I am getting really excited, because in 1 week I will have my PharmD! 8 long years in the making… This curried lentil hand pie recipe reminds me of the first time I tried a peasant pie during pharmacy school, which was a little flaky hand pie filled with curried lentils and potatoes. Our school would serve us these hand pies for dinner sometimes when we had to stay late for a meeting, and it was always fun discovering new fillings. The curried lentil hand pie was always my favorite, and I was so excited when I perfected the recipe to taste just like them, and now I can make them at home! The crust is my flaky pie crust recipe modified to include less shortening, although I was scared to completely sub it with butter so I left some in… If you don’t have chicken broth on hand, you can also use water and 1/2 tsp of salt or so… just add more salt if needed. These hand pies are great because you can store them in the freezer and pop them back in the oven for 10 minutes to heat up again when you are hungry for a snack.
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 10 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp shortening
- 6 tbsp cold water (plus a little more if needed...)
- 1 cup lentils, rinsed
- 2¼ cup chicken broth
- 2 tbsp yellow curry powder
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 potato, peeled and cubed
- Bring a pot of the chicken broth to a boil and add lentils (may choose to soak overnight prior to cooking).
- Add the curry, turmeric, and pepper.
- Cook the lentils covered for 1 hour on a low boil (medium heat should be fine, as long as it slightly boils).
- Add the chopped carrots and potatoes and continue to cook for 20 more minutes.
- In the meantime, prepare the crust by adding all ingredients to a bowl and using a pastry blender to cut the butter and shortening into the flour until you have a uniform, crumbly mixture.
- Add the water 1 tbsp at a time and stir with a fork.
- Add just enough water to gather the dough in a ball with your hands without it falling apart too much, then wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
- Roll a fistful of dough out on a floured surface to a circle of about 8 or 9-inches diameter and transfer to a greased baking sheet.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Spoon 1-2 tbsp of filling over one half of the pie, about ½ inch away from the edge.
- Close the other side over the pie, and wet your finger and use the water to seal the edges.
- Then, turn the edges over back onto the pie, and seal by pressing a fork all the way around the edge.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.
It reminds me of a samosa, but in flaky delicious pastry 😀
great idea for a filling!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Congratulations! 8 years of pain and agony but am hoping that a hospital or company has already snagged you up for the perfect job. I love how flaky your crust is on these little curried lentil pies.
Thanks Bam!
These look a lot like empanadas and how gorgeous they are. Congrats on gaining your qualifications xx
Thanks Charlie!!
Kristi, you’re pastry looks perfect, and I adore curried lentils! This makes for the perfect portable meal!
Also, congrats on being almost done school, eight years is a lot of work and dedication!
Portable meals are the best 😉
Thanks for this recipe, I made these with my daughters (well, my three-year old helped, my 11-month old observed and managed her cooking staff :)). They were fun to make and look so delicious! I made your peanut butter cups the other day, will have to start checking in more regularly to try out your newest recipes, in particularly anything vegetarian or vegan. Congratulations on your degree, and best of luck to you!
Thanks Kathrin! I am happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
Was really excited about this recipe but the flavor wasn’t great at all on the filling. Directions also could have been clearer. Disappointed :'(
Hi! I want to make these tomorrow but don’t have shortening. Would you suggest just doing 12 tbsp of butter instead, or something different? Thank you!!
Yes! butter should work 🙂
Too bland for me I feel it needs something