Empty Pastry Shell

Ingredients

• Flour (Maida) 2 cups/240 g
• Salt ¼ tsp
• Sugar, powdered 1 tsp/5 g
• Baking powder 1 tsp
• Butter or Ghee ¾ cup/180 g
• Vinegar 1 tsp/5 g
• Egg, slightly beaten 1 OR
• Milk ¼ cup/60 ml
• Cold water, as required

Preparation

• Sieve the flour and mix in the salt, sugar and baking powder. Place the butter in the centre and cut into it continuously with a blunt knife, till small pieces. Crumble the mixture with the fingertips as lightly as you can, till mixture resembles fine bread-crumbs.

• Add vinegar and egg or cold milk and mix into stiff dough. Use more water only if required. The dough has to ‘gather together’.

• Wrap in cling foil or cover and keep in a cool place to rest about 15 minutes.

• On a floured surface with a lightly floured rolling- pin, roll out the dough to the desired size. Dust with flour only if necessary. Alternately, you can roll the dough between sheets of butter paper or plastic sheets, to avoid sticking without adding extra flour.

• Line the pie or tart moulds with the pastry dough.

• Prick all over the surface and sides with a fork to prevent it from puffing up. Alternately, line the pastry dough with aluminum foil; fill it with ‘daal’ or beans.

• Bake in an oven pre-heated to 350 F-180 C for 15-20 minutes.

• Remove from oven and remove the ‘daal’ or beans (if using). Use as required.