Samosa Pie

Ingredients

• 5 tbsp olive oil
• 3 small onions, finely chopped
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp dried red chilli flakes
• 1 lbs ground beef or lamb
• 1 lbs potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
• 200 grams frozen peas
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• handful cilantro, finely chopped
• 265 grams all purpose flour
• 55 grams bread flour
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 135 ml boiling water
• 65 grams vegetable oil
• 1 egg, beaten (for glazing)

Method

Filling

Start the filling by blooming your spices in hot oil. Heat 5 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan over medium flame, add the finely chopped onions with 1.5 tsp salt, and cook until they turn translucent and begin to soften — roughly 5 minutes. Add the ground ginger, garlic powder, cumin seeds, and dried red chilli flakes, stirring constantly for 30 seconds until the kitchen fills with an assertive spice perfume. The heat opens the volatile oils in the cumin and ginger; if you skip this step, your filling tastes dull and separated. Add the ground beef or lamb, breaking it into small pieces, and cook over medium-high heat until the meat has lost its raw colour and begun to caramelise at the edges — around 8 minutes. Do not rush this; the browning develops depth.

Stir in the peeled potato cubes (they should be roughly pea-sized for even cooking), reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and cook for 20 minutes. The potatoes will soften and absorb the spice-infused oil. Check them at the 15-minute mark — they should yield easily to a fork but not collapse into mush. Add the 200g frozen peas directly from the freezer and stir through; they'll thaw in the residual heat within 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in 2 tbsp cornstarch (this absorbs excess moisture during baking, preventing a soggy base), and fold through the fresh cilantro. Spread the filling on a wide plate and cool it completely in the fridge — this takes at least an hour. A warm filling will soften your pastry and cause it to tear when you handle it.

Pastry and assembly

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Make the pastry dough by combining 265g all-purpose flour, 55g bread flour, 0.5 tsp salt, and 1 tsp ground turmeric in a bowl. The bread flour adds elasticity; the turmeric echoes the filling's warmth. Heat 135 ml boiling water with 65g vegetable oil until the oil melts fully, then pour into the flour and stir with a knife until the mixture comes together. Once it's cool enough to handle, knead for two minutes until the dough is smooth and unified — you want a hydrated, supple dough that won't crack when rolled. Set aside one-third for the lid.

Roll out the larger portion on a floured surface and line an 8-inch loose-bottomed cake tin, allowing excess to hang over the rim. Spread the completely cold filling evenly across the base. Roll out the remaining dough for the top, brush the overhanging pastry with beaten egg, lay the lid on top, press to seal, and trim the excess with a sharp knife. Crimp the sealed edge with your thumb and forefinger at 1 cm intervals — this not only seals the layers but creates the distinctive crimped edge that pie demands. Brush the entire top with beaten egg, pierce a single hole at the centre for steam to escape, and bake for 55 to 60 minutes until the pastry is deep golden and the filling has set. Cool in the tin for 30 minutes before turning out.