IS THE cold weather getting you in the mood for baking pies?
This week I tried baking pies with a traditional twist.
I couldn’t resist buying a packet of dried morogo / mfushwa from a street vendor and I’m always trying new ways of preparing the morogo.
Morogo has a strong taste and coupled with cheese grillers, the recipe doesn’t require much seasoning and it is very simple.
The hardest part would be getting a packet of morogo/mfushwa. Try asking some of the street vendors in your area.
Hope you get to try out the recipe. Enjoy!
l www.mzansistylecuisine.co.za
THE RECIPE
Makes: 4 – 6
30g dried morogo/ 200g spinach, shredded
15ml (1Tbsp) cooking oil, for frying
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
½ red pepper, finely chopped
250ml (1cup) full cream milk
15ml (1Tbsp) flour
1 chicken stock cube, crumbled
Cheese grillers
5ml grana padano, finely grated
1 packet puff pastry
Flour for dusting
Extra milk, for sealing pastry
Egg for brushing
Method:
w Preheat oven to 180°C.
w If using morogo, rinse it in cold water and add to a saucepan with water. Boil for about 20 to 30 minutes or until soft.
w In another saucepan, heat oil and sauté onion, garlic and red pepper until cooked. Add the cheese grillers and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring continuously.
Add cooked morogo or spinach and continue cooking.
Whisk flour in milk until blended and smooth. Add to the morogo mixture.
Add the stock cube and sprinkle with grana padano.
Dust a counter top with flour and roll out the pastry. Cut out circles using a saucer and a pizza cutter.
Place the cheese grillers and morogo mixture in the centre of the pastry, brush the edges with milk and seal off. w Press the edges with a fork to seal.
Brush pies with egg and place on a sprayed baking tray.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow time to cool.