Debbie Harry, via Pretty In Pink

 

My first ever vegan pie! And the launch of a new category for Kitchen Rebellion – Live And Let Pie, in which I aim to prove that pies are way more awesome when they don’t play by the traditional meat-and-dairy rules.

We are kicking things off with a comforting, soul food combination of rich, cumin-spiked pastry, lemony-savoury tofu and delicious morsels of veges. This recipe will give your spice rack a good workout.

For a huge, belly filling meal, serve a slice of pie dolloped with tomato sauce, along with a side of roast potatoes, carrots and yams and a toasted-seed sprinkled green salad tossed with vinaigrette*.

Savoury Tofu Vege Pie

What you need:

Pie crust:
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup Olivani (or your favourite dairy-free butter substitute)
water (enough to make a very stiff dough)
2 tsp sesame seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds

Tofu:
250 g firm tofu
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp fresh black pepper
2 x medium tomatoes, chopped finely

Vegetables:
1 cup cauliflower florets, chopped teeny tiny
1 cup broccoli florets, chopped teeny tiny
2 button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp paprika

Savoury Sauce:
1 tbsp olivani
2 tbsp flour
1/2 cup rice milk
1/2 cup vege stock
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp garam masala
sea salt & fresh black pepper

 

What to do:

Make tofu filling:
Squeeze excess moisture out of the tofu with your hands, before crumbling it into a large bowl. Add garlic, lemon juice, basil, oregano, turmeric and black pepper. Mix well. Add tomatoes. Mix gently to combine. Set aside.

Prepare veges:
Cook broccoli and cauliflower in lightly-salted boiling water for 3-4 minutes, until slightly tender. Drain and set aside.

Heat olive oil briefly in a medium hot frying pan. Add onions, mushrooms and paprika. Cook 3-4 minutes, stirring regularly, until onion softens. Set aside.

Prepare sauce:
Melt Olivani in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat and whisk in 2 tbsp of flour. Return to heat and very slowly whisk in the milk, followed by the vege stock. Mix in the cumin, coriander and garam masala. Reduce heat to low and cook 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until sauce begins to thicken. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside 3 tbsp of sauce. Stir rest of sauce into the tofu mixture.

Make pie crust:
Preheat oven to 200 C.

Sift flour and salt into a large bowl. Add Olivani and rub into the flour with the tips of your fingers, about 2 minutes, until it has an even, crumbly texture. Add seeds and mix to a very stiff dough with a little water (too much water and the pastry will be tough, so take care!).
Roll out 2/3 of the dough. Reserve the rest for the top layer of the pie.

Line a lightly-oiled small baking dish with the rolled-out dough to form the bottom and sides of the pie. Cook in 200 C oven for 10 minutes. Set aside when done. Roll out the rest of the dough and set aside.

To assemble:
Spoon tofu mixture evenly into the pie shell. There might be a little too much tofu for the pie to handle; just cover and refrigerate the rest, for triumphant use in a Leftovers Enchilada the following day.

Top the tofu mixture with mushroom mixture, broccoli, cauliflower, and the rest of the sauce. Lay the remaining pastry over top, and push down around the edges to seal (use a fork if you want to do something fancier than just smushing it down like I do). Brush with olive oil**.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Let sit a few minutes before slicing.

Serves 2-4.

 

* one of my favourites is a simple blend of 3 tbsp olive oil, 2 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar and 1 tsp brown sugar &hearts easy & fab
** or glide on a little olive oil with your fingers