Delicious Vegan Mexican Pie Recipe with Jackfruit

This recipe is inspired by my mum. She used to make a pie very similar during my childhood. This is my vegan version.

This Pie has all the traditional flavours everyone loves about Mexican food. The pulled jackfruit, which is the vegan chicken substitute is absolutely delicious with all the well-known spices of Mexico. The Risoni (orzo) pasta in the pie crust adds a surprising element to the dish. It is perfect because it stops the Mexican filling from making the base soggy. It also has a lovely crispy texture.

The cheese sauce on top adds that creamy texture to balance the Mexican spices. I defiantly recommend adding some avocado and fresh coriander when serving this pie up.

I have included a homemade video below so you can watch how easy the steps are to make this.

Ingredients

Pie Crust

• 1 cup Risoni (orzo) pasta
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/2 cup soft/silken tofu (140g)
• 1/3 cup breadcrumbs

Mexican Filling

• 1 small capsicum or 1/2 large capsicum
• 3/4 cup adzuki/red kidney beans
• 2 tins Jackfruit (400g x2)
• 3 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground sweet paprika
• 2 teaspoons crushed garlic
• 2 tins diced tomatoes (400g x2)
• 3 heaped tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon cornflour + 1 tablespoon water
• 2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
• Teaspoon Salt & Pepper

Creamy Cashew Sauce

• 1/3 cup cashew butter
• 1 1/4 cup plant based milk
• 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 2 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic
• Pinch salt & pepper

Method

Risoni Pie Base

Cook 1 cup of Risoni as per packet instructions. I add 1 cup of Risoni to 2 cups of water, with a pinch of salt. I bring it to the boil. Then, reduce the heat to a simmer until the water is all absorbed. Let it cool down before making the pie base.

Grease a tart/flan pan (27cm wide – pan insert 23cm) Pre heat oven to 180 degrees (fan forced).

Blend soft tofu to a liquid. In a large bowl add the cooled cooked Risoni with the blended tofu and mix together. Next add the nutritional yeast and breadcrumbs, give it a stir. Press the mixture evenly into the tart pan. Place in the oven for 20 minutes.

Mexican Pie Filling

De-seed the capsicum and dice the capsicum into small pieces. Wash and drain adzuki beans. Drain the tin jackfruit in a colander, and press out any excess liquid. Also, shred the jackfruit if its in large pieces. 

Splash a little oil in a large frypan or saucepan and place on the stove over a medium heat. Add the diced capsicum, garlic, cumin, coriander and paprika. Stir for a couple of minutes, until you can smell the spices. Then add the shredded Jackfruit, give it a good to stir to mix everything together. Add the tin tomatoes, adzuki beans, tomato paste and sweet chilli sauce, stir until all ingredients are combined. Add some salt and pepper. Let the mixture simmer for a minute.

In a small cup/dish place the cornflour and water in and mix until well combined. A little whisk is great for this or you can use a small spoon. Pour cornflour liquid over the Mexican filling and stir well. Let the mixture simmer on a low heat for about 5 minutes, it should thicken up. (If your mixture doesn’t thicken up enough, add another 1/2 tablespoon of cornflour. Mix it with 1/2 tablespoon of water and add it to the Mexican Pie Filling).

Creamy Cashew Cheese Topping

Place all ingredients for the creamy cashew sauce in a blender and let it mix for about 30 seconds. Place the blended mixture in a small saucepan and place on the stove over a low-medium heat. Keep mixing with a whisk or spatula until the mixture thickens. This usually takes around five minutes. If it gets too thick, add a little more milk.

Now to assemble the Mexican Pie, oven should still be on at 180 degrees (fan forced). Place the Mexican Jackfruit filling into the Risoni pie base. Then pour the creamy cashew sauce over the top. It should cover most of the filling (see pictures below). Place back in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown on top.

Risoni Pie Base – Mexican Jackfruit Filling – Creamy Cashew Sauce

Note you should turn the pie around half way through baking it to get an even cook. Remove from oven, the top should be of a golden colour. Let the pie cool down for about 15 minutes before cutting a delicious slice.