Masala Spiced Pumpkin Pie

Instructions

1. Heat a little oil in a saucepan on medium-high heat, add the panch phoran, asafoetida, and mustard seeds, cook for 20-30 seconds until they start to sizzle and pop, careful not to burn the spices.
2. Add the onions and cook for a few minutes until soft and starting to colour slightly.
3. Add the curry leaves and cook for a minute.
4. Add the ginger and garlic and continue to cook for another 1-2 minutes
5. Add the ground fennel, whole fennel seeds, turmeric, garam masala, hot paprika, salt, and sugar, cookout spices for a few minutes
6. Add chopped tomatoes and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes
7. Add the pumpkin, mix well and cover, turn the heat down to low and cook for about 15 minutes
8. Stir the pumpkin occasionally and check that it is softening and cooking well 
9. Once the pumpkin is cooked, remove the lid, mash half of it, so you have a mixed texture
10. Cook until all water has evaporated
11. Stir in fresh coriander, remove from heat, and set aside to cool
12. Pre-heat oven to 200°C
13. Once the pumpkin is cool, place the filling inside an ovenproof ceramic pie dish, set it aside while making the pastry.

Below is a recipe I found online for the pie pastry lattice from CRUSH Magazine by Rudi Liebenberg – I adapted the recipe slightly by adding more flour as I found the mixture to be a little wet.

METHOD FOR THE PASTRY

1. Sieve the flour and salt into a bowl or onto a tabletop
2. Make a large well in the centre and grate in the butter. Rub the butter into the flour and then add the water and stir until absorbed
3. Knead the pastry until smooth and leave in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before using
4. Roll the pastry out to a roughly rectangular shape 2-3 mm thick, ensure that the length is long enough to cross your pie dish from one side to the other
5. Cut into 2.5 cm wide strips, enough to create a lattice pattern
6. If using store-bought pastry, allow the pastry to thaw, unroll gently and cut into 2.5 cm strips on a floured surface
7. Cover the filling with a lattice pattern using the strips of pastry. To easily create a lattice pattern, layout parallel strips of the dough, spaced evenly across the top of your pie dish and filling.
8. Fold back every alternating strip. Then, place a dough strip perpendicular to the parallel strips already laid out. Unfold the folded strips and lay over the perpendicular strip. Then, take the strips running underneath the perpendicular strip and fold them back over the perpendicular strip. You will see that you are starting to create a criss-cross pattern, almost like plaiting the strips.
9. Lay your next perpendicular strip in the same method as you did the first one and repeat. Keep repeating this process until you have a criss-cross lattice pattern. It’s a bit of a brain bender but logical once you’ve got the hang of it.
10. Brush the pastry with the egg wash
11. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the pastry is golden brown
12. Slice up and enjoy!