Nigerian meat pie
Nigerian meat pie: buttery short pastry with minced beef, potato and carrot
No Nigerian party, from a Lagos wedding to a child's birthday in Abuja, is complete without a tray of meat pies. Rich, crumbly short pastry is folded around a filling of minced beef, diced potato and carrot cooked with thyme and curry powder, crimped with a fork and baked golden. They are just as popular as a bakery snack with a cold drink. A common mistake is filling the pastry with hot or runny filling, which melts the butter and makes soggy pies; cool it and thicken it first. Chef's tip: keep the dough cold, and rest it in the fridge for 30 minutes before rolling so the pies stay short and flaky.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 1 ⅛ lb plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 9 oz cold butterdiced
- ½ cup cold water
For the filling
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 14 oz minced beef
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1 beef stock cubecrumbled
- 1 potatolarge, in 5 mm dice
- 2 carrotsin 5 mm dice
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp plain flour, for thickening
- ½ tsp salt
To glaze
- 1 eggbeaten
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Method
0/10 doneStep 1: Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a pan over a medium heat. Fry 1 onion for 3 minutes, add 14 oz minced beef and cook, breaking it up, until browned with no pink left, about 6 minutes.
9 minStep 2: Add 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp curry powder, 1 beef stock cube, ½ tsp salt, 1 potato, 2 carrots and most of 1 cup water. Cover and simmer for 12 minutes until the potato is just tender.
12 minStep 3: Mix 1 tbsp plain flour, for thickening with the last of the water, stir it in and cook for 2 minutes until the filling is thick and no longer runny. Spread on a plate and cool completely.
2 minStep 4: For the pastry, mix 1 ⅛ lb plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder and ½ tsp salt in a bowl. Rub in 9 oz cold butter with your fingertips until it looks like breadcrumbs.
Step 5: Add ½ cup cold water a little at a time and bring together into a soft, firm dough; don't knead. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
30 minStep 6: Heat the oven to 375°F (fan 350°F) and line two trays with baking paper.
Step 7: Roll the dough out 3–4 mm thick and cut out 12 circles about 13 cm across, rerolling the scraps once.
Step 8: Put a heaped tablespoon of filling on one half of each circle. Brush the edge with a little 1 egg, fold over into a half-moon and press the edges with a fork to seal. Prick the tops once.
Step 9: Brush the pies with the rest of the egg and bake for 25–30 minutes, until deep golden and the bottoms are crisp.
28 minStep 10: Cool on the tray for 10 minutes. Eat warm or cold. Keep in the fridge for 3 days and reheat in the oven until hot through, or freeze unbaked and bake from frozen for 10 minutes longer.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 340 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does nigerian meat pie take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of baking powder?
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda + ½ tsp cream of tartar per 1 tsp.
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