Skip to main content
iamforevernigerian.tumblr.com

via iamforevernigerian.tumblr.com

Two weeks ago, I was an African gathering and meat pie was one of the dishes served. I helped out even though I had never made it before, mostly with rolling and filling the dough with cooked ground beef, onions, and potatoes. Some people like to add carrots and/or green peas as well. Comparatively, it’s most similar to an empanada. It’s one of the more popular snacks that is sold pretty much everywhere in the country, from chain restaurants to street stalls.

This recipe is from 9jafoodie.com. It’s to the way we made it – my friend didn’t use any measurements for the dough. She just mixed in the ingredients, kneaded the dough till she could knead no more, and added water as needed. Surprisingly, it came out really well. The only problem was with the ground beef that dried out slightly in the oven. I’ve read that to help prevent that, you should dissolve about two tablespoons of plain flour in half a cup of cold water and add to the filling. As I haven’t tried it, I can’t say for sure that it works.

via flickr.com

via flickr.com

Filling:

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 cups ground beef
  • 1.5 cups cooked potatoes
  • 1/2 green peas
  • 1/2 teaspoon curry
  • 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
  • 1/4 cup red onion (chopped)
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 cube maggi (or Lawry’s seasoning)
  • Salt to taste

Directions:

  • Place a large saucepan on medium heat; add in the oil and onion. fry until translucent
  • Add in the ground beef, salt, pepper and maggi. Cover for 10 mins turning on occasion
  • Add in the peas and the potatoes. Cover for another 6 mins. Add in the curry. Combine
  • Remove from heat and set in the fridge to cool

Pastry:

Ingredients:

  • 41/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon Baking powder
  • A pinch of salt
  • 1 pack of Butter or Margarine
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 eggs (for finishing)

Directions:

  • In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix thoroughly
  • Add in the margarine or butter and work with your hands until well incorporated
  • A little at a time, add water to the dough and knead until well incorporated
  • Sprinkle flour on a smooth surface. Using a rolling pin, flatten the dough, and then cut into circles with a cookie cutter or round bowl.

The Pie:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
  • Place about 1 teaspoon or more of filling into center of the circle, depending on how big your cut-outs are; fold dough over filling to enclose, forming a half-moon shape.
  • Press edges together to seal, and crimp edges decoratively using the back of a fork.
  • Transfer to a parchment or foil paper-lined baking sheet
  • Repeat with remaining dough and filling
  • Whisk together the eggs and brush the egg wash over the formed pies
  • Bake until edges are lightly golden, 15 to 20 minutes

 

 

One Comment

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.