Purple sweet potato and kale pastries

"These savoury superfood-filled pastries were a complete hit at our stall at the Adelaide Farmers' Market. You can use any colour of sweet potato you like - or even pumpkin - and substitute the kale with spinach or chard." Sarah Rich, Poh & Co.

Credit: Poh & Co.

• makes

  6

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  40 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 1 large purple sweet potato, cut into 2 cm cubes
• olive oil, for drizzling
• 1 brown onion, diced
• 20 g butter or 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 bunch of curly kale curly or cavalo nero, washed and finely chopped
• 4 tbsp sour cream
• 100 g grated tasty cheese
• 1 tsp salt 
• 1 egg, to glaze 

Pastry

• 380 g (2½ cups) plain flour
• 100 g cold unsalted butter, chopped
• 90 g cold copha, chopped
• 130 g grated cheddar cheese
• 1 tsp salt 

Chilling time 30 minutes

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180ºC.

Place the sweet potato on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt. Toss to coat, then bake for 15-20 minutes or until soft and lightly browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, heat butter or olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 6-8 minutes or until beginning to brown. Add the kale and stir for 3-4 minutes or until wilted. Remove from the heat, transfer to a large bowl and stand until cool. Add the sweet potato, sour cream, cheese and salt and stir to combine.

To make the pastry, place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add 125 ml (½ cup) cold water and pulse for a few seconds, then add another 125 ml (½ cup) cold water and pulse again for another few seconds. Tip the mixture into a large bowl and knead just until it comes together. You want the dough to still be flecked with butter and copha and not smooth, as this means you have probably over-worked it. Shape into a disc, cover in plastic wrap, then refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough out into a 4 mm-thick rectangle, about 30 cm wide and 45 cm long. Cut into six 15 cm squares (it doesn’t matter if they’re not exact). Place 2 heaped tablespoons of filling into the centre of each square and bring each corner together to form a parcel, then pinch the edges together. Place on a baking paper-lined baking tray and brush each parcel with the beaten egg.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and a deep golden colour. It’s important to cook the pasties well otherwise the kale will be undercooked and the pastry bases soggy. Remove from the oven and serve hot.

This recipe is from Poh & Co. A

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.