Frying Pan Samosa Pie
This one is a total crowd-pleaser and honestly one of the cleverest things we've made in a while. All the flavour of a proper samosa, but done in a frying pan with filo pastry on top so it looks dead impressive and takes way less effort than it sounds. You get that spiced potato and cauliflower filling, all warm and fragrant, with a golden, shatteringly crispy pastry lid. We keep coming back to this one because it hits that comfort food spot without weighing you down. Make it tonight, seriously.
Before You Start
- Preheat oven to 180°C
- Large baking tray
- Large microwaveable bowl
- Cling film
- Frying pan (ovenproof)
- Microplane or fine grater
- Potato masher or fork
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 4 sheets of plant-based filo pastry
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 350ml vegetable stock
- 175g frozen peas
- tbsp vegetable oil to brush
- nigella seeds
- 2 baking potatoes
- 1 small cauliflower
- 1 green chilli
- 2 garlic cloves
- thumb-sized piece of ginger peeled
- 1 lime
- small bunch of coriander
- Salt & pepper to taste
- coconut yoghurt
Method
For the potatoes
- Peel and roughly chop the potatoes into 2cm chunks
- Tip into a large microwaveable bowl and cover with cling film
- Microwave on high for 4–6 minutes
Cook the cauliflower
- Roughly chop the cauliflower florets into bite-sized chunks
- Add to the bowl with the partially cooked potatoes and microwave for a further 6 minutes
Meanwhile, bake the pastry
- Take one sheet of filo and brush it with vegetable oil, then sprinkle with nigella seeds
- Scrunch it up and place it on the baking tray
- Repeat with the rest of the pastry
- Bake in the oven for 6–8 minutes until golden, keeping an eye on them – they can turn from golden to brown very quickly!
Make the filling
- Add the tablespoon of vegetable oil to the frying pan and place it over a high heat
- Chop the green chilli, removing the seeds if you don’t like too much heat
- Peel the garlic
- Grate the garlic and ginger directly into the pan
- Add the green chilli to the pan along with a pinch of salt
- Add the curry powder, turmeric and fennel seeds, then tip in the cooked cauliflower and potato chunks
- Stir to coat in the spices
- Add the stock and season well
- Cover the pan and cook for 2–3 minutes
- Take off the lid and use a fork or potato masher to lightly smush the mixture
- Add the peas to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat
- Roughly chop the coriander and stir it through the mixture
- Halve the lime and squeeze in the juice, then stir it through
Assemble
- Top the frying pan with the filo scrunches and bring it to the table
- Serve straight from the pan with a spoonful of coconut yoghurt
Tips & Variations
- Make it your own: We love adding a big handful of frozen peas or some wilted spinach into the filling for extra colour and a bit of freshness.
- Get the pastry right: Brush each layer of filo generously with oil or melted vegan butter. Don't be shy with it. That's what gets you that proper golden crunch.
- Serve it well: A dollop of mango chutney and some coconut yoghurt on the side takes this to another level. Trust us on this one.
Why This Works
The trick is microwaving the potatoes and cauliflower first so they're properly cooked through before the spices go in. That way you're building flavour in the pan rather than just steaming veg. The filo on top stays crispy because it goes straight from the oven onto a hot filling, and that contrast of crunchy pastry with the soft spiced filling underneath is what makes this so good.