Nigerian Meat Pie

Ingredients:

For the Nigerian Meat pie filling:

• 1 Cup Carrots diced
• 1 Cup Potatoes diced
• 1.25 Tsp Salt
• 1 Tsp Curry powder
• 1/2 Tsp Thyme
• 2 Bouillon Cubes
• 1/2 Cup Water
• 2 Tbsp Flour
• 1 lb Ground beef
• 1.5 tbsp vegetable Oil

For the Nigerian Meat Pie pastry:

• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 10  tablespoon Margarine
• 10  tablespoon Butter
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
• 5 tablespoon Water a little More or less
• 1 Egg For Egg wash
• pinch salt
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar optional

Instructions:

Directions for making the Nigerian Meat pie filling

• Add the oil to a pan and saute the onions for about 1 minute. Add the ground beef and cook until it’s well browned.
• Add the curry powder, thyme, bouillon powder (cube), and salt and mix together. Then stir in the carrots and potatoes. Cook till tender.
• In a separate bowl, mix the flour and water until smooth and stir the mixture with the filling (this will thicken the filling).
• Remove from heat and allow to cool

Directions for making the Meat Pie pastry

• Combine the flour, baking powder, and nutmeg in a bowl. Mix well
• Add the Margarine and butter (or margarine alone if you choose to) and rub it with the flour until you get a crumbly texture – like Breadcrumbs then begin to add Cold Water, a little at a time until it forms a stiff dough
• Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead for 1 minute then place the dough back in the bowl, cover it with a plastic wrap, and place it in the fridge to rest for about 30 minutes ( skip refrigerating if you want a less flaky pie).

Let’s put them together

• Roll out the dough to about 1/4 of an inch thick then cut out your desired size circles and distribute the filling inside each cut-out pie dough (don’t overfill so you can be able to easily close the Pie).
• Crack an egg in a small bowl, add 1 tablespoon of water and whisk together then use a pastry brush to brush the edges of the Pie
• Fold the pie over to seal (and crimp the edge if not using a pie cutter) and use a fork to create a couple of vents on the Pie (this will help prevent air pockets in your pie)
• Brush the surface of the Pie with the Egg wash and arrange the pies on a parchment paper-lined tray.
• Bake at 350°F for 20 to 30 minutes or till golden brown.
• There you have it! Your fresh Nigerian meat pie is all done!!. Serve with a cup of hot Tea for morning breakfast or a chill drink for afternoon or evening snack. Enjoy!