African Butternut Spinach and Feta Pie

Type:

Vegeterian

Categories:

Starchy vegetables - grains - pasta, Pies, Vegetables

Serves:

2 pies

About the Recipe:

This pie is all about ingredients local to South Africa. Cashews, squash, and leafy greens. Topped with fried curry leaves, as South Africa has the largest population of Indians outside India, and encased in a very English pie, we have a melting pot of cultures all in one bite.

Ingredients:

345g read rolled puff pastry (to line two 18cm removeable centerpiece tins)

550g butternut squash

2 tbsp rapeseed oil

1 tbsp onion powder

1 tbsp garlic powder

½ tsp salt

1 tsp curry powder

280g frozen spinach, de-thawed and squeezed of excess water

200g feta, crumbled

100g gouda, grated

4 egg yolks + 2 eggs

1 cup cream

½ cup amasi/kefir

3 tsp fresh ground cumin

½ tsp salt

Fresh ground pepper

3 cloves of garlic, grated

30g ginger, grated

7g crushed coriander seeds

1 tsp turmeric

150g cashews, whole

To finish:

Zest of one lime

3g fresh fried curry leaves

1 tbsp roasted desiccated coconut

Method:

Line tins with pastry and keep chilled. Cube the squash and roast with the curry, salt, onion and garlic powder, and rapeseed oil at 250C. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until brown and crispy. Adjust the oven to 180C after baking is finished.

Rinse spinach and drain well of any water. Chop and add to a large bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients except the cashews and mix well. Let the squash rest until room temperature and combine into mixture. Pour everything into the tins. Place the cashews evenly on both pies.

Roast in oven for 45 minutes. To get the bottom crispy, you can take out of tins by putting a plate on top and flipping it over. Put it onto a lined baking sheet upside down and then roast another 10 minutes so bottom gets crispy. Then flip right side up. Let it cool on a rack for about 15 to twenty minutes. Plate with lime zest, curry leaves, and coconut.