BHAJJI KI MINI PIE

  Well, what can I say about this cheesy n soft (vegetable) bhaji stuffed pies??  They are a divine fusion of Indian chaat with England-based dessert.  Since bhaji goes excellent with pav, their combo with buttery pie crust was good too :)  I made them when I desperately needed a savory snack. I am always a savory lover...  so when this 'fusion' idea struck me, I no longer resisted myself to bake :)   Yes, I don't know why baking is very mesmerizing and these days I am getting bakeaholic :D  :D

When it came for filling, I needed them a bit cheesy with  a different seasoning.  So, I went for oregano with mozzarella combination.  You can use any dry herbs seasoning (or replace them with a couple of fresh herbs and chili flakes you have).  If you want a classic 'cheesy' look, you can replace quarter cup of cheese to almost 1 cup.  (Trust this one, you will get a 'classic temptation')  These pies are better had straight from the oven, piping hot.  :D  :D So, with freezing climate here, they were a 'pleasure to intake' :D  :D

I got a lot of credits when I shared this pie with my neighbor :D :D  She especially appreciated the filling.  This has given me a lot of confidence, yes I am going to try this filling with more of savory types.  On the other hand, I had to admit that making these pies were a bit time-consuming.  It is best to prepare the dough before a  day and refrigerate them if you are in short of time. 

Preparation time: 25 minutes (Excluding  an hour of cooling and assembly)
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Baking time: 30-35 minutes
Yield: About 12 mini pies

Ingredients required

For the dough

• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1/4 tsp of baking powder
• 1/2 cup of cubed butter
• Extra flour, to dust
• Chill water, as required

For filling

• 250 gm of mixed, cubed vegetables like potato, cauliflower, carrot, green peas and baby cabbage
• 2 tsp of oil
• 75 gm of finely chopped onions
• 1 tsp of ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp pav bhaji masala
• Salt, to taste
• 1 tbsp tomato sauce
• 1 tsp oregano seasoning (You can also use any Italian seasoning/ dry herbs paired with chilli flakes and pepper)
• 1/4 cup of grated mozzarella cheese (You can also replace this with 1 cup or equal quantity of bhaji in order to obtain a classic cheesy look)

For egg wash

• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp milk

Method

For the dough:

Sieve flour along with baking powder.  Add salt and mix through them.  Rub through butter and stir till the mixture resembles like the  breadcrumbs.

\

Sprinkle cold water and knead them into a soft dough.  

Cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

For the filling:

Bring all vegetables with two cups of water and pressure cook for two whistles, keep aside. 

Alternatively, heat oil in a pan.  Add onions and ginger-garlic paste.  After they sizzle, add pressure cooked vegetables along with pav bhaji masala and salt.  Be careful when you add salt since you are also adding cheese here.

Mash them up using pav bhaji masher till the bhaji resembles smooth textured.

Switch off the flame, add tomato sauce, oregano, and cheese.  Mix them gently.  

Assembly and baking:

Pre-heat the oven to 180 -degree celsius.  Take out refrigerated dough, divide into four to six balls.  Roll out each ball into a thin circle.  Place them over greased cupcakes till they fit into a mould.  Cut off the excess dough.  

Fill them with prepared bhaji.

With remaining dough, roll them and cut into thin strips.  

Place these strips in a  criss-cross pattern over the top.  Beat in egg along with milk and brush them over the top.

Bake for thirty minutes till top is slightly browned and crust is cooked all over.  Serve them hot :)

Happy Baking :)  :)  :)