2:22 AM 8/29/98
rec.food.recipes

Savoury Filled Pies

Recipe from STEP BY STEP COOKBOOK: RECIPES FROM AROUND THE WORLD
by Judith Ferguson

225g / 8 oz package phyllo pastry
90 g / 3 oz butter, melted
225 g / 8 oz sprue (thin asparagus)
120 g / 4 oz feta cheese
140 g / 1/4 pint plain yogurt
2 eggs, beaten
3 sprig onions, finely chopped
15 mL / 1 Tbsp chopped mint
salt and pepper

Use a patty tin with 12 spaces or use 12 ramekin dishes.  Cut the pastry
in squares large enough to fill the pans or dishes, with enough to overlap
the tops by about 2.5 cm / 1 inch.  Layer 3 sheets of pastry, each brushed
with melted butter.  Cut into 7.5 cm / 3 inch squares, turning each
slightly to make frilled edge.  Carefully push the pastry into buttered
patty tins or ramekins and keep covered while preparing the filling.  Cut
the sprue into 2.5 cm / 1 inch pieces, leaving the tips whole.  Cook in
boiling salted water until just tender.  Rinse under cold water and allow
to drain completely.  Mix together thoroughly the cheese, yogurt, eggs,
onions, mint, salt, and pepper.  Stir in the drained sprue and fill the
pastry to within 1.25 cm / 1/2-inch of the top.  Bake in a preheated
190C/375F/Gas Mark 5 oven for about 25 minutes or until the pastry is
crisp and golden and the filling is set and risen.  Allow to cool for
about 10 minutes and then remove to a serving dish. 
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Vegetable Samosas
By:  Indian Cookery, Madhur Jaffrey
Yield:  16 samosas

  PASTRY: 
225     g plain flour  
1/2. teaspoon salt 
4 tablespoons vegetable oil; + extra
4 tablespoons water   
  STUFFING:  
725     g potatoes, boiled in their jackets; allowed to
cool
4 tablespoons vegetable oil  
1 medium   onion; finely chopped
175     g peas; freshly shelled or frozen
1 tablespoon  fresh ginger; peeled and finely grated
1  fresh hot green chilli; finely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves; very finely chopped
3 tablespoons water   
1 1/2   teaspoons salt; or to taste
1 teaspoon ground coriander    
1 teaspoon garam masala 
1 teaspoon ground roasted cumin seeds  
1/4  teaspoon cayenne pepper 
2 tablespoons lemon juice  
  vegetable oil; for deep-frying

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl.  Add the  tablespoons of vegetable oil
and rub it in with your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse  
breadcrumbs. Slowly add about 4 tablespoons of water - or a tiny bit more -
and gather the dough into a stiff ball. 
 
Empty the ball out on to a clean work surface.  Knead the dough for about  
10 minutes or until it is smooth.  Make a ball.  Rub the ball with about   
1/4 teaspoon oil and slip it into a polyethylene bag.  Set aside for 30  
minutes or longer. 
Make the stuffing.  Peel the potatoes and cut them into 5 mm dice.  Heat 4 
tablespoons oil in a large frying pan over a medium flame.  When hot, put in
the onions.  Stir and fry them until they begin to turn brown at the  
edges.  Add the peas, ginger, green chilli, fresh  coriander and 3  
tablespoons water.  Cover, lower heat and simmer until peas are cooked.    
Stir every now and then and add a little more if the frying pan seems to   
dry out.
Add the diced potatoes, salt, coriander, garam masala, roasted cumin, 
cayenne and lemon juice.  Stir to mix.  Cook on low heat for 3-4 minutes,  
stirring gently as you do so.  Check the balance of the salt and lemon     
juice.  You may want to add more of both.  Turn off the heat and allow the 
mixture to cool.
Knead the pastry dough again and divide it into 8 balls.  Keep 7 covered   
while you work with the  eighth.  Roll this ball out into an 18 cm round.  
Cut it into half.  Pick up one half and form a cone, making a 5 mm wide    
overlapping seam.  Glue this seam together with a little water.  Fill the  
cone with about 2 1/2 tablespoons of the potato mixture.  Close the top of 
the cone by sticking the open edges together with a little water.  Again,  
your seam should be about 5 mm wide.  Press the top seam down with the     
prongs of a fork or flute it with your fingers.  Make remaining samosas. 
Heat about 4-5 cm of oil for deep frying over a medium-low flame.  You may 
use a small deep frying pan for this.  When the oil is medium hot, put in  
as many samosas as the pan will hold in a single layer.  Fry slowly,  
turning the samosas frequently until they are golden brown and crisp. 
Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot, warm, or at room temperature. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Beef or Lamb Samosas
By:  The Complete Asian Cookbook
Yield:  32 servings

  PASTRY: 
225     g plain flour  
3/4  teaspoon salt 
1 tablespoon  oil; or ghee
125     ml     warm water 
  FILLING:   
1 tablespoon  oil; or ghee
1 clove    garlic; finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh ginger root; finely chopped
2 medium   onions; finely chopped
2 teaspoons   curry powder 
1/2  teaspoon salt 
1 tablespoon  vinegar; or lemon juice
225     g steak or lamb; minced
125     ml     hot water  
1 teaspoon garam masala 
2 tablespoons fresh mint or coriander leaves; chopped
  oil for frying 

Pastry:  Sift the flour and salt into a bowl, add the oil and warm water   
and mix thoroughly, until the ingredients are combined.  (Add a little more
water if necessary to combine the ingredients.)  Knead for about 10 
minutes or until the dough is elastic.  Cover with plastic wrap and set    
aside while preparing the filling.
Filling:  Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the garlic, ginger and half   
the onion until the onion is soft.  Add the curry powder, salt and vinegar 
and mix well.  Add the minced steak and fry over a high heat, stirring     
constantly until the meat changes colour.  Turn the heat down and add the  
hot water.  Cover the pan and cook until meat is tender and all the liquid 
has been absorbed.  Towards the end of cooking, stir frequently to prevent 
the meat from sticking to the base of the pan.  Sprinkle with garam masala 
and chopped mint or coriander, remove from the heat and allow to cool.  Mix
in the reserved chopped onion. 
Take small pieces of dough, shape into balls and on a lightly floured 
board, roll each one thinly to a circle, the size of a saucer.  Cut each   
circle in half.  Put a teaspoon of the filling on one side of each half    
circle and brush the edges with water.  Fold the dough over and press the  
edges together firmly.  You will now have triangular shaped samosas.
When they are all made, heat some oil in a deep pan and deep fry a few at a
time until golden brown on both sides.  Drain on absorbent paper and serve 
hot.  
 
