Spicy Kumara Strudel

If you were to sit a plate of roasted vegetables in front of me, I'd skip all the other veges and go straight for the kumara. So i thought I'd create a dish that incorporates them in a different way, but still embraces the yummy chunky goodness of a roasted kumara. I guess it also reflects my Swiss-German and Indian connections. I love how the pastry on the inside of the strudel takes on a soft pasta-like texture, not at all chewy like you might expect. I used an orange kumara because I love the vivid colour, but any kumara, or even solely using potato would also work nicely.

Ingredients:

Pastry:

50g butter, cubed
200g high-grade flour
pinch of salt
100ml cold water

Filling:

2 Tbsp oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp chilli powder
2 sprigs curry leaves
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed/finely chopped
1 Tbsp crushed/grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp turmeric
400g (approx one large) orange kumara, peeled and cubed
100g (approx one small) potato, peeled and cubed
100ml hot vegetable or chicken stock
salt to taste

Method:

• Bring the oil to a medium heat and fry the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, chilli powder and curry leaves until aromatic (just a minute or so).

• Add the onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric, kumara and potato. Sauté for a couple minutes more then add the hot stock and cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

• Remove lid and simmer until all the liquid has been absorbed. Salt to taste and set aside to cool.

• To make the pastry:
  
  
  • mix the butter, flour and salt in a bowl, using your fingers to rub in the butter. Add the water and work it into a soft dough. Wrap in food-wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

• Preheat the oven to 180 Celcius

• On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough as thinly as you can.

• Spread the cold filling over the dough then start folding the pastry over the mixture to form a large roll. Stop halfway to fold in the edges as if you were making a giant spring roll.

• Place the roll on an oven tray lined with baking paper and bake for approx 50 minutes.

Serves  at least 4