I work primarily as a travel writer, and the best thing about globetrotting is sampling food from different parts of the world. I have a particular affinity for Indian food, especially samosas. A lot of people like to serve these delicious little pastries with mint chutney, but personally, I think beet chutney really takes the cake.
Recently I thought to myself, "Self, what if you could make a giant samosa? What if you could make a samosa pie?!" And well, it turned out to be a pretty amazing idea. So without further ado, here is what you will need to try this experiment yourself!
Ingredients
Crust:
- 2 ½ cups flour
- 1 cup vegan margarine (I use Earth Balance brand)
- Water
- Pinch of sea salt
Filling:
- 2 onions (minced)
- ½ pound of potatoes (chopped into pretty small pieces)
- 10 oz fresh or frozen peas
- 1 tablespoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Chutney:
- 1 large beet (peeled and finely chopped)
- 1 ¾ cups red onion (finely chopped)
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons of sugar
- 2 teaspoons of finely chopped ginger root
- 3 tablespoons raisins
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard seeds
To Prepare the Crust:
Chill your flour and freeze your vegan margarine before mixing them with a fork. Because everything is cold, the mixture will be kind of coarse, like cornmeal. At this point, you will want to start mixing with your hands, so the warmth will help the butter soak into the flour. Gradually mix in the water with a fork until the dough starts to clump together and becomes less crumbly. Cut mixture in half and roll each half into a ball. With a well floured rolling pin, roll out one ball to fit your pie pan. Roll out the other half and set aside for pie top.
To Prepare the Filling:
Pre-heat a skillet and sauté your onions in a little bit of oil. You don’t want to cook them for too long or they will caramelize. They are finished when the start to appear translucent. Add in your spices (coriander, cumin and cayenne) and cook for about one more minute. Meanwhile, give your chopped potatoes a quick boil to soften them up a bit, but not as soft as you would if were you planning on mashing them. Combine your potatoes with the onion and spice mixture and add your peas. Throw in a dash of salt and pepper to taste.
Make Your Pie:
After you have created your filling, add it to your dough-lined pie dish. Take the remaining dough and place it over the top. Press the edges down with a fork to ensure the top stays secure. Like with any pie, you will want to cut four or five slits in the top so that steam can escape and your fillings will get nice and hot. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and bake until the pie top is golden brown. (Tip: If you notice the edge of the crust is getting to dark and the rest of the pie is not done, remove it and wrap a bit of tinfoil around the edge. This will keep the edges from burning.) Cooking time may vary, but this generally takes 20-30 minutes.
While your pie is baking, let’s make the chutney.
Prepare Your Chutney:
Heat some olive oil in a saucepan and add the red onions and beets. Stir frequently so your onions don’t brown. When your onions are tender and translucent, add ½ cup of water to the mixture and bring to a boil. In about five minutes, you will notice the mixture thickening. Toss in your vinegar, sugar, ginger, mustard and raisins. If you have any cumin left over from making the pie filling, a dash of that tastes lovely as well. Reduce the boil to a simmer and let the whole mixture thicken until the beets get nice and soft. Add a dash of salt and pepper to taste before covering and cooling in the refrigerator until your pie is ready.
Serve Her Up!
When your pie is finished, set it on the stove top to cool for about ten minutes. After it has cooled, cut it and serve each slice with a dollop of your chilled beet chutney. Delicious!
Bio: Melissa Rae Cohen is a travel writer and Asian food enthusiast from Portland, Maine. She loves to cook! Melissa recommends luxury hotel bookings from Excellent Hotels during your foodie adventures!
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