Directions for making the Nigerian Meat pie filling
Add the oil to a pan and saute the onions for about 1 minute. Add the ground beef and cook until it's well browned.
Add the curry powder, thyme, bouillon powder (cube), and salt and mix together. Then stir in the carrots and potatoes. Cook till tender.
In a separate bowl, mix the flour and water until smooth and stir the mixture with the filling (this will thicken the filling).
Remove from heat and allow to cool
Directions for making the Meat Pie pastry
Combine the flour, baking powder, and nutmeg in a bowl. Mix well
Add the Margarine and butter (or margarine alone if you choose to) and rub it with the flour until you get a crumbly texture - like Breadcrumbs then begin to add Cold Water, a little at a time until it forms a stiff dough
Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead for 1 minute then place the dough back in the bowl, cover it with a plastic wrap, and place it in the fridge to rest for about 30 minutes ( skip refrigerating if you want a less flaky pie).
Let's put them together
Roll out the dough to about 1/4 of an inch thick then cut out your desired size circles and distribute the filling inside each cut-out pie dough (don't overfill so you can be able to easily close the Pie).
Crack an egg in a small bowl, add 1 tablespoon of water and whisk together then use a pastry brush to brush the edges of the Pie
Fold the pie over to seal (and crimp the edge if not using a pie cutter) and use a fork to create a couple of vents on the Pie (this will help prevent air pockets in your pie)
Brush the surface of the Pie with the Egg wash and arrange the pies on a parchment paper-lined tray.
Bake at 350°F for 20 to 30 minutes or till golden brown.
There you have it! Your fresh Nigerian meat pie is all done!!. Serve with a cup of hot Tea for morning breakfast or a chill drink for afternoon or evening snack. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Some people like their meat pie spicy, so feel free to add any hot pepper of your choice to your filling.
If you prefer a pastry pie that is fried as most people ask me, I'll suggest you go for the Nigerian Fish Roll
I used a combination of Margarine and Butter for this recipe in order to achieve a richer and a little more flakier Meat pie but you can use only Margarine if you choose to, it works very well.
It's not advisable to use only Butter for the Nigerian Meat pie, it will be way too flaky.
Watch out for your oven temperature. The time on this recipe is what works in my own oven, however, keep an eye on your pies to avoid underbaking or overbaking the pies.