Rustic Vegetable Pie with Cilantro or Mint Chutney

Rustic Vegetabe Pie out of the oven

Slice of Vegetable Pie with Chutney on the side

This recipe is inspired from one of my trusted, authentic and ambitious teacher.. She learned it from her friend and I’m passing it along to you. Of course, I made some slight modifications - that’s me! The Passover style of this dish was my experiment and it worked - kosher for Passover! Recipe below. I’m quite the foodie with high standards - when you know food and you know how food can heal or harm than you’ll understand where I’m coming from. TRUSTing someone in the kitchen, knowing their heart is in their cooking, their ingredients are quality and they bless their food and the people that enjoy what they create and serve - this is who I trust in the kitchen. This is Divya Alter. Her passion for healing foods resonates with me. She’s also the owner and master chef of Divya’s Kitchen in NYC. I highly recommend. It’s an experience!

1 cup mung dal or lentils - soak for an hour or overnight, wash and drain
1 cup water
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 tbsp lime juice
1 1/2 tsp masala
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 cup grated zucchini
1/2 cup grated red cabbage
1 cup spinach cut into strips like thin ribbons
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 tbsp chopped mint
ghee - clarified butter or cooking oil

Mise En Place - everything in its place

-preheat oven to 350 degrees
-prepare a 9 inch pie dish - I love using a glass pyrex dish. Grease the bottom with ghee (dairy butter) or coconut or any cooking oil
-place the beans/legumes in food processor with the water and blend for 2 minutes
-add the ginger, lime juice, masala, salt, turmeric and pulse to mix together in blender. Transfer the batter to a large bowl
-fold in the carrots, zucchini, cilantro, mint
-place in a pie dish and bake for 10 minutes than open oven and brush ghee (dairy butter) or oil on top of pie surface and bake at 400 degrees for another 10 minutes, check on pie, bake until the top is crusty and firm
-remove from oven and let pie cool down for 15 minutes
-cut into traingular pie shapes

Enjoy! This dish is a five star vegan and vegetarian delight, high protein, zero gluten, light on the tummy, satisfying AND a mouthful of colorful, and very nutritious veggies. Serve with a tasty chutney. Recipe below:

Genia’s Spoon Me tips: You can replace the legumes (dal, mung beans, lentils) with quinoa to make this dish kosher for Passover for Ashkenazi Jews that traditionally do not eat legumes, lentils and beans on Passover. Know your tradition. Some Sephardic Jews do eat legumes and beans on Passover.

If you are making this dish on Passover here’s the scoop: You do not have to blend the quinoa in the food processor. You do have to cook the quinoa in advance: 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water and cook covered on simmer for 20 minutes than uncover pot and fluff with fork. Follow directions in recipe and add 1 egg to recipe as you add the spices to the quinoa than fold in the vegetables (I add 1/2 cup more shredded carrots to thicken batter) and follow through with the rest of the directions and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees than 15 more minutes at 400 degrees than another 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Pie will look crispy and feel firm on top. Let cool before cutting and serving

Passover version of this recipe using ‘quinoa’ instead of legumes

Genia’s Spoon Me Tip: Another option for a passover dish is to take all these ingredients and sauté - mix together in a large pan and serve with chutney on top.

Chutney

Mise En Place - everything in its place

Blended for a great side taste to any dish especially this rustic pie. Different than a sauce that’s pureed.

2 1/2 cups chopped cilantro
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp ginger root
1 tsp honey, maple syrup - optional although does add a sweet taste
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil

-in a small food processor combine all the ingredients except the olive oil until creamy
-add olive oil and pulse to mix together
-store in fridge or serve on the side or on top of the pie slice with a slice of your rustic vegetable pie right after you make this fresh chutney. The two taste great together

Genia’s Spoon Me tip: You can use chopped mint leaves instead of cilantro - my husband does not like the taste of cilantro so mint is my go to if I know in advance that he’ll be brave to go rustic for a meal.

Much rustic, raw and real love,
Genia