Hogg and Simon say: “Our friends at Frank Water provide safe, sustainable solutions to combat water scarcity in some of the world’s poorest communities, taking simple steps to ensure that precious groundwater stores are replenished. From planting trees to digging lakes, they’re helping create water-secure futures for thousands of people across Nepal and Northern India – the birthplace of the biryani – so we dedicate this pie to them and the great work they do.”

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 portion of vegan mighty white pastry (see recipe below)
Plain flour, for dusting
Plant-based milk, for brushing

For the filling:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing
1 onion, sliced
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
½ teaspoon nigella seeds
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
1–2 red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped (to taste)
150g (5½oz) peeled celeriac, cut into 1.5cm (5/8in) cubes
2 small baby aubergines, sliced
150g (5½oz) cauliflower, cut into florets
1 medium tomato, chopped
40g (1½oz) dried fruit, such as sultanas and raisins
A small handful of coriander, chopped
A small handful of mint, chopped
30g (1oz) cashews, toasted
Salt

For the rice:

150g (5½oz) basmati rice
3 cloves
1 bay leaf
3 cardamom pods, crushed
1 small cinnamon stick
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
A generous pinch of salt
2 tablespoons rosewater

Method

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a pan and fry the onion for 5–8 minutes until it becomes translucent. Add the fennel, nigella and cumin seeds and the chillies and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil, the celeriac, aubergine and a pinch of salt. Cover and cook over a low heat (do not add any water) for 5 minutes or so, then add the cauliflower. After it’s nicely coated in everything and softened, add the tomato. Stir in the dried fruit and set aside to cool.

To make the rice, put the rice, cloves, bay leaf, crushed cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, turmeric and salt in a saucepan with 375ml (13fl oz) water. Bring to the boil, then cover with a lid carefully wrapped in a tea towel (this will absorb extra liquid), reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes until the liquid has all absorbed. The rice can still have a little bite. Remove the bay leaf and spices and set the rice aside to cool. Once cool, stir in the rosewater.

Grease a pie dish with a little oil. Dust a work surface with flour and set aside a third of the pastry for the lid. Roll out the remaining pastry to 3mm (1/8in) thick and use it to line a deep 22cm (8½in) pie dish, trimming the excess. Spoon in one third of the rice, cover with half of the vegetables and sprinkle with half of the fresh coriander and mint. Repeat these layers again and sprinkle over the toasted cashews. Finally, top with the remaining rice. Brush the edges of the pastry base with a little plant-based milk. Roll out the remaining pastry to form a lid. Brush the edges of the pie with a little water, then drape the lid over the top. Crimp the edges to seal and trim away any excess. Make a hole in the top. Place in the fridge for at least 1 hour until you are ready to cook.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6. Brush the pastry with oil and bake for 40 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Cover with a sheet of foil if the pie is starting to look too brown before the cooking time is up. Great served with lime pickle, mango chutney, raita and a green salad. Use whatever vegetables need eating. try courgettes, peas, green beans - whatever’s in season and/or in your freezer. and if you don’t have all the spices mentioned either, feel free to improvise!

Mighty white pastry recipe

Hogg and Simon say: “We first developed this for a range of topless pies we made a few years back. Inspired by ‘that’ sliced bread of the same name, this is all about sneaking in some healthy wholemeal flour along with the white.”

Makes about 650g (1lb 7oz)

Takes 10 minutes

Rest 30 minutes

Ingredients

255g (9oz) strong white bread flour
130g (4½oz) plain wholemeal flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
125g (4½oz) salted or plant-based butter
100ml (3½fl oz) water
25g (1oz) Parmesan or plant-based hard cheese, finely grated
10g (¼oz) poppy seeds

Method

In a large bowl, mix the flours with the salt and bicarbonate of soda, then rub in the fat with your fingertips until there are no lumps. Make a well in the centre of the flour mix and add the cold water.

Mix and knead the dough and, as it starts to come together, add the Parmesan and poppy seeds.

Transfer the pastry to a bowl and cover with a damp tea towel or wrap in reusable wrap and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes before using it. It can be kept in the fridge for a few hours in an airtight container or wrap and freezes well.

Flour tip: This pastry is good for making cold-eating pies, savoury tarts and quiche. If you’d like to experiment with other flours such as rye or spelt, swap out half of the wholemeal flour. You may need to add a little extra water too. Try this with other seeds as well if you’re feeling adventurous.

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