Moroccan Spiced Sweet Potato Pastilla

Good

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas Mark 4. Put the sweet potatoes on a baking tray and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, then sprinkle with the cumin seeds and season with salt and pepper. Toss until well coated. Roast for 30 minutes until tender and golden.

Step 2

Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan, add the onion, sliced pepper and a pinch of salt and fry over a medium heat for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic, cinnamon and paprika and fry for a few minutes until fragrant.

Step 3

Transfer the onion mixture to the slow cooker and add the roasted sweet potatoes, the rice, raisins and stock. Stir together and season. Cover with the lid and cook on high for 2 hours until the rice is just tender and the liquid has been absorbed to create a soft and thick filling.

Step 4

Turn off the slow cooker, then stir in the spinach. Replace the lid and leave it to wilt in the residual heat. Carefully transfer the mixture to a bowl and leave to cool completely. Stir in the parsley and adjust the seasoning to taste. Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F), Gas Mark 5 and place a large baking tray in the oven to warm up.

Step 5

Place a large piece of baking paper on the work surface. Lay the filo sheets on top to create a large rectangle, with one long and one short edge of each filo sheet overlapping, to create a thicker ‘seam’ (about 3.5 cm/1½ inches wide) along the middle. Brush some of the melted butter to seal the seams. Spoon the cooled filling along the length of the seam to create a long sausage shape, leaving 2.5 cm (1 inch) of pastry at the short edges to avoid the filling spilling out. Brush more butter over the uncovered pastry either side of the sausage shape. With a long edge facing you, fold the pastry nearest you over the filling and tuck it in, then brush the pastry with more butter and roll the sausage shape over itself on to the remaining filo to seal and create a long sausage shape of filling enclosed in pastry. Brush all down the length of the pastry with butter, then carefully curl into a spiral (if the pastry splits, seal up the tears with extra filo pastry and brush with more butter). Tuck under the ends of the spiral, then brush the top with more butter and sprinkle with the poppy seeds.

Step 6

Carefully lift the pastilla on its baking paper on to the preheated baking tray, then return to the oven and cook for 30–40 minutes until golden brown and crisp on top. Remove the pastilla from the oven and leave to stand for 5–10 minutes. Meanwhile, put all the harissa yogurt ingredients into a bowl and mix together.

Step 7

Serve the pastilla with the harissa yogurt, and maybe a salad for lunch, or with potatoes and steamed vegetables for a main evening meal.