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Spicy Crostata / Piccante Crostata/ Savory Pie for Daring Baker’s Challenge

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Hope everybody had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and as usual the countdown for the holidays starts with full swing. Enjoy the holidays and have fun.

This month daring baker’s challenge was to make crostata (tart), an Italian dessert. The base of a crostata is pasta frolla a sweet short crust pastry (or sweet tart dough) made of flour, sugar, butter and eggs. Pasta frolla is versatile: it provides the base to make crostata with fruit preserves, pastry cream, fresh fruit, ricotta, and other ingredients, and, by itself as very nice cookies.
However the last two months there has been an overload of sweets in my kitchen. I am making them in the name of festivals, which I love. So when I discussed with my food critic about crostata as this month challenge, he told me why you don’t make a savory version if possible or otherwise skip this challenge. I had skipped a last few challenges, due to it being homemade ice creams, sweet cookies and donuts. I was not visible in the map of daring bakers. So this time I decide to give a savory twist to sweet pastry. Poor sweet pastry has to go through all the trouble and turbulence to become a savory one. If it can talk and cry it will be crying.
Simona from Briciole the hostess of this month has given two version of making pasta frolla (tart base). I used the second version of pasta frolla as it contains 4 variety of flour and skipped the egg and sugar part but added cumin, black pepper and gram masala. I made a filling similar to mixed veggie filling I use to make cutlets and veggie puffs. I made a small 5 inch tart by using half the amounts given in the recipe. This bizarre twist turned out to be sweet one. Now only I realize why I am watching bizarre foods by Andrew Zimmern and also Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations in Travel channel. I got a new recipe for an evening snack. It goes well with coffee and tea. Here goes the recipe.

One year ago : Kande Pohe
Print recipe from here

What you need

Unbleached all-purpose flour: ¼ cup
Whole wheat flour: ¼ cup
Almond meal: ⅛ cup
Barely flour: ⅛ cup
Salt: ¼ teaspoon or taste
Black pepper: ½ teaspoon
Cumin powder: ¼ teaspoon
Garam masala: ¼ teaspoon
Canola oil: 1 tablespoon
Water: ⅛ cup

For filling

 Onion: ¾ cup ( chopped)
Carrot:½ cup ( chopped)
Peas:½ cup
Beans: ½ cup
Mushroom: ¾ cup (chopped into bite size pieces)
Green chili: 1 tablespoon (chopped finely)
Ginger garlic paste: 1 tablespoon
Potato: 1 no
Turmeric: ¼ teaspoon
Cumin powder: ½ teaspoon
Chili powder: ¼ teaspoon
Coriander powder: ¼ teaspoon
Garam masala: ¼ teaspoon
Fennel seeds: ¼ teaspoon
Coriander leaves: 1 tablespoon (chopped finely)
Pepper jack cheese: 1 tablespoon
Salt: 1 teaspoon or to taste
Water: 3 cup + ⅛ cup
Canola oil: 1 tablespoon
Lemon juice: 1 teaspoon


How I made

Whisk together flours, black pepper, garam masala and salt in a bowl.
Add oil and water to mixture at first it has the consistency of coarse crumbs. Then knead lightly just until the dough comes together as a ball.
Shape the dough into a flat disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Place the dough in the refrigerator and chill for at least two hours. You can refrigerate the dough overnight.
Filling
Boil potato in a sauce pot with 3 cups of water for about 20 minutes until it get cooked well and set aside.
In a sauce pot add oil and fennel seeds and chopped onion once it become translucent for about 6 minutes add turmeric, ginger garlic paste and fry for another 1 minutes .
To the above mixture add gram masala, chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and fry for 1 minutes and then rest of the vegetables, and fry for another 6 minutes or until everything gets cooked well. To this add ⅛ cup water and mix everything and cook for another 2 minutes and add lemon juice and coriander leaves and switch off the flame.

Assembling and baking the crostata:
Heat the oven to 375ºF.
Take the pasta frolla out of the fridge, unwrap it and cut away ¼ of the dough. Reserve this dough to make the lattice top of the crostata. Refrigerate this dough while you work on the tart base.
To help roll the crostata dough, keep the dough on top of the plastic wrap that you had it wrapped in. This can help rolling the dough and can also help when transferring the dough to your pan. You can also use parchment paper for this. However, you can also roll the dough directly on a work surface if you prefer.
Lightly dust the top of the dough and your work surface (if you’re rolling directly on a work surface) with flour. Keep some flour handy to dust the dough as you go along.
If the dough is very firm, start by pressing the dough with the rolling pin from the middle to each end, moving the rolling pin by a pin's width each time; turn the dough 180 degrees and repeat; when it softens, start rolling.
Roll the dough into a circle about ⅛th inch (3 mm) thick.
If you used the plastic wrap or parchment paper as rolling surface, flip dough over the pan, centering it, and delicately press it all around so the corners are well covered. Peel away the plastic wrap.
Trim the excess dough hanging over the edges of the pan. Press the remaining dough around the border into the sides of the pan making sure the border is an even thickness all the way around.
Prick the bottom of the dough with a fork in several places.
Spread the vegetable filling evenly over the bottom of the crostata.
Put the tart in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, check the tart and continue baking until the tart is of a nice golden hue.
When done, remove the tart from the oven and let cool. If you have used a tart pan with a removable bottom, then release the tart base from the fluted tart ring. Make sure the tart is completely cool before slicing and serving.

Preparation time: 2 hours 15 minutes for crust + 30 minutes for filling+ 20 minutes for baking.
Yield: 5 inch pie
Verdict : Yummy
Will you make it again: yes I will

Swathi

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  1. Soumya says

    wow....so perfect and delicious...

    Reply

  2. kothiyavunu.com says

    Looks fab!! very tempting pics!

    Reply

  3. Dimah says

    It looks and sounds wonderful!

    Reply

  4. Priya (Yallapantula) Mitharwal says

    That looks very very well done and tempting.

    Reply

  5. sinfullyspicy says

    I love the healthy crust that u have made.Excellent job with lots of veggies!

    Reply

  6. Faith says

    I absolutely love your idea of a savory crostada! Looks really delicious! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, Swathi!

    Reply

  7. Pushpa says

    Looks delicious Swathi,thanks for sharing.

    Reply

  8. Khaugiri says

    Wow good thing for savory lover!!!

    Reply

  9. Sushma Mallya says

    looks very tempting..

    Reply

  10. Hamaree Rasoi says

    Savory pies look wonderfully made. Looks delicious and fulfiling.

    Deepa
    Hamaree Rasoi

    Reply

  11. Ameya says

    spicy crostata is very different and looks delicious!!

    Reply

  12. Priya says

    Savoury crostata looks droolworthy and very tempting..

    Reply

  13. Torviewtoronto says

    delicious filling dish

    Reply

  14. G.Pavani says

    looks yummy n spicy..

    Reply

  15. Kairali sisters says

    wow..nice pictures and a nice twist..

    Reply

  16. shelley c. says

    What a great take on the challenge, and awesome that you were able to adapt the challenge in order to suit your kitchen needs and preferences. I love all of your photos, from how all of the ingredients are laid out to the great step-by-step guide. Your finished savory crostata looks delicious. Great job.

    Reply

  17. Deeba PAB says

    Well done on the challenge...love your take on the crostata!

    Reply

  18. Joanne says

    This savory pie looks great! So creative...you did such a great job with this challenge!

    Reply

  19. Peggy says

    Great job with this savory crostada!

    Reply

  20. alice says

    Yummy!! A great take on a classic. Deep filled too, even better!

    Reply

  21. Jay says

    I will be trying this one..looks irresistable..:)
    Tasty Appetite

    Reply

  22. Gayathri's Cook Spot says

    Nice crostata. I tried the jam spread version.

    Reply

  23. Audax says

    I just the colour of the crust and the filling sounds so delicious I really like the idea of a savoury verson of this challenge, great step-by-step photos also. Cheers from Audax in Sydney Australia.

    Reply

  24. Shanavi says

    savory pies loaded with veggie's ....mmm..yum yum

    Reply

  25. Indie.Tea says

    Looks great. The Indian spices are a nice addition.

    Reply

  26. Kurinji says

    so inviting dear...

    Reply

  28. Padhu says

    Looks so tempting Swathi .Nice work

    Reply

  29. Reeni says

    Great job on turning it into a savory treat! I like how it almost looks like a bowl - with all the goodies inside!

    Reply

  30. Renata says

    You are so organized! Your step by step is so clear! Your pie looks so good and healthy and delicious!

    Reply

  31. aipi says

    I love savory pies..this looks delicious, awesome job here!

    US Masala

    Reply

  32. savitha ramesh says

    awsome work dear,ur dish looks very tempting and delicious

    Reply

  33. Jaisy James says

    hey adiplo ayitundu ketto

    Reply

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