Spelt samosa hand pies are baked half-moon pastries filled with spiced potato and peas. The spelt crust stays crisp and lightly nutty, and the filling stays soft.
You bake them instead of frying, so the kitchen stays clean and the batch needs no pot of hot oil. The dough is a simple butter and spelt mix that chills while the filling cooks.
One point to watch. Cool the filling fully and use about 2 tablespoons (45 g) per pie, or the seams split in the oven.
The recipe makes 12 pies in about 90 minutes, most of it hands-off. You can shape them a day ahead and bake when needed.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Baked instead of fried, so the kitchen stays clean
- The spelt crust stays crisp and slightly nutty
- Shape them a day ahead, or freeze them unbaked
- Budget-friendly filling from potatoes, peas, and pantry spices
Ingredient Notes
- White spelt flour: White spelt gives the lightest crust. Whole grain spelt works for up to half the weight, but add 1 to 2 tablespoons more water.
- Yukon Gold potatoes: Waxy potatoes hold their shape when boiled and crush into a soft, slightly chunky filling. Floury potatoes turn pasty.
- Cold butter: Keep the butter cold so it stays in small pieces and the crust bakes flaky. Firm plant-based block butter is a direct swap.
- Garam masala: Brands vary in heat. Start with 1 tsp, then taste the filling before you cool it and adjust the salt or lemon.
- Frozen peas: Use them straight from the freezer. They thaw in the hot filling and stay green and slightly firm.
Baked Spelt Samosa Hand Pies with Spiced Potato and Peas
Description
A butter and spelt crust is rolled to 4 mm, filled with cumin-spiced potato and peas, and baked at 200 C / 390 F until deep golden brown. Twelve pies, no frying.
Ingredients
For the spelt dough
For the filling
To finish
Instructions
Make the spelt dough
- Whisk the spelt flour and 1/2 tsp salt in a large bowl. Rub in the cold butter with your fingertips until the mix looks like coarse crumbs with a few pea-sized pieces.
- Stir in 90 ml cold water with a fork. Add more water 1 tablespoon at a time, up to 110 ml, until the dough just holds when pressed. Knead 3 or 4 times only, then flatten into a disk, wrap, and chill for 40 minutes.
Cook the filling while the dough chills
- Put the potato cubes in a 3-quart / 2.8 L saucepan, cover with cold water, and boil for 10 minutes until a knife slides in easily. Drain and let them steam dry for 2 minutes.
- While the potatoes boil, heat the oil in a 26 cm / 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and cook for 30 seconds until they sizzle. Add the onion and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until soft and golden at the edges. Stir in the garlic, ginger, coriander, turmeric, garam masala, and chili flakes for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the potatoes, peas, and 3/4 tsp salt to the skillet. Crush the potatoes lightly, leaving some small chunks, and cook for 3 minutes until the peas are tender. Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and cilantro. Spread the filling on a plate and cool for about 10 minutes, until it no longer feels warm. A warm filling melts the butter in the dough and the seams split in the oven.
Shape and bake
- Heat the oven to 200 C / 390 F and line two 33 x 46 cm / 13 x 18 inch baking sheets with parchment. Roll the chilled dough on a floured surface to 4 mm thick. Cut 10 cm / 4-inch rounds, re-rolling the scraps once, to make 12 rounds.
- Spoon about 2 tablespoons (45 g) of filling onto one half of each round. Fold the other half over, press out the air, and crimp the edge with a fork. Place 6 pies on each sheet, 3 cm apart.
- Beat the egg with the milk and brush it over the pies. Sprinkle with the seeds and cut 2 small steam slits in each top. Bake for 25 minutes, swapping and rotating the sheets after 12 minutes, until deep golden brown. Cool on the sheets for 5 minutes and serve warm.
Nutrition Facts
Servings 6
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 413kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 18g28%
- Saturated Fat 9g45%
- Cholesterol 36mg12%
- Sodium 520mg22%
- Potassium 585mg17%
- Total Carbohydrate 52g18%
- Dietary Fiber 6g24%
- Sugars 3g
- Protein 11g22%
- Vitamin A 650 IU
- Vitamin C 10 mg
- Calcium 28 mg
- Iron 3 mg
- Vitamin D 8 IU
- Vitamin E 1 mg
- Vitamin K 8 mcg
- Thiamin 0.3 mg
- Riboflavin 0.2 mg
- Niacin 3 mg
- Vitamin B6 0.3 mg
- Folate 45 mcg
- Vitamin B12 0.1 mcg
- Phosphorus 163 mg
- Magnesium 52 mg
- Zinc 1.7 mg
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
Additional Notes
- Chill the dough for 40 minutes so the butter firms and the spelt hydrates.
- Cool the filling fully before shaping, or the seams split in the oven.
- Roll the dough to 4 mm so the base bakes crisp without cracking.
- Leave 3 cm between pies on each sheet so the sides brown.
- Bake on two racks and swap the sheets after 12 minutes.
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