The pastel is a beef and eggplant pie which Noam affectionately calls “pastelico”. The Baruch family prepares this dish on weekdays as well as for Shabbat and festive holiday dinners, such as Rosh Hashanah. Back in the day they would knead the dough themselves but these days they use store-bought puff pastry which shortens the preparation time.
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Ingredients for Pastel – beef & eggplant pie
למילוי
- 1 large eggplant weighing about 500 grams/1lb
- 500 grams/1lb ground beef
- 100ml/ 3.4 fl oz lukewarm water
- 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 800 grams/ 1.75lb store-bought puff pastry
For the topping:
- 1 egg beaten
- 30 grams/ 1 ounce Sesame seeds
- 30 גרם שומשום
Instructions
Roast the eggplant
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1.
Preheat the oven to 200C/ 400F.
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2. Prick the eggplant several times using a fork and transfer to the oven for 30-40 minutes.
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3. Peel the eggplant, place the flesh on a cutting board and finely chop.
Prepare the filling
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4.
Combine the beef and water in a bowl. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the meat, mix well and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 20 minutes, while continuously stirring.
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5. Stir in the chopped eggplant and cook until all the water evaporates completely. About 15 minutes.
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6. Preheat oven to 180C/ 375F and line a 30x40cm (15.75 x 10.5-inch) deep baking dish with parchment paper.
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7.
Place a sheet of the puff pastry in the baking dish and pour the filling over it in an even layer. Cover with another sheet of pastry and use seal the edges with your fingers.
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8. Use a sharp knife, cut the pastry into squares, brush with a beaten egg and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
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9. Transfer to the oven and bake for 30 minutes, until golden.