Tandoori-Spiced Celeriac Butternut Squash Pie

This is a lovely, comforting recipe for those moments when only a pie will do. Keep everything nice and chunky below the crisp top, or you risk ending up with vegetable mush. This will also work beautifully with carrots, parsnips or a swede – any dense root vegetable or a different squash would be equally delicious. I make this for my mum on Mother's Day as it's one of her favourite veggie dishes, but it would work just as well as a veggie option for Sunday lunch. 

Serves 6 

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Ingredients 

1 celeriac 

1 small butternut squash

2 leeks, washed and trimmed

Large pinch of salt

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp Tandoori Masala

60g (4 tbsp) butter

60g (2¼oz) plain (all-purpose) flour

600ml (generous 2½ cups) vegetable stock 

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Topping

150g (½ cup plus 2½ tbsp) butter

1 x 250g (9oz) packet filo pastry sheets

2 tbsp black onion seeds

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Method 

To prepare the filling, peel the celeriac and squash. Cut into chunks: it’s hard, with round vegetables, but aim for cubes about 2cm (¾in) along each edge. Slice the leeks into 1cm (½in) rounds.

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C/425°F/gas mark 7. Spread everything over a baking tin (pan), in a single layer if you can manage it. Dress with the salt, olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the tandoori blend. Toss so that all the veg is covered and roast in the oven for 20 minutes. The veg will be going into the oven again later, so don’t overcook it in the early stages, or you’re going to end up with a mush.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the flour. Stir through and cook for at least 2 minutes over a gentle heat. Add the remaining tablespoon of spice blend, then whisk in a splash of the stock. Keep adding the stock bit by bit, until you have a smooth sauce. Reduce until thick enough to coat the back of your spoon, then stir through the roasted vegetables.

Tip into a roasting dish. Set the filling aside to cool while you prepare the topping.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Use a pastry brush to paint butter all over a sheet of filo, keeping the rest covered with a damp dish towel (filo dries out really fast). Scrunch the sheet up by pulling it in with your fingertips to create ridges, peaks and valleys in it. Place in a corner of the dish over the pie filling.

Repeat with more sheets of filo, until the entire surface is covered. Top with the black onion seeds.

Bake at 200°C fan/220°C/425°F/gas mark 7 for 30 minutes, until crisp and golden brown on top. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.