‘Pie’ is nothing but a baked dish of fruit, or meat and vegetables, typically with a top and base of pastry.

I recall to share a few posts on tarts ( Fruit Tartlets, Cherry tomato & poppy seed tartlets, Blue Cheese & Walnut Tartlets, Caramelized Lemon Tart ) in the past. Pies, which fall almost in the same category of tarts, but with a lid, are pretty interesting baked items too. Here I share with you the recipe of a savoury pie filled with mutton and cheese which also happens to be my first ever post on pie.

‘Mutton & Cheese Pie’ reminds me my good old days in Utrecht, Holland, where I got exposed to different kinds of baked items. Quite a few times I tested the savoury pies in small street-side baking shops there for which I grew an instant linking. It has been almost 4 years since I am back from Europe and after such a long time, finally managed to try one of my favourites among those pies, by my own. However, as a substitute of lamb meat, I used mutton along with Cheese, the latter being an addition and innovation from my side. One can skip adding cheese at will,  since simple mutton pies are also pretty delicious.

Ingredients to serve 6 :

For the Pie :

1. Plain flour – 150 gm.
2. Cold unsalted butter (cut into pieces) – 75 gm.
3. Pinch of salt
4. Cold water
5. Egg (beaten) – 1

For Mutton & Cheese filling :

1. Minced mutton/ Mutton keema – 150 gm.
2. Chopped onion – 1 (large)
3. Chopped garlic – ½ teaspoon
4. Ginger paste – ½ teaspoon
5. Chopped tomato – 1 (large)
6. Salt to taste
7. Black pepper – 1 teaspoon
8. Garam masala powder – ¼ teaspoon
9. Corn starch – 1 tbspoon
10. Cooking oil – 3 tbspoon
11. Grated cheese (any of your choice) – 100 gm.

Procedure :

Making of Mutton filling :

Heat oil in a kadai or frying pan.

Add chopped garlic and saute till it changes colour.

Add chopped onion and ginger paste, fry till onion become golden brown.

Add chopped tomato and garam masala powder, cook till tomato becomes soft.

Now add minced mutton and mix well with other ingredients. Cover the pan with a lid and let the mutton cook on medium flame.

Add salt after mutton changes its colour and continue cooking till it starts separating oil.

Add 1 lagre cup of hot water and cook on low flame till the mutton becomes tender.

Now add pepper powder and corn starch (mixed with ¼ cup of water), mix them very well with the mutton.

Put the flame off and give it a standing time of 2-3 minutes.

The mutton will take approx. 45 minutes to cook completely.

Making of Pie :

Lightly grease a 7.5 cm/3 inch muffin tin (6 cups).

Sift the flour and salt into a food processor, add the butter and process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. You can also do it by hand without using any food processor.

Pour the mixture into a large bowl and add just enough cold water to bring the dough together.

Divide 2/3rd of the dough into 6 equal parts and roll them out, on a floured work surface, into 12 cm./4½ inch diameter circles. Now press these circles into the muffin cups. Cover the muffin tin with a clingfilm and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.

Now divide remaining 1/3rd dough into 6 equal parts. Roll them out into circles to make a cover for each cup.

After chilling, fill half of each cup with mutton mixture and top with grated cheese.

Cover each cup with circular dough and seal the edges with the help of a fork. Also make some holes on the cover of the cups with the fork.

Now brush the top covers of the cups with beaten egg.

Bake the pies in a pre heated oven at 200ºC for 25-30 minutes or until the top of the pies turn golden.

Take out the tray from the oven and serve hot mutton & cheese pies.