CURRIED VEGETABLE PIES

MAKES 3 / PREPARATION 40 MINUTES PLUS 30 MINUTES RESTING TIME / COOKING 40 MINUTES

30g butter

1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds

½ onion, chopped

1 leek, trimmed and sliced into 1cm slices

1 small kumara, peeled and chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon curry powder

½ teaspoon garam masala

½ teaspoon turmeric

¼ cauliflower, cut into florets

2 tablespoons plain flour

½ cup whole milk (plus 1 teaspoon for egg wash) 3 tablespoons cream

½ cup tasty cheese, grated

¼ cup parsley, finely chopped

300g ready-rolled pastry (I used Paneton

flaky puff pastry)

1 egg,

1 tablespoon poppy or sesame seeds good-quality tomato chutney to serve

Melt the butter in a large, deep frying pan and add the mustard seeds. Cook for 2-3 minutes until just starting to pop, then add the onion, leek and kumara with the spices and some salt and freshly ground pepper. Stir to combine then cover and cook over a gentle heat for 15 minutes. Add the cauliflower and cook for a further 20 minutes. Sprinkle over the flour and stir to combine, cook for 1 minute then add the milk and cream. Cook for 5 minutes until thickened and the vegetables are coated in a smooth sauce. Stir through the cheese and parsley and set aside to cool.

Spray the base and sides of three 1-cup capacity pie tins with light baking spray and line with baking paper. Cut pastry circles to fit the bases and place in the tins, then cut long pastry strips to form the sides, deep enough to reach just over the top of the tin. Place the pastry strips into the tins, pressing to seal the seams. Cut two lids from the pastry, ½cm in diameter larger than the tops of the pies. Spoon the filling into the prepared tins, place the pastry tops in position, again pressing to seal the seams. Whisk the egg with 1 teaspoon of milk and brush over the pastry tops. Decorate as desired and sprinkle with seeds. Use the tip of a sharp knife to make a couple of steam holes in the top and refrigerate the pies for 30 minutes (or up to overnight).

Preheat the oven to 180˚C. Cook the pies for 35-40 minutes until golden. To ensure a lovely brown base, remove from the tins, set the oven to grill with an oven rack at least 15cm from the element and cook base-side-up for a further 3 minutes before serving – right side up! Pies can be frozen before cooking, or afterwards once cold.

WINE An off-dry pinot gris. Go for the Terra Sancta Mysterious Diggings Pinot Gris 2017.