday night dinner offerings. But this pie is BIG. It will serve 6 to 8. So it’s dinner today and lunch tomorrow. Worth making! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Vegetable Samosa Pie

Recipe video above. Take everything you know about samosas - the curry spiced mashed potato filling, the crispy pastry - put it in giant pie form, add a stack of extra vegetables and voila! Vegetable Samosa Pie! This is a big, vegetable main course dinner that's something different yet also familiar, and wonderfully versatile - stuff with any veggies you want.

Simplify SPICES: I've tried to stay true to the flavour of traditional Samosa filling, so there's a fairly lengthy list of spices. It can be drastically simplified - see Note 1.

SPICINESS: Very mild - just a slight warmth. Dial it up if you want, or omit it completely!

Course Mains, Vegetarian

Cuisine Indian

Keyword puff pastry recipe, vegetable dinner recipe, Vegetable pie

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Cool filling 30 minutes

Servings 6 - 8 people

Calories 385kcal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 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 tumeric 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)

Cups - Metric

Instructions

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:

• Grease a large pie dish with butter, or oil spray (Note 6). Drape in a puff pastry sheet.
• 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!

Notes

* CUSTOMISE VEGETABLES - these can be substituted with any vegetables that can be cooked. Use 9 - 10 cups.

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).

Because I'm going pretty rustic and basic here, I haven't bothered blind baking the base so it's not crispy. It doesn't bother me here (the filling flavour and crispy top really is the focus). But if you want to blind bake, do as follows:

• Puff pastry (per Chicken Pot Pies direction): 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".

7. Storage - keep leftovers in the fridge for 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. 

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!).

Nutrition

Calories: 385kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Sodium: 533mg | Potassium: 880mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2304IU | Vitamin C: 115mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 3mg

Life of Dozer

Dozer on site at the new RTE HQ – kitchen going in today! (PS HQ is a fancy description for my little lower ground floor to be converted into a dedicated work space )

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