aloo pie
{{Short description|Trinidadian fast food dish}}
{{Infobox prepared food
| name = Aloo pie
| image = Aloo Pie.jpg
| caption = Aloo pie
| alternate_name =
| country = Trinidad and Tobago
| region = Caribbean
| associated_cuisine = Indo-Caribbean cuisine
| creator =
| course =
| type = fried dumpling
| served =
| main_ingredient = dough, potatoes, spices, peppers, chickpea curry (optional)
| variations = various toppings and spices
| calories =
| other =
}}
An aloo pie is a Caribbean fast food dish common in Trinidad and Tobago and is of Indo-Trinidadian origin.
An aloo pie is a pastry filled with seasoned mashed potatoes and then fried. It is therefore similar to samosas, but at 10-15 cm in length it is significantly larger, and it does not have a triangular basic shape, but resembles a calzone. The dough consists of flour, water, salt, baking powder and if necessary some saffron for the color. Seasonings and ingredients used in the mashed potatoes include salt, pepper, onion, cumin, and garlic,{{cite book | author= | title=The Multi-Cultural Cuisine of Trinidad & Tobago. Naparima Girls' High School Cookbook | publisher=Naparima Girls' High School | location=San Fernando | date=2002 | isbn=976-8173-65-3 | url= |page=11}} and occasionally green seasoning and long coriander (chadon beni).{{cite book | author=Ramin Ganeshram | title=Sweet Hands. Island Cooking from Trinidad & Tobago | publisher=Hippocrene Books | location=New York | date=2012 | isbn=0-7818-1125-2 | url= |page=26}} As a rule, the dumplings are cut open before serving and garnished with a curry based on chickpeas or green peas. It is seasoned with a chutney (usually based on tamarind or mango), chadon beni and a spicy pepper sauce.{{Cite web |last=Ottier Hart |first=Rachael |date=2023-07-10 |title=How to make Trinidad Aloo Pie |url=https://classicbakes.com/recipes/how-make-trinidad-aloo-pie |access-date=2024-03-10 |website=ClassicBakes.com}}
Aloo is a Hindi word meaning potato. Trinidad was a British colony from 1797 to 1962, so English is spoken there. After the abolition of slavery in Trinidad, numerous Indians were recruited from 1845 as cheap labor for the plantations, who in turn introduced curries that were often vegetarian and sometimes contained potatoes. The pies are sold in snack bars, but also in bakeries and cafeterias in Trinidad. On the street, aloo pies are often sold by vendors who also sell doubles, since both dishes are fried and can therefore be made with the same appliance.{{cite web | url=https://cookingwithria.com/2014/08/trinidad-aloo-potato-pie.html | title=Trinidad Aloo (Potato) Pie | publisher=CookingWithRia.com | accessdate=2023-05-23}}