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Spicy Peas Turnovers

A leftover pie-crust inspired us to create these turnovers and they turned out delicious. The filling for the turnovers is peas spiced with cumin and fennel. It’s easy to make and the spices pair well with the buttery pie-crust. Stephanie Maggio graciously gave her permission to share her pie-crust recipe, which has been our go-to recipe for our pies. If you are not in the mood to make pie-crust from scratch, store-bought puffed pastry also works well.
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Course Snack
Servings 10 turnovers

Ingredients
  

Pie Crust

  • 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ tsp sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 4 oz butter, salted
  • ½ egg
  • 1 tsp vinegar
  • 1 ⅓ oz ice water

Turnover Filling

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • ½ in ginger fresh, peeled
  • 2 serrano chilies
  • 1 ½ cups frozen peas thawed
  • 1 tsp garam masala (Indian spice blend)
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • ½ cup cilantro chopped
  • 1 pie crust
  • 1 egg lightly beaten w/ 1 tbsp water
  • salt to taste

Instructions
 

Pie Crust

  • Measure water and add ice. Set aside.
  • Measure the rest of the ingredients.
  • Lightly beat egg. Divide in half.
  • Combine flour, sugar, and salt.
  • Mix in butter by hand or with a pastry blender.
  • Measure out the water, add the vinegar and beaten egg.
  • Add the wet ingredients to the flour and butter mixture.
  • Mix by hand until combined, making sure not to mix too much.
  • Lightly flour the counter.
  • Roll out the crust, making sure to only add enough flour to avoid sticking.
  • Bake at 350 F or cover and store in the refrigerator for later use.

Turnover Filling & Assembly

  • Pulse cumin seeds, fennel seeds, ginger, and serrano peppers (if using) in a food processor until the spices are coarsely ground.
  • Heat oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add ground spices and fry for 20-30 seconds. Adjust the heat to prevent spices from burning.
  • Add thawed peas along with the garam masala to the skillet. Mix well with other spices. Cook peas with the spices for about five minutes. Mash a few peas while cooking so that the filling is easier to handle while stuffing the turnovers.
  • Add salt to taste and the lemon juice and mix well.
  • Turn the heat off. Let the mixture cool for a few minutes and then add chopped cilantro and mix well.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  • Remove the pie crust from the refrigerator and divide the dough equally into lime size balls.
  • Roll each ball to about 4” diameter circles. Use a little flour to make the rolling easier.
  • Fill each pastry round with one tablespoon of the peas mixture. Fold it over and pinch the edges with a fork or finger.
  • Place all turnovers on a parchment-lined baking tray.
  • Lightly brush all turnovers with the egg wash.
  • Bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Remove from the oven and cool them down on a wire rack for a few minutes before serving.
  • You can make the turnovers ahead of time and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat them, place turnovers on a parchment-lined baking tray and heat in the oven at 350 F for five minutes.