A spicy, sweet and smoky pie

Everyone loves a pie - the contrast of crisp pastry and soft filling, the comfort factor, the memories of childhood... My own childhood pie memories are mainly of the Fray Bentos variety, but I've noticed that commercial pies have been getting steadily posher. While the petrol station forecourt steak pie is alive and well, you can also go into a supermarket (or some pubs) and find venison and rabbit pie, or perhaps steak with chorizo and olives, or four cheese.

Sadly, pastry is not exactly a health food, but the good news is that filo pastry is considerably lighter in fat and calories. It might not be what you want in a traditional steak and kidney pie, but in a vegetarian pie like this it works really well.

 

There are a few steps involved to making the pie, but I think it's well worth it. And while you're roasting the onions, I'd recommend adding a couple of extra to the tin, as roasted onions are handy to have in the fridge - great for adding to pasta sauce, pizza topping or sandwiches.

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

1 tin chick peas, drained

100g spinach, fresh or frozen

2 red onions

2 sweet potatoes

2 aubergines

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp normal paprika

1/2 tsp cumin

Filo pastry

A little melted butter (optional)

 

Method

 

Pre-heat oven to gas mark 5 (375F / 190C).

Peel the onions and cut them into eighths from root to tip. Place on a non-stick baking tray and cook in the oven for about half an hour or until soft and cooked all the way through. At the same time, bake the whole sweet potatoes in the oven (they will take a similar amount of time or slightly longer to cook).

Meanwhile, preheat the grill and put the whole aubergines on a baking tray under the grill. Cook, turning regularly, until blackened all over and soft right to the middle. If you have a gas hob you can also do this on the hob. Allow the aubergines to cool slightly and scoop out the soft flesh, discarding the black skin. Place in a large bowl and add the spices and drained chick peas.

If using fresh spinach, chop the leaves if they are large, and wilt them for a couple of minutes in a pan with nothing more than the water that clings to the leaves after washing them. If using frozen spinach, defrost in a microwave. Add to the other ingredients in the bowl. 

Cut the cooked sweet potatoes into cubes and add them to the bowl too.

Take your chosen pie dish and grease it lightly. Line with three filo pastry sheets, overlapping them to cover the dish evenly. Allow any extra to hang over the edges. Pile in the filling (you may need to press it down if you are running out of space) and fold the overhanging bits of pastry over the top. Many people recommend brushing the pastry sheets with melted butter, but I skip this to keep things healthier and don't find it a problem. Add another one or two sheets of pastry to finish the lid - you can crumble or fold these in any way you feel looks attractive. 

Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and the pastry is crisp.