Trinidad Aloo Pies (recipe)

Is there a Trini who hasn’t chomped on an aloo pie? It seems that I’ve been eating them as long as I can remember. They were a staple in both my primary and secondary schools’ cafeterias (or as we call them ‘tuck shops’).
They are also easily found in the bakeries and eateries in and around Port-of-Spain should I want a cheap and filling lunch or breakfast.

So what are aloo pies? Well they are simply flat elongated puffy fried pieces of dough, filled with a spicy (and often peppery) mashed potato filling.

Potato. Pepper. Bread. What’s not to love? Forget your blood pressure and cholesterol for a minute and just bite in 🙂 You’ll be glad you did 🙂

BTW, these also freeze and reheat amazingly well 🙂

Trinidad Aloo Pies
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Recipe By: TriniGourmet
Serving Size: 9

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups water
4 medium potatoes
1 tsp ground geera (cumin)
1 tsp hot pepper sauce
1 1/2 tsp salt
black pepper, to taste
oil for frying

Directions:

1. Mix flour, baking powder, salt and water and knead lightly
2. Set aside to relax, covered with a bowl or wet cloth

3. Peel and boil potatoes in salt water until tender
4. Mash potatoes well
5. Season filling with salt, black pepper, hot pepper and ground geera

6. Divide dough into 9 loyah (balls)

7. Flatten balls into 4″ circles and fill with potato

8. Wet one edge with water, fold over and seal, enclosing all potato

9. Flatten pie between hands as much as possible without breaking the seal (they’ll repuff when fried don’t worry!)

10. Fry in deep oil until golden brown

11. Drain on paper towels

Notes: