Curried Vegetable Pasties (Vegan)

Step 1

To make the filling, heat the oil in a large pan over a low heat and add the onion. Fry gently for 5-10 minutes until softened. Add the sweet potato, carrot, potato, pepper, curry powder, garam masala and garlic and continue to fry for 5 minutes, stirring often.

Step 2

Add the tinned tomatoes, creamed coconut, chickpeas and peas. Bring the mixture up to a gentle simmer and cook, covered, for about 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Stir the mixture often to avoid it burning on the base of the pan. If it seems too dry you can add a splash of water but bear in mind that you want the mix to be fairly dry to avoid making your pastry soggy.

Step 3

Once cooked, season to taste with salt and pepper, stir through the fresh coriander (if using), allow to cool then refrigerate until completely cold.

Step 4

To make the pastry, place the flour, salt, turmeric and margarine in a food processor and blend until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Step 5

With the motor running, gradually add a little bit of ice cold water until the pastry clumps together.

Step 6

Bring the pastry together with your hands and shape into a disc. Wrap and refrigerate for half an hour.

Step 7

Divide the pastry into six even pieces and shape each one into a ball. Roll each ball out on a lightly floured surface to about 3mm thick.

Step 8

Place a couple of heaped spoonful's of the cooled filling mixture in the middle of the pastry. Be generous with it but make sure that you don't over-fill or your pastry may tear. Use your hands to press the filling together.

Step 9

Brush a little water around the rim of the pastry and fold it over the filling. Press the edges together to seal. Use a sharp knife to trim the edge a little to neaten it then either crimp the edge with your fingers or the tines of a fork. Cut a little slit in the top of the pasty for steam to escape.

Step 10

Place the pasties on a couple of baking sheets lined with baking parchment and refrigerate for half an hour.

Step 11

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark Brush the tops of the pasties with a little dairy free milk (I used soy) then bake for 30-40 minutes until golden and bubbling.

Step 12

Set aside to cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.