Double-Crusted Samosa Pie with Chickpea Flour

From Appetizer to Main Course

Double-Crusted Samosa Pie | Dara O’Brien

By Dara O’Brien
Creative Director, Lake Isle Press

I pass as holiday revelers dive into the pumpkin pie. I am unmoved by the rhapsodizing over fresh cherry pie at summer barbecues.  

I’m just not a sweet pie person. That is primarily because of the crust, but the filling also has drawbacks — custard pies should just be plain custard, and fruit pies are too damn oozy.

Savory pies and pastries, though, are another story: chicken potpie, empanadas, samosas, calzones, stromboli, even pizza. When it’s hot, I don’t mind the crust. Or the ooze.

However, less crust is not a bad thing, and making a large savory pie instead of a handheld one means less crust and more filling per serving. That sounds good to me. Make that crust gluten-free? Even better.

Enter Double-Crusted Samosa Pie made with chickpea flour from a recipe by Camilla V. Saulsbury from her book “The Chickpea Flour Cookbook,” published by Lake Isle Press.

After making and enjoying panisses and farinatas, which are both made with chickpea flour, water and oil, I was totally on board for a chickpea flour piecrust. So I went ahead even though I wasn’t all that confident of my mastery of the rolling pin, and, in fact, had a hard time finding mine (I’ve only baked one pie ever, and that was a chicken potpie with a puff pastry crust. 

Readying the dough was easy enough. There were some cracks, but they mostly disappeared when I rolled the disks out (which was uneventful despite my lack of technique). I made a few small tears when placing the dough — rolling it onto waxed paper and flipping the paper over would have helped — but I managed to patch any splits that snuck in as I lined the pie plate and crowned the top of the pie.

I followed the ingredients and directions to the letter, though I was convinced there would be way too much filling. No, it was just the right amount. I used homemade curry powder (from a recipe in Vikas Khanna’s Lake Isle Press book “Flavors First”).

I gave the pie a good chance to cool so it had reached the ideal temperature by the time I sliced it. The filling was flavorful, fragrant, and not at all runny. I had considered pre-baking the bottom crust to prevent sogginess, but it was plenty firm. The top crust was slightly crisp and flaky.

This recipe wasn’t quick, especially for a pie novice like me, but it’s tasty, vegan, and inexpensive. It is also special enough for company. That's enough for me to keep track of where I stash my rolling pin.

Double-Crusted Samosa Pie

Click here for printable recipe.

INGREDIENTS

CRUST
2½ cups (300 grams) chickpea flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
5 tablespoons virgin coconut oil, melted
½ cup water

FILLING
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium-large onion, finely chopped
4 cups small-diced peeled Yukon Gold or russet potatoes
1 cup small-diced peeled carrots
3 cloves garlic, minced
1½ tablespoons peeled, minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons medium heat curry powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup water
1 cup frozen petite green peas
¾ cup well-stirred full fat coconut milk
½ cup packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper

Makes 6 servings

PREPARATION

  1. To make the crust, combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the coconut oil and water; stir with a fork until combined. Transfer the dough to a clean work surface dusted with chickpea flour; shape it into 2 equal balls, then flatten each into a disk. Wrap them in plastic wrap and set aside while preparing the filling.

  2. To make the filling, heat the olive oil in a large pot set over medium-high heat. Add the onions, potatoes, and carrots; cook and stir for 8 to 10 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic, ginger, curry powder, and salt; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add the water; cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until the potatoes and carrots are very tender. Stir in the peas and coconut milk; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Stir in the cilantro and adjust the salt and pepper to taste.

  3. Preheat the oven to 350°F. On a clean work surface lightly dusted with chickpea flour, roll out one of the dough disks into a 10-inch circle; gently press it into a 9-inch pie plate. Spoon the filling into the crust. Roll out the remaining dough in same manner; place it on top of the pie, sealing the top and bottom edges of the crust. Cut 3 to 4 small steam vents in the top with the tip of a sharp knife.

  4. Bake for 28 to 33 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and cool for 30 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.

Tips
An equal amount of melted unsalted butter or melted unsalted ghee can be used in place of the coconut oil.

If you cannot wait 30 minutes before diving into the pie, keep in mind that it will not cut cleanly into wedges when the filling is very hot.

Storage Tip
Cover any cooled, leftover pie with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for up to 2 days.

Recipe from “The Chickpea Flour Cookbook” by Camilla V. Saulsbury, Lake Isle Press, 2015

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