Tibetan Savory Mashed Potato Hand Pies
Tibet, while known for its yak meat and thick yogurt, is also the land of potatoes and vegetable hand pies. This delicious Tibetan recipe for Savory Mashed Potato Hand Pies was one of my first experiences of ethnic Tibetan cuisine. At once comforting and filling, these mashed potato hand pies are a family-friendly dish that everyone will enjoy.
Ingredients
For the mashed potato filling:
- 1 1/2 cups mashed potatoes (Please note that the exact amounts for the spices will vary if you are using already-seasoned mashed potatoes, so taste-test before adding full amounts.)
- 1/4 cup heavy cream, sour cream, or plain yogurt
- 1 tsp butter, melted
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp chicken bouillon (or use potatoes cooked in chicken broth instead of regular mashed potatoes)
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- a dash of red pepper flakes (optional)
- salt, to taste
- 2 Tbsp minced green onion
For the hand pie bread dough:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp active dry yeast
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar or honey
- 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp plain yogurt
- 1/2 cup warm water
- olive oil, for frying
Instructions
For the mashed potato hand pie filling:
- Mix the mashed potatoes, melted butter, cream (or yogurt), garlic powder, chicken bouillon, onion powder, ground black pepper, and minced green onion until combined. Add salt to taste. Set aside.
For the hand pie bread dough:
- Mix together the warm water, yeast, sugar (or honey), and salt. Allow to sit until bubbly (about 5 minutes).
- Stir in the yogurt and oil.
- Add the flour and mix well.
- Knead for one minute.
- Let rest for 20 minutes.
For assembly and cooking of the mashed potato hand pies:
- Roll (or pat) out each dough circle until about 1/2" thick.
- Spoon about 1/4 cup of the mashed potato filling into the center of each dough circle.
- Fold in the sides of the dough to meet in the center of the circle. Press to seal, making sure there are no openings or tears.
- Warm up about 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. When hot, reduce the heat to a simmer. Fry the mashed potato hand pies for about 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and the bread dough is cooked through. (If you find that the outside is cooking too fast for the inside of the bread to get done, then reduce the heat even more.)
- Serve hot.