Cuisines all over the world have their own claim to fame when it comes to the national patty–a pastry shell stuffed with meat or vegetables–think samosas or spanakopita. While each is distinct and has its own specific traits and characteristics, what they all have in common is that they’re compact, affordable, and often eaten on-the-go.
The Jamaican patty reflects the history of the Jamaican people in that it's said to have come from the Cornish pasty, brought to the Caribbean by British colonialists. Before too long, it was enhanced by African and Indian people living in the Caribbean with spices like cayenne and curry. One notable Jamaican flair is the use of the Scotch bonnet chili pepper, a favorite ingredient in many Jamaican recipes. A country's history is often revealed through its food when we look into when and how different ingredients were introduced.
Today's Jamaican beef patty doesn't seem to have changed much. It's made with a blend of warming spices and baked inside of a flaky, golden yellow shell. Deep, orange turmeric is the spice used to create the warm, sunshine color of the finished pastry. To create a vegan version that would be as close to authentic as I could imagine, I turned to store-bought vegan ground beef (try to tell the difference!) but you could easily use the same amount of cooked lentils or ground tempeh.
And don’t let the pastry intimidate you: it comes together in minutes and you can use a wine or drinking glass to cut out the pastry circles if you don't have a round cookie cutter. With only a few simple ingredients, you can easily master this recipe and be eating these tender, vibrantly flavored patties tonight!
To make the pastry: Combine flour, turmeric, and salt in a large bowl and mix well. Add the butter to the flour mixture and mix ingredients with two knives until it resembles sand or pulse ingredients in a food processor. Combine the vinegar and water. Add the vinegar mixture to the pastry mixture one tablespoon at a time while mixing and being careful not to overwork the dough. The consistency is right when the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. Form the dough into a ball, flatten, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.
To make the filling: In a medium-sized pan, over medium-low heat, heat the oil. Add the onion, Scotch Bonnet pepper, garlic, and salt. Cook while stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes, being careful not to scorch the garlic. Add the garlic powder, thyme, curry powder, allspice, and pepper. Cook for a minute or two until the spices are fragrant. Turn up the heat to medium and add the vegan ground meat. Break it up as you sauté for 8 to 10 minutes until it's fully cooked. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired.
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Remove dough from the refrigerator. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Lightly dust the work surface with flour and roll out the dough until it's about 1/8-inch thick. Cut dough into 4 to 5-inch circles using a cookie-cutter or thin-rimmed glass. Reroll scraps and cut again. Spoon filling onto one side of each circle, leaving about 1/8 inch border to seal. Wet fingers with water and run around the edge of the dough before folding and sealing each one with your fingers or a fork. Transfer patties to the parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes or until pastry is lightly browned on the bottom. Serve immediately.
To make the pastry: Combine flour, turmeric, and salt in a large bowl and mix well. Add the butter to the flour mixture and mix ingredients with two knives until it resembles sand or pulse ingredients in a food processor. Combine the vinegar and water. Add the vinegar mixture to the pastry mixture one tablespoon at a time while mixing and being careful not to overwork the dough. The consistency is right when the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. Form the dough into a ball, flatten, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.
To make the filling: In a medium-sized pan, over medium-low heat, heat the oil. Add the onion, Scotch Bonnet pepper, garlic, and salt. Cook while stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes, being careful not to scorch the garlic. Add the garlic powder, thyme, curry powder, allspice, and pepper. Cook for a minute or two until the spices are fragrant. Turn up the heat to medium and add the vegan ground meat. Break it up as you sauté for 8 to 10 minutes until it's fully cooked. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired.
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Remove dough from the refrigerator. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Lightly dust the work surface with flour and roll out the dough until it's about 1/8-inch thick. Cut dough into 4 to 5-inch circles using a cookie-cutter or thin-rimmed glass. Reroll scraps and cut again. Spoon filling onto one side of each circle, leaving about 1/8 inch border to seal. Wet fingers with water and run around the edge of the dough before folding and sealing each one with your fingers or a fork. Transfer patties to the parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes or until pastry is lightly browned on the bottom. Serve immediately.
