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1
Make the Dough & Let It Rise
40 Mins
Warm water at 40°C (105°F)
Stir the flour, instant yeast, baking powder, brown sugar and 4g of the salt together in a large bowl. Pour in the 180ml of warm water a little at a time, mixing with your hand until a soft, slightly sticky dough comes together. Turn it onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Put the dough back in the bowl, cover with a damp cloth and leave in a warm place for 30 minutes, until it has puffed up noticeably.
The water must feel warm on your wrist, not hot: water above 50°C (122°F) kills the yeast and the dough will not rise.
Done when: The dough is smooth, soft and visibly puffed, about one and a half times its original size.
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2
Boil & Mash the Potatoes
20 Mins
Boiling water at 100°C (212°F)
While the dough rises, put the peeled potato chunks in a pot, cover with cold water and add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and cook for about 20 minutes, until a fork slides through a chunk with no resistance. Drain well, return the potatoes to the hot pot for 1 minute to dry off, then mash until completely smooth, with no lumps.
Drain the potatoes well and mash them while they are still hot: cold potatoes mash lumpy, and lumps tear the dough when you shape the pies.
Done when: The mash is smooth, dry and fluffy, and holds its shape on a spoon.
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3
Cook the Spiced Potato Filling
8 Mins
Medium heat, about 175°C (350°F)
Heat 30ml of the oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and cook for 30 seconds until they darken a shade and smell warm. Add 80g of the onion, 10g of the garlic, the pimento pepper and the scotch bonnet, and cook for 3 minutes until the onion softens. Stir in the ground cumin, the remaining 2g of salt and the black pepper, then add the mashed potato and the chopped chadon beni. Cook for 3 minutes more, stirring and folding, until the potato is evenly seasoned and steaming. Taste and add a pinch more salt if it needs it, then set aside to cool slightly.
Keep the heat at medium and stir constantly once the potato goes in: the mash catches and burns quickly on the bottom of the pan.
Done when: The filling is hot, fragrant and evenly golden-speckled with cumin and green herbs, and it holds together when pressed.
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4
Make the Curried Chickpea Topping
12 Mins
Medium heat, about 175°C (350°F)
Heat the remaining 15ml of oil in a small pot over medium heat. Add the remaining 40g of onion and 5g of garlic and cook for 2 minutes until soft. Stir in the curry powder and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant, then add the drained chickpeas and the 100ml of water. Simmer for 8 minutes, stirring now and then and mashing a few chickpeas against the side of the pot, until the sauce thickens and coats the chickpeas.
Mashing a spoonful of chickpeas into the sauce is what makes it cling inside the pie instead of running out; do not skip it.
Done when: The chickpeas are coated in a thick, dark-golden sauce with almost no loose liquid in the pot.
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5
Shape the Pies
10 Mins
Room temperature, about 22°C (72°F)
Divide the risen dough into 8 equal pieces and roll each into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, roll one ball into a round about 15 cm (6 inches) across. Spoon about one eighth of the potato filling onto one half of the round, leaving a 1 cm (1/2 inch) border. Fold the other half over, press the edges together firmly, then crimp with a fork to seal. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling, keeping the finished pies under a cloth so they do not dry out.
Do not overfill: a pie stuffed too full will burst in the hot oil. If an edge will not seal, brush it with a little water first.
Done when: Each pie is a sealed half-moon about 15 cm long, with crimped edges and no filling showing.
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6
Fry Until Golden
15 Mins
Oil at 175°C (350°F)
Heat the 500ml of frying oil in a deep, heavy pot to 175°C (350°F). Slide in 2 or 3 pies at a time, taking care not to crowd the pot. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes per side, turning once, until the crust is deep golden and puffed. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack or paper towels. Let the oil come back to temperature before frying the next batch.
Fry only a few pies at a time: too many at once drops the oil temperature and the pies soak up oil instead of crisping.
Done when: The crust is deep golden all over, puffed and crisp, and the pie sounds hollow when tapped.
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7
Cut Open, Fill & Serve
5 Mins
Serve hot, above 63°C (145°F)
While the pies are still hot, cut a slit along the top of each one and spoon in a generous portion of the curried chickpeas. Serve at once with tamarind sauce, chadon beni sauce and hot pepper sauce on the side, so each person can season their own pie.
Cut the pies open while they are hot and the crust is still crisp: once they cool, the dough softens and the filling is harder to spoon in.
Done when: The pie is steaming, the crust is crisp, and the chickpea filling sits hot inside the slit.
Trinidad and Tobago
1h 35m
