Stuffed breads, like dumplings, exist across many cultures. There are the babkas; the Kurdish Jewish stuffed bread known as kadeh; there are Polish kolaches; and Indian parathas. This year, instead of the usual Haman’s hat (hamantaschen) for Purim, I wanted to try making Queen Esther’s crown. The pastry ring is supposed to look like a queen’s crown and with the inspiration of Indian parathas, this one is stuffed with a samosa-like filling. I hope those of you with Jewish and Indian influences in your home will especially enjoy this recipe!
Queen Esther’s Crown Stuffed Bread
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup water
- 2 carrots
- 1½ cups peas
- 2 cups diced potatoes (8 new potatoes or 2 large)
- ½ cup onion
- 1½ Tbsp. oil
- ½ tsp. salt
(Photo: Leah Klein) - ¼ tsp. mustard seed
- ¼ tsp. turmeric
- ¼ tsp. garam masala
- ⅛ tsp. fresh ginger
- ¼ cup chopped dried apricot
- 1 pre-made uncooked pizza dough
- 1 egg
- Yogurt, optional
Directions:
1. Remove pizza dough from the fridge to let it come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Peel the potatoes and the carrots and dice them into pea-sized cubes.
3. Add ¾ cup water into a small pot with a lid. Heat the water to just before a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Add in the diced carrots, diced potatoes and peas. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and cook until soft, about 15 minutes. Once the vegetables are soft and cooked through but not mushy, take them out of the pan. The water may or may not be completely absorbed.
4. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the mustard seed and cook until you start to hear a popping sound. Add the chopped onion and cook until translucent. Then, add the steamed vegetables and sauté for 5 minutes. Add all the spices: salt, mustard seed, turmeric, garam masala and fresh ginger. Stir to combine.
5. Remove the vegetables from the pan and set aside in a bowl to cool. With scissors or a knife, cut the dried apricots into little ¼-inch strips and add them to the vegetables.
6. Prepare a pan with a sheet of parchment paper.
7. Grease your hands with a little oil and stretch out your pizza dough into a long, thin rectangle. I like to hold the dough up high and let gravity help me stretch it. Keep turning the dough so that you get an even stretch.
8. Put the edges together and make a wide crown of dough. It may seem impossible, but stick with it and keep tweaking it. It doesn’t have to be perfectly round and you can adjust it later.
9. Spoon the filling onto the dough, leaving a small seam at the center of the circle and a larger space on the outer part of the circle. Pull the outside of the crown over the filling and pinch the dough together in the inner circle.
10. Brush the crown with a beaten egg. Cook for 25-30 minutes until the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes.
11. Serve slices with a spoonful of cool, creamy plain yogurt.
Originally posted on InterfaithFamily.com.
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