Vegetable Bastilla Recipe

<ul class="ingredients-main-list"><li class="ingredients-single-item">8 sheets filo pastry (phyllo)</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">80g unsalted butter, melted</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">1 tbsp olive oil</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">1 large onion, finely diced</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">3 garlic cloves, minced</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">2 carrots, grated</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">1 zucchini, grated</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">200g mushrooms, finely chopped</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">150g spinach, chopped</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">400g chickpeas, drained and rinsed</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">2 tsp ground cumin</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">2 tsp ground coriander</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">1 tsp ground cinnamon</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">1/2 tsp ground ginger</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">30g fresh parsley, chopped</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">30g fresh cilantro, chopped</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">60g flaked almonds, toasted</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">2 tbsp lemon juice</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">2 eggs, lightly beaten</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">For dusting: 1 tbsp powdered sugar</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">For dusting: 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">Salt and pepper to taste</li></ul>

<ul class="equipment-main-list"><li class="equipment-single-item">23cm (9-inch) round cake tin or pie dish</li><li class="equipment-single-item">Pastry brush</li><li class="equipment-single-item">Fine mesh sieve (for dusting)</li></ul>

<ol class="no-list-style"><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 1</h4>Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Lightly grease a 23cm (9-inch) round cake tin or pie dish with a small amount of the melted butter.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 2</h4>Heat the olive oil in a large, deep frying pan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 5-6 minutes until softened and translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 3</h4>Add the grated carrots, zucchini, and chopped mushrooms to the pan. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened and most of their moisture has evaporated (this is crucial to prevent a soggy bastilla).</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 4</h4>Stir in the cumin, coriander, cinnamon, ginger, and cayenne (if using). Cook for 1 minute to release the aromatics from the spices. The kitchen should be filled with a wonderful fragrance at this point.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 5</h4>Add the spinach in batches, allowing it to wilt down. Then add the chickpeas and cook for 2-3 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper to taste.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 6</h4>Remove from heat and stir in the chopped herbs, toasted almonds, and lemon juice. Allow the mixture to cool for about 15 minutes, then stir in the beaten eggs, which will help bind the filling together when baked.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 7</h4>Lay out your filo pastry sheets and cover with a slightly damp kitchen towel to prevent them from drying out as you work. Working quickly, brush one sheet of filo with melted butter and lay it in your prepared tin, allowing the excess to hang over the edges. Rotate the tin slightly and repeat with another buttered sheet, continuing until you've used 6 sheets and the tin is fully lined with overlapping filo.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 8</h4>Spoon the vegetable filling into the pastry case, spreading it evenly. Fold the overhanging pastry over the filling, brushing with butter as you go to help it stick together. The folding doesn't need to be perfect – a rustic look adds to the charm.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 9</h4>Brush the remaining 2 sheets of filo with butter. Scrunch them up slightly and place on top of the bastilla, creating a textured, ruffled top. Tuck in any edges and brush the top generously with the remaining butter.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 10</h4>Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, until the pastry is crisp and deep golden brown. If the top starts browning too quickly, loosely cover with foil.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 11</h4>Allow the bastilla to cool for 5-10 minutes before carefully removing from the tin. Mix the powdered sugar and cinnamon together and use a fine mesh sieve to dust the top in a decorative pattern – traditionally, bastilla has a lattice or geometric pattern created with the sugar-cinnamon mixture.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 12</h4>Serve warm, cut into wedges. The contrast between the sweet dusting on the crisp pastry and the savory, fragrant filling inside is what makes bastilla so special. Enjoy this vegetable version of a Moroccan classic!</li></ol>