vegetable pastilla (Moroccan sweet and savoury pie with squash, chickpeas, and almonds)
recipe under the cut!
I’ve substituted the typical pigeon or chicken with zucchini, yellow squash, and chickpeas in this vegan recipe. for the shell you’ll need to make warqa dough (which isn’t really commercially available outside of Morocco), or you can substitute store-bought phyllo dough, which isn’t quite as thin and crispy but will do the trick.
INGREDIENTS:
for the warqa dough:
1 3/4 cup high-gluten bread flour
1/4 cup semolina flour / durum flour (or substitute all-purpose flour)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 3/4 cup water
savoury filling:
1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
3 tbsp olive oil
1 stick of cinnmaon, or 1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/4 tsp black peppercorns, or 1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp coriander seeds, or 3/4 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cumin seeds, or 3/4 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp ground paprika
1 pinch saffron threads
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp ras el hanout spice mix
2 tsp salt
1 large yellow onion, diced
4-5 cloves of garlic, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 inch of fresh ginger (or 2 tsp ground ginger)
1/2 cup dried chickpeas soaked overnight, or 1 can chickpeas
3 vegan eggs from Follow Your Heart (optional)
1 small bouquet of parsley, diced
1 small bouquet of cilantro, diced
almond filling:
1 1/2 cup almonds
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp orange blossom water
to form the pastilla:
1/4 cup vegan margarine, melted
topping:
additional almonds (optional)
about 2 tbsp powdered sugar
about 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
INSTRUCTIONS:
for the warqa:
1. add flours and salt to a food processor and pulse a few times to sift.
2. add the wet ingredients and process on low for 1-2 minutes, until you get a smooth batter.
3. refrigerate the batter for at least two hours, or overnight.
4. bring a few inches of water to a fast boil in a large pot, and place a large, nonstick pan over the pot, tying it with kitchen string if necessary--this will help to evenly distribute heat and prevent the warqa from drying out. allow the pan to heat for a few minutes.
5. using a pastry brush, brush a thin layer of batter onto the pan in large, circular strokes, filling the entire pan. carefully apply a second layer to any bare spots (but don’t worry about small holes or feathery edges).
6. cook until the warqa becomes opaque and the edges start to curl, about 2 minutes. loosen the edges of the dough with a spatula and peel the dough off of the pan using your hands.
7. flip the dough over onto a plate covered with a paper towel, and lay another paper towel on top of it. repeat, stacking the sheets of dough on top of each other, until you’ve used all of the batter.
for the savoury filling:
1. toast cinnamon stick, black peppercorns, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and saffron threads in a dry skillet over medium heat for a few minutes until fragrant. (if using ground spices, just toast the saffron threads.)
2. grind spices in a spice mill (I use a coffee grinder). if you’re using ground spices, you can just crush the toasted saffron threads with your fingers or in a mortal and pestle.
3. mix ground spices, ras el hanout, and 2 tsp salt with 3 tbsp olive oil--if you’re using ground ginger, add it now. chop the zucchini and yellow squash into small cubes and coat them with the spiced oil.
4. spread the squash evenly in a single layer over a baking sheet and roast at 450F for 20 minutes.
5. heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pan on medium heat for a few minutes until sizzling. add diced onion and garlic and grated ginger and cook for a few minutes until fragrant, stirring occasionally.
6. (optional): whisk 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp Follow Your Heart vegan egg mix with 1 1/2 cups of cold water until smooth.
7. add egg mixture, roasted squash, chickpeas, parsley, and cilantro to the pan with the onion and garlic. heat, stirring occasionally, until the eggs are fully cooked and appear scrambled (or until the filling is warmed through, if you’re omitting the eggs). you can also scramble the eggs separately.
for the almond filling:
1. blanch the almonds by boiling them in water for about a minute, emptying them into a colander and rinsing with cool water, and gently pinching the skins to remove them.
2. fill a large pan with 1-2 cm of vegetable oil and heat until sizzling. fry the almonds for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until golden brown. set aside some almonds for a topping, if desired.
3. pulse almonds, sugar, cinnamon, and orange blossom water a few times in a food processor until you get coarse crumbs.
forming the pastilla:
1. place one sheet of warqa in the bottom of a pie pan and brush with melted margarine. place 4-5 more sheets around the pan so that they cover all of the sides and hang over the edge, brushing each one with more melted margarine. add 2 more sheets of warqa in the middle, brushing each with margarine.
2. place the savoury filling in the pie, making sure that it’s even and spread all the way to the edges.
3. (optional): add another sheet or two of warqa on top of the savoury filling and brush with margarine.
4. spread the almond filling over the warqa, making sure that it’s even and spread all the way to the edges.
5. add another 2-3 sheets of warqa, brushing each with margarine, and fold the excess inwards.
6. fold the excess warqa around the sides of the pan inwards, brushing each sheet with more melted margarine.
7. cover the pastilla with 1-2 more sheets of warqa, tucking the excess into the sides of the pie pan. brush the entire thing with more margarine to seal.
8. bake on the center rack of an oven at 400F for about 40 minutes, until warqa is golden brown and crisp. allow to cool slightly before removing from pan.
to decorate:
1. sift powdered sugar evenly onto the surface of the pastilla.
2. add ground cinnamon, spread evenly or in a pattern as desired (I formed diamonds by criss-crossing lines of cinnamon carefully with a small spoon).
3. add the almonds you kept back from the almond filling as desired. you can also use sliced or slivered almonds. try doing an image search for “Moroccan pastilla” or “pastilla marocaine” for decoration ideas.
cut carefully and serve! pastilla is often eaten with harissa, a North African hot sauce made with red peppers.
