DIY: Try this Nigerian stove meat pie recipe

The recipe detailed here will help you make the best meat pie in Lagos.

A pie is usually baked but try this stove recipe if you don't want to use an oven.

Nigerian meat pie is usually moist and has minced meat, potato and carrot filling. The recipe detailed here will help you make the best meat pie in Lagos.

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Ingredients

For the dough

8 cups plain flour (All Purpose Flour)

2 teaspoons baking powder

500g Margarine

Salt

½ cup cold water

For the filling

2 medium Irish potatoes

2 medium carrots

500g (1.1 lbs) minced meat

1 medium onion

2 cooking spoons vegetable oil

Seasoning powder

1 teaspoon thyme

2 tablespoons plain flour

1 cup cold water

Salt to taste

Preparation

The Filling

Step 1: Peel the Irish potatoes, scrape the carrots and onions wash and cut them into tiny cubes.

Step 2: With your cooker or stove set to medium heat, heat the vegetable oil in a pot, add the diced onions and stir for a bit, add the minced meat and stir vigorously till the minced meat turns pale.

Step 3: Add 1 cup of water, seasoning and thyme. Cover the pot and once the contents of the pot start boiling, add the diced carrots and potatoes and cook until everything is well done.

Step 4: Dissolve 2 tablespoons of plain flour in half cup of cold water and add to the meat pie filling.

Add salt to taste, stir the contents and turn off the heat.

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The Dough

Step 1: Put the 1 kg of flour in a sizeable bowl; add 2 teaspoons of baking powder and 2 pinches of salt.

Use a tablespoon to scoop the margarine in small bits into the bowl of flour. The smaller you make the bits of margarine, the easier it will be for you to rub them into the flour.

Use fingertips to rub the margarine into the flour till the mix becomes like crumbs.

Step 2: Add cold water in bits while at the same time folding the mix till a stiff ball of dough is formed.

Knead the dough very well, put back in the bowl and leave to rest for 5 to 7 minutes.

Step 3: Put on your stove, place a large pot half filled with sharp sand, leave to preheat while you continue with the meat pie.

Step 4: Rub margarine on the insides of a metal tray and set aside. This is so that the undersides of the meat pies do not burn or stick to the tray during baking.

Step 5: Break an egg, beat it and set aside.

Step 6: Use a cutter, to make round cuts on the rolled out dough.

Remove the excess dough, leaving behind the round cuts.

Scoop some meat pie filling into the centre of the round cuts, the quantity should be such that you can comfortably close the dough without overflows.

Rub the egg on the inside edge of the cut meat pie dough.

Fold one part of the dough to meet the other end and use a fork to press the 2 edges together to close tightly. Place your work of art on the tray and repeat the previous step till all the cutout dough is exhausted.

Roll out more dough, cut, fill, close and place in the greased oven tray till all the dough is used.

Rub the egg on the meat pies. This gives the meat pie a golden brown look when done.

Step 7: Set the tray in the preheated pot filled with sand and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. This time will depend on the type and heating capacity of your stove. You can confirm that the meat pie is done when it starts browning.

It is alright to open the pot to check this. Your meat pie is ready.

posted by Campus94