Nigerian No Meat Pies
25-30 minutes
to prep
30-40 minutes
to cook
8-10 servings
About this Recipe
These vegan Nigerian pies are a delightful twist on a classic West African snack. This delicious pastry features a flaky, buttery, golden-brown crust filled with a savory mix of vegetables and aromatic spices. Perfect for any occasion, they offer a satisfying blend of flavors and textures that will have you reaching for more. I love how this recipe brings a taste of Nigeria to your table, but with a more compassionate, plant-based approach.
Photo and Recipe Courtesy of Sharon of Plant Based with Shaz
Ingredients
Filling:
- 1 pack plant mince or 1 pack of ‘grated’ tofu or mushrooms
- 1 medium size carrot
- 1 medium size potato
- 1 onion
- 1 Scotch Bonnet pepper
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
- 4 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic granules
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon thyme
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional)
- 1 tablespoon bouillon stock powder
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1- 2 bay leaves
Pastry:
- 2 ½ cups self raising flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
- 150 grams vegan butter
- ½ cup plant milk
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
- Chop and dice the onions, carrots, and potatoes into small pieces.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of oil to a pan, allow this to heat up then add the onions and fry until soft.
- Add the plant mince, cook for 6-8 minutes.
- Add the chopped carrots, potatoes and scotch bonnet, mixing well.
- In the pan, pour in the water, thyme, curry powder, paprika, parsley, garlic, salt, nutritional yeast, and stir well.
- Mix 1 tablespoon cornflour with 4 tablespoons of water, pour this into the mince mixture to thicken.
- Leave to cook on a low heat for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are soft (bay leaves can be added here for extra flavor).
For the pastry:
- Sift the flour and add the baking powder, sugar and salt, mix well.
- Add the butter to the flour mixture and use your fingertips to create a texture that resembles breadcrumbs.
- Once you have achieved this, gradually add in the plant milk and mix into a dough using your hands. The dough should be firm and not too sticky with no crumbs left in the bowl.
- Knead the dough for about 8-10 minutes to activate the gluten, form it into a ball shape, wrap in some cling film and leave in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- On a flat clean surface, dust some flour to prevent any sticking.
- Cut the ball shaped dough into 4 pieces and roll out each piece on the surface. Roll into a very thin size.
- Use a medium sized, round shaped bowl or cup to press into the flat dough to create a circle.
- Take a tablespoon sized amount of the plant mince and place this on one half of the pastry, leaving the other half free from any mixture.
- Brush some plant milk around the edges of the circle, carefully fold over the pastry and pressdown the edges using your fingers. The plant milk should help to seal the edges so they do not open up in the oven!
- Use a fork to press down the edges, repeat this process until the dough has completely finished.
- Brush the top of the pastry with some of the plant milk left from sealing the edges, pierce the top of the pastry with a fork
- Place a greaseproof paper on a baking tray, put the meat pies onto the tray & bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown
Enjoy!
