Winter Veg Pies with Sour Cream Pastry

Very tasty individual pies with crumbly pastry that melts in your mouth and a slightly spicy filling.

1. 1

   Put the flour in a food processor. Chop the cold butter into little cubes and add with 1/2 - 1 tsp of salt (depending on your taste and what butter you have used). Blitz for several seconds to fine breadcrumbs then add the sour cream and blitz again until the pastry comes together. Tip onto a lightly floured work surface and gently knead for 1 minute. Wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for at least half an hour.
   Crush the cardamom pods, remove the seeds and grind (in a spice grinder or with a pestle and mortar).
   Peel and roughly chop the onion. Cut the chilli in half, remove the seeds and chop finely. Strip the leaves from the thyme stalks.
   Put 2 tbsp olive oil in a large lidded saucepan over a medium heat. When it is hot, add the curry powder, caraway seeds, mustard seeds and ground cardamom. Cook for just a few seconds, stirring, then add the onion, chilli and thyme.
   Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
   Peel the potato and chop into 2 cm chunks. Peel and chop the ends off both the carrot and parsnip and chop each into 2 cm chunks.
   After 5 minutes, add the potato, carrot and parsnip, stir and then pour in the hot stock. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook for 5 minutes.
   Cut the squash in half, remove the seeds and chop approx. 250 g into 2 cm chunks.
   After 5 minutes cooking the other vegetables, add the squash and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Simmer, with the lid on, for 10 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the vegetables are cooked through and you have about three tablespoons of liquid left. Add add a little water if needed (I always need to do this).
   Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely.
   Brush the sides and bases of an extra-large six-hole muffin tin***.
   Line the bases with circles of baking paper and place the tin in the fridge until you are ready to line it with the pastry.
   Roll out the pastry to 2-3 mm thick. For an extra-large muffin tin, cut out six circles, 14cm in diameter (e.g. using a saucer) and six more circles, 8cm in diameter (e.g. using a cookie cutter or glass) for the lids. If you have any spare, cut out circles for a standard muffin tin. For other sized tins, cut circles accordingly.
   Press the larger pastry circles into the prepared tin.
   Grate the cheese, roughly chop the coriander and stir both into the cooled filling mixture.
   Lightly beat the egg with a fork.
   Spoon the filling into the pastry cases, filling each pie to the brim. Brush the top of the pastry with a little beaten egg and place the lids on top. Press the edges together to seal and brush the lids with a little more egg. Poke 2 holes into the top of each pie with a sharp knife. Optional - scatter some sesame seeds or poppy seeds on top.
   Chill in the fridge or for 10 minutes while the oven heats up (or make in advance and leave in the fridge for up to a couple of hours until ready to bake).
   Preheat the oven to 200ºC.
   Bake for 30–35 minutes, until golden-brown.
   Remove from the oven and leave in the tin for 5-10 minutes before serving warm or leave to cool completely and serve at room temperature.