Spicy Soya Mince Rolls/Pasties

Whether it’s for dinner, a snack, or party treats, these vegetarian delights of spicy soya will have you coming back for seconds, thirds and fourths.

Makes: 25-35 roll (depending on size) or 8 large pasties/38 mini-pasties

Level of difficulty: Easy

Prep time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 18-24 mins

The only difference between the pasties and the rolls is that the pasties have red pepper and potato.

BASIC SPICY-SOYA MINCE:

Ingredients:

One onion

Olive oil

200g soya mince

1 tsp hot curry powder

1 tsp chilli powder hot

1 tsp paprika

Small pinch of salt

Large pinch of ground pepper

Recipe:

1. Dice the onion.
2. Drizzle some olive oil into a large pan and place on medium heat. After a couple of minutes, put in the chopped onion and cook for 6-8 mins till the onion has softened.
3. Next, add the soya-mince and a bit more olive oil, cook for 2 minutes.
4. One at a time, mixing well in-between, add the curry powder, chilli powder and paprika. Add more olive oil if needed.
5. Reduce the heat to a low setting, and stir periodically for about 10 mins
6. Take off the heat and drain the excess oil.
7. Finally mix in the salt and pepper.
8. Put aside for now.

ROLLS

Ingredients:

Spicy soya-mince (see above recipe)

Ready-to-roll puff-pastry

1 beaten egg

Little plain flour to dust

Recipe:

1. Dust the worktop with flour to prevent sticking (unless the ready-to-roll pastry comes on parchment). Roll out the pastry. If you want to make the pastry thinner you would be best to stretch it like a pizza with your fingers, for any further rolling will crush the layers of pastry – reducing its puff.
2. Cut a few rectangles in the pastry; I recommend three and half inches (9cms) wide by however long you want. (Remember these will later be folded width wise, and then sliced along their width to make the rolls.)
3. Place the spicy soya-mince 2/3rds up the width of each rectangle and along its entire length, about a teaspoon deep.
4. Using the beaten egg; line the front edge of each rectangle – this is to help stick the pastry together – then taking the back edge of the rectangle fold it over the mince and attach to the front edge of the rectangle. Push along the edges to join together. If you’re struggling to do this you might have to reduce how much mince you’ve put in. Once, covered press around the front edge.
5. You should now have a thinner rectangle with the mince covered. Next, cut horizontally (in line with the width of the pastry) making smaller rectangles. The mince will be exposed at the sides and some may fall out, but don’t worry, as long as the front is covered.
6. Place these smaller rectangles onto grease-proof paper/baking parchment and with the remaining egg coat the pastry.
7. Cook in 200°C fan-oven for 18-24 minutes till golden brown.

PASTIES

Ingredients:

100g potato

40g red pepper

Spicy soya-mince (see first recipe)

1 beaten egg

Little plain flour to dust

Recipe:

1. Boil the potatoes for 10 mins, you don’t want them to be too soft.
2. Chop the pepper but remember you only want 40g of it. The rest is good to freeze.
3. Drain and chop the potato into small cube sizes. Then along with the red pepper mix these into the spicy soya-mince. Put aside for now.
4. Roll out the ready-roll pastry onto a floured surface (this is to help stop it sticking, unless you’re using baking-parchment). Using a round pastry-cutter; cut out the circles and place a portion of mince into the middle. For mini-pasties I recommend a 2.5 inch cutter (6cm) and a teaspoon of the mince. For the large pasties I cut the circle at 6 inches wide (15cm) (a round side plate can help) and place 4-5 teaspoons of mince in the middle.
5. Using the beaten egg lightly coat the edge of the circle. Next fold the pastry into a semi-circle, and push down around the edges.
6. Place these onto a grease-proof paper/baking parchment and with the rest of the egg coat the top of the pasty. Before cooking make two slits in the middle of each pasty to allow the steam to escape.
7. Cook in 200°C fan-oven for 18-24 minutes till golden brown.

These spicy soya mince rolls/pasties are best eaten when warm. So go get stuck in.