Nigerian meat pie — beef and vegetable hand pies

🥟 Golden baked hand pies filled with minced beef, small potato and carrot cubes in a thick sauce. Short pastry encloses fully cooked, cooled filling.

Ingredients

• 400 g wheat flour for pastry
• 160 g cold unsalted butter, diced
• 1 tsp baking powder, about 4 g
• 100–130 ml cold water, added gradually
• 300 g minced beef
• 150 g peeled potato, finely diced
• 100 g carrot, finely diced
• 1 medium onion, about 100 g, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil, 15 ml
• 150 ml water for filling, plus 2 tbsp for flour slurry
• 10 g flour to thicken filling
• ½ tsp dried thyme and ½ tsp mild curry powder
• About ¾ tsp salt across recipe, adjusted, and a little black pepper
• 1 beaten egg for glazing

Preparation

Heat oil, cook onion 3 minutes, then add beef. Break up and cook completely for about 6–8 minutes, leaving no raw areas.

Add potato, carrot, thyme, curry, pepper and some salt. Add 150 ml water, cover and simmer 10–12 minutes until small cubes are tender.

Mix 10 g flour with 2 tbsp water. Stir in and cook 2–3 minutes until thick. Taste, adjust and spread in a shallow dish to cool.

Mix 400 g flour, baking powder and remaining salt. Rub in 160 g cold butter. Add 100–130 ml cold water gradually and gather without long kneading.

Cover and refrigerate pastry 20 minutes while filling cools. Heat oven to 180°C, or 160°C fan, and line a tray.

Roll about 3 mm thick. Cut eight roughly 15 cm discs, gently gathering scraps as needed. Divide cold filling over one half of each, keeping edges clear.

Lightly moisten edges, fold and seal with a fork. Put on tray, brush with a little beaten egg and cut a small vent in each.

Bake about 30–35 minutes until pastry and base are golden. Cool 10 minutes before serving. Total includes 20-minute rest; adapt to oven and pie size.