Spiced lentil & sweet potato mini pot pies

In the mood for pastry? We’ve got the perfect spiced lentil & sweet potato mini pot pie recipe for you!

These individual pot pies combine hearty lentils and tender sweet potatoes, seasoned with a medley of warm spices to create a rich and flavourful filling. Encased in a flaky, golden pastry, each mini pie offers a perfect blend of textures and tastes, making them an irresistible treat for any occasion.

Enjoy them fresh from the oven, and let the aromatic spices fill your kitchen with warmth and comfort!

Serves: 8 | Hands-on time: 40 mins | Total time: 1 hour 50 mins

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp. harissa
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 2¼ cups green lentils
• 2 orange sweet potatoes, chopped
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• ½ cup water
• 1 tin whole peeled tomatoes
• 60 grams baby spinach leaves
• ½ cup parsley leaves
• ½ cup coriander leaves
• 1½ tsp. lemon zest
• 4 sheets puff pastry
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Herb & Lemon Yoghurt

• 1 cup greek-style yoghurt
• ¼ cup chopped parsley
• ¼ cup chopped coriander
• 1 Tbsp. chopped preserved lemon
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice

METHOD

1. HEAT oil in a pan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and celery and cook for 5 minutes or until onion softens. Add harissa, cumin, and ground coriander and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add lentils, sweet potato, stock, and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 20-30 minutes or until lentils and sweet potato are tender.
2. ADD tomatoes and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Stir in spinach, parsley, fresh coriander, and lemon zest. Season, remove from the heat, and allow to cool.
3. PREHEAT oven to 200°C. Grease eight 1-cup pie tins.
4. CUT each pastry sheet into four squares. Cut each square in half diagonally to form 32 triangles. Refrigerate until required.
5. FILL pie tins with cooled lentil filling and top each tin with four overlapping pastry triangles, pressing edges to seal. Brush tops with beaten egg.
6. BAKE pies for 30 minutes or until pastry is golden and filling is hot.
7. Herb &  lemon yoghurt Mix together all the ingredients. Serve with the pies.

Serving tip: Harissa is a hot chilli paste and the strengths vary enormously between brands. If you have a low tolerance to spicy food, start off by adding half the amount and adjust to taste.

ALSO SEE: Little cottage pies with cheesy mash