Vegetable Samosa Pie – Everything you love about Samosas…in giant pie form! Oh – and with handy store bought puff pastry and loads of extra veg. 😂 Excellent centrepiece vegetarian dinner recipe. Something different yet familiar, totally delicious with a bit of (rustic) wow factor.
Those who tried the Eggplant Curry I shared last week will love the common ingredients in this!
Vegetable Samosa Pie
I don’t hold this vegetarian pie to be in anyway authentic Indian in its construct (BIG), the filling (VEG loaded!) and the use of puff pastry instead of homemade samosa pastry (handy!).
But I do hope those of Indian background can recognise that I’ve stayed respectable of traditional Samosas by using authentic Samosa filling spices.
And while this might look a far cry from those little hand held, deep fried Samosa pastries we all know and love so much, just one bite is all it will take for you to think Ah! NOW I get why she calls it a Samosa pie!
You can substitute all the vegetables except potato and onion. Potato is used to bind the filling. Onion is for essential flavour!
What you need – Vegetables for the Filling
The ingredients list for this Vegetable Samosa Pie is fairly extensive, but that’s partly because I’ve put in a decent variety of vegetables. But in fact, other than potato and onion, all the vegetables are customisable. I could’ve just made a zucchini and potato filling to make it look far simpler! 😂
So here are the vegetables I’ve used:
If you tried the Eggplant Curry I recently shared, you’ll have all the necessary spices!
What you need – Filling Spices
And here are the flavourings for the filling. Don’t be alarmed if you don’t recognise some of these – I’ve got options for you!
- Black mustard seeds – they look like poppyseeds but have a slight wasabi-like bite to them. And they smell Indian, not Japanese!
Not spicy, more a fresh zing. It’s about $1.50 in small packs at Indian grocery stores – I go to Indian Emporium in Dee Why on the Northern Beaches, Sydney. Also sold in the Indian food section at some Woolworths (Australia) $1.70, and online! Used in an Eggplant Curry I shared last week (big hit!), more recently Goan Fish Curry, and meatless wonder-dish Dal. - Curry leaves – imagine curry powder, in fresh curry leaf form! Adds incredible curry perfume into anything it’s used in. Fairly accessible nowadays for Sydney-siders, sold at Harris Farms, most Coles and Woolworths. Keeps for several weeks in the fridge. This too is used in Eggplant Curry and Dal. Throw in 10 or so when cooking Curried Rice, or into this Indian Chickpea Curry or Vegetable Curry – it will really take it to a new level! Substitute: dried curry leaves (not quite the same, but it’s the best sub) or Garam Masala powder;
- The other spices – nothing out of the ordinary here, everything you find at local grocery stores; and
- Tomato paste – for a little flavour and help thicken the liquid.
Puff pastry
I’ve taken the path of least resistance with this Vegetable Samosa Pie and used store bought puff pastry – for both the base and lid. Store bought shortcrust / pie crust pastry will also work a treat.
I don’t blind bake the base in this recipe, the filling is so juicy it will be soggy regardless. But if you’re cooking to impress and want a crispy base, use store bought or homemade pie crust/shortcrust pastry for the base, blind bake it (per that recipe), then top with puff pastry.
How to make Vegetable Samosa Pie
The vegetables are simmered with the spices until soft and fragrant, then it’s all mixed up with mashed potato to make a big pot of juicy, heavenly smelling filling. Then we simply pile this into a pastry lined pie dish (I like to use a big one), top with pastry then bake until puffed and golden!
OK, I realise that summary is VERY condensed, this pie does take time to come together.
But BOY is it worth it. Just look at what comes out of the oven! ↓↓↓
Ugh, that flaky puff pastry. I swear, puff pastry can make anything good. (Case in point: Chicken Pot Pie, Spinach Ricotta Rolls, Aussie Meat Pies, Sausage Rolls. See? All good stuff!)
I like to serve it with a dollop of plain yogurt, just to add an extra dimension to the dish.
As for a side salad? Na! I’ve been having a (big!) slice of this Vegetable Samosa Pie for dinner, with no side salads or anything. This is a VEGETARIAN pie. It is jam packed with vegetables – almost 12 cups, to be exact! (PS Onion counts towards your veg intake – did you know that? 😇)
However, if you were to serve this at a dinner with family or friends and you wanted to add some more to the table, I’d probably add a couple of these salads:
Lastly – I realise this recipe has a lengthier ingredients list and more steps than my typical quick ‘n easy Monday night dinner offerings. But this pie is BIG. It will serve 6 to 8. So it’s dinner today and lunch tomorrow. Worth making! – Nagi x
PS Would also be wonderful in individual form – think: ramekins, even mini in muffin tins. Share if you try!
Watch how to make it
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Vegetable Samosa Pie
Ingredients
- 700g / 1.4lb potato , cut into 2cm / 4/5" pieces
Filling:
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1.5 tsp black mustard seeds (Note 1)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds (Note 2)
- 1 tsp fennel seeds (Note 2)
- 15 curry leaves , fresh (Note 3)
- 1 tbsp garlic , finely grated
- 1 tbsp ginger , finely grated
- 1 onion , finely chopped (brown, white, yellow)
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsp curry powder (Note 4)
- 1/2 tsp chilli powder , adjust spiciness to taste ((pure ground, not US Chili Spice Mi, sub cayenne)
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tomato * , chopped into 1.5cm / 1/2" pieces
- 1 zucchini * , chopped into 1.5cm / 1/2" pieces
- 1 carrot * , chopped into 1.5cm / 1/2" pieces
- 1/2 cauliflower * (small), cut/broken into small florets (~ 3 cups)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup frozen green peas *
Puff pastry crust:
- 2 sheets puff pastry (Note 5)
- 1 egg , lightly whisked
Serving:
- Plain yogurt
- Coriander/cilantro leaves , option (decorative only, pictured)
* Asterisk-marked - can be substituted with any vegetables that can be cooked. Use 8 cups total.
Instructions
MASHED POTATO:
- Bring a pot of water to the boil then cook potato for 12 - 15 minutes until very soft.
- Drain, mash and set aside.
FILLING:
- Sizzling spices: Heat oil in a dutch oven or pot over high heat. Add black mustard seeds, cumin and fennel seeds. Let them sizzle for 15 seconds - careful, they might pop!
- Curry leaves: Then add curry leaves and stir for 15 seconds.
- Aromatics: Add garlic, ginger and onion. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until onion is tinged with gold.
- Tomato: Add tomato paste and tomato, cook for 30 seconds.
- Spices: Add curry powder, turmeric and chilli. Cook for 30 seconds.
- Most Veg: Add zucchini, carrot and cauliflower. Stir well to coat in the spice paste.
- Water: Add water, salt and pepper. Stir, bring to a simmer then put the lid on and reduce heat to medium low (so it's simmer gently).
- Cook & reduce: Cook for 15 minutes until vegetables are soft. Then remove lid and simmer for 5 minutes to reduce liquid a bit.
- Add mash: Remove from stove. Add peas and potato, mix through well.
- Taste: Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
- Cool: Place lid on and cool for at least 30 minutes (even overnight is fine).
ASSEMBLY & BAKING:
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (all oven types).
- Grease a large pie dish with butter, or oil spray (Note 6). Drape in a puff pastry sheet.(I don't blind bake here - see Note 5)
- Fill with Filling - slightly mounded is fine.
- Fold in the corners of the puff pastry sheet.
- Top with puff pastry sheet - turn 90 degrees to the base puff pastry sheet (see photo).
- Fold the overhang puff pastry under itself - no need to be neat here, this is a rustic pie!
- Egg wash: Brush with egg, cut a 2cm / 1" cross in the middle (to let steam escape).
- Bake 50 to 60 minutes, until the top is very deep golden and flaky.
- Stand 5 minutes then slice to serve. A dollop of plain yogurt goes well with this!
Recipe Notes:
- Brown mustard seeds
- Yellow mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp mustard powder*
- 1 1/2 tsp Garam Masala* (different flavour, but is intended to make up for absence)
- dried curry leaves (not quite the same, but it's the best sub);
- 1 tsp Garam Masala powder (add it with rest of spices).
- Puff pastry (per Chicken Pot Pies direction, in the notes): Line dish with puff pastry, place in oven at 180C/350F. After 10 min or whenever the partially cooked base starts to puff up, just push it back down. Repeat once more or as required to stop the puffing (it doesn't take much). Then once the pastry is golden, remove from oven and let cool. Proceed with recipe.
- Shortcrust / pie crust pastry: Follow directions in this Meat Pie recipe.
- Leftovers in Fridge - 4 to 5 days. To reheat and retain crispy top - stick a strip of foil over exposed filling (so it doesn't dry out), then bake in the oven at 180C/350F for 10 - 15 minutes until the top is crusty and the filling is hot.
- Leftovers for freezing - haven't tried but see no reason why it wouldn't work. Thaw then reheat per above.
- Make ahead - assemble with thawed puff pastry then either freeze (3 months) or fridge (2 days). Thaw, egg wash, bake per recipe + 10 minutes (takes longer due to chill in centre. Thawed-fridge stored / thawed-frozen-thawed puff does not rise quite as much as thawed then immediately baked, but the difference is marginal in a pie like this. Also, for those concerned, for store bought puff, thaw-freeze-thaw again poses no health issues (unlike meat).
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Dozer on site at the new RTE HQ – kitchen going in today! (PS HQ is a fancy description for my little lower ground floor to be converted into a dedicated work space 😂)
Thank you for another great recipe Nagi. I’m going to try using the filling in my sunbeam (4 servings), pie maker, and I was wondering if you thought that I could sub either pumpkin or sweet potato for the cauliflower please? Also, because I love flavoursome food but can’t tolerate heat, would it be ok to omit both the ginger and chilli powder? 🤔
1 — I want to add eggplant, should I roast it (like for the curry) and add it in at the end with the peas and potatoes?
2 — How much garam masala instead of curry leaves?
3 — You add a lot of yogurt for topping on your recipes. I don’t like yogurt (or sour cream) as a topping, but I love cooking with them. Is there a topping that could substitute?
4 — I have a potato ricer, should I use the smallest disc or should I use medium so there’s a little more texture? Unless the potato is there strictly for binding, that is. Then, smallest.
5 — I am looking forward to making this. I want to try to find fresh curry leaves online first. Priya Krishna makes a killer Dahi Toast that requires fresh curry leaves for the Chong topping, are you familiar with it? Here’s a link: https://www.bonappetit.com/video/watch/from-the-test-kitchen-priya-makes-dahi-toast. I love what she says about fresh curry leaves, what she says about family, in her Indianish recipe. I love it so much that I bought the Indianish cookbook!
*Chonnk, not Chong! Damn autocorrect.
This is sensational !!! Best samosas ever !!! I added 509g beef mince and cooked it until golden brown (stirring as little as possible !) at the very beginning before adding spices. I also used the pie maker to make lots of individual pies and they were sooo tasty 🙂 thanks for another amazing recipe.
Delicious and enjoyed by all! I’d been searching for a recipe like this, I love samosas and this was the main meal version. Thanks for a great vego dish.
Nagi did say that the prep took awhile. I used puff pastry that comes in a brick here in western Canada, but even so, it rolled out just fine.
The filling was more than enough for my large pie pan (similar to Nagi’s). I found the taste too mild, even when I doubled: curry, cumin and turmeric.. even so, it is worth making again and I’d make the filling the day before.
This was fabulous! Loved the blend of spices! I subbed garam masala for both the mustard seeds and curry leaves. I also doubled everything (except the water- did 3c.) and baked in a large pyrex pan with puff pastry just on top. This way, no soggy bottom, just yummy veggies and a crispy crust. So glad my google search brought me to your website, going to have to check out more recipes! Thanks!
Made this recently, and the filling was absolutely delicious. Unfortunately, the crust was 90% raw even after an hour, and was thus inedible. Do you have any recommendations to prevent this from happening? Thanks!
Just made this tonight. It turned out sooooo well! I did as another reader suggested and just put the bottom pastry on a baking pan (I lined it with parchment paper), then layered on the filling, and then topped with the top pastry, pinched the sides up, and brushed with egg wash. The whole “pie” turned out with a crispy crust, top and bottom. The flavors were spot on! I do have some leftover filling, so I’ll just freeze it and use in the future. Great recipe, Nagi. Thank you!
Sooooo delicious! I just used leftover marked potato and made into largish triangles. The best samosas I’ve ever had.
Hi Nagi, I am so looking forward to making this recipe, but unfortunately I live in a small town in Hungary and cannot find fennel seeds. I can find the veggie though, would I be able to substitute the vegetable for the seeds, and if so, how much should I use?
Hi Krisztina, that’s fine – just leave it out 🙂 N x
I forgot to rate this recipe, a 5 for sure.
Thanks so much Jackie!! N x
I have made this dish before, and I am making it again today, I will use pie crusts, and also as far as flavours, I will use all dried spices, I don’t have mustard seeds, or curry leaves, but it turned out lovely before and I’m sure it will be good today, I think its ok to use whatever you have on hand. Thanks for the recipe.
For some reason my previous comment came out as only 4 star! It’s a definite 5
Absolutely fabulous! Makes it to our list of regular repeat meals.
This has become a firm favourite in our family.
I always make it on a flat tray by putting a sheet a pastry on the tray. Then I pile on the filling leaving a margin then cover with the second pastry sheet and seal. Doing this I never have a soggy bottom but rather all crispy!
Hi Nagi, the best way to store curry leaves is to freeze them. Wash, pat dry, strip the leaves from the sprigs by pulling against the direction of growth, freeze in an airtight box. Will last forever without compromising flavour. To use take out as much as required and use frozen or thawed. I don’t bother thawing them, though you have to be careful of oil splutters when throwing them into hot oil.
Great tip Marlene, I do the exact same with Kaffir Lime leaves too! N x
The Vegetarian Samosa Pie… OMG it was delicious. The flavours of the curry was just devine… Peeps you definitely need to make this. Thanks Nagi for another scrumptious recipe. Love love love it ….Natalie
I’ve been eyeing this recipe since you posted it. Finally made my way out to the local Indian market to buy the spices and found fresh curry leaves as well (they weren’t labeled so I whipped out my phone to compare your pics of the leaves to the baggie of leaves I was holding. 😂)
The prepping and cooking/cooling time did take a while but it made a plentiful pie with enough leftover filling to make some hand pies later on this week. My hubby and younger daughter enjoyed it so much, they each ate 2 pieces! I’m going to make some tamarind chutney to accompany the leftovers. Yummy! Thank you, Nagi, for another delicious recipe!