Nigerian Meat pie is a simple recipe and I am really fond of it because it is easy to make and is also incredibly delectable. I never let go of an opportunity of making this sumptuous pie. In case you’re wondering what this meat pie is all about– it is a moist and yummy pie with a filling of minced meat, potato and carrot.
I always try to season the filling well, so that it renders a unique taste. One thing that I particularly love about the pie is the fact that it does not really produce any crumbs while you eat it.
Here’s a detailed recipe of the pie that’ll help you understand its intricacies better.
Ingredients that you’ll need for the Pie
As I told you earlier, making this pie is simple and the number of pies you’re likely to get depends on the type of meat pie cutter that you are using. A cutter with a diameter of 20 cm will come up with around 10 meat pies.
For the dough, you will need about:
- 1 kg of plain(all purpose) flour,
- two tablespoons of baking powder,
- 500 gms of margarine,
- a dash of salt and half cup of cold water.
In case of the filling, you will need
- two medium sized Irish potatoes,
- 2 medium sized carrots,
- about 500 gms of minced meat,
- one small to medium onion,
- 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil,
- 2 cubes of knorr,
- half a teaspoon of thyme,
- two tablespoons of plain flour,
- one cup of cold water,
- one medium egg
- a dash of salt.
How to do it?
I will first start with the procedure of making the filling. For this, you will have to peel your Irish potatoes, scrape the carrots and wash and cut them into two small cubes. Follow this by washing and slicing the onion in small pieces.
Set your wok (here how to choose a wok) to medium heat and slowly heat the vegetable oil. Once it is slightly heated, add the diced onions and stir fry them for a couple of minutes. Now add the minced meat and stir it vigorously until it turns pale in color. Slowly add a cup of cold water, your knorr cubes and a dash of thyme. Cover your wok and lets its contents boil. You can then add the potatoes and carrots and cook the filling till it is completely done.
As your filling is being prepared, add two tablespoons of plain flour to half a cup if cold water. Add this to the filling. This is usually done in order to ensure that the filling doesn’t really dry up while you bake it. Likewise, it also keeps the pie moist.
Finally, as your filling is about to be completed, add a dash of salt, stir the contents well and turn the heat off. Keep this filling aside and let it cool. You can now focus on preparing the dough.
For the dough, take a large bowl where you will add the flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder and 2 teaspoons of salt. Do not use too much salt for the dough as the pie is likely to get a large part of its taste from the filling itself. Mix all the ingredients properly and add small scoops of margarine to the flour. The smaller scoops you make, the easier it will get for rubbing them to the flour.
Use your finger for rubbing them till the mix develops the form of a crumb. Slowly add bits of water while you rub the ingredients together. Knead the dough properly and let it rest for 5-7 minutes. This adds to the elasticity of the dough.
Now that you have prepared the filling and the dough, set your oven to 170 degrees Celsius. Rub the insides of the tray with the margarine so that the pie doesn’t stick to it while baking.
After this, take your dough and roll it to achieve a thickness of 5mm. Use a cutter to make round cuts on the rolled dough. Scoop some of the fillings to the center of the cuts and make sure it doesn’t overflow. Break the egg and rub it on the inner edges of the dough.
Now, fold one part of this meat pie filled dough to meet the other end. Use a fork for pressing the two edges tightly. Now place the pies on a baking tray and brush some egg on them.
Now that you’re done, set this tray in the oven and bake for 30-50 minutes (depending on your oven), until it is golden brown.
Well, that’s all you have to do. Your Nigerian meat pie is now ready to be served.
1 Comment
Great job.