Mexican pie

Method

1. Sift the flour and cornmeal into large mixing bowl, add butter. Using fingertips, rub butter into flour for 2 minutes or until the mixture is fine and crumbly. Add almost all the water, mix to a firm dough, adding more liquid if necessary. Turn onto a lightly floured surface, press together until smooth.

2. Brush a 23 cm pie plate with melted butter or oil. Roll out pastry to line base and sides of plate. Ease pastry into plate; trim edge. To decorate edge: cut slits into pastry about 1.5 cm apart. Using a small sharp knife, cut a triangle from the left hand corner to the top right hand corner of each segment, press into even shapes around rim. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to moderate 180°C. Cut a sheet of greaseproof paper to cover pastry-lined plate. Line plate with paper, spread a layer of dried beans or rice evenly over paper. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven and discard paper and beans. Return to oven for 10 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool.

4. To make Filling: drain, rinse and chop kidney beans. Place all ingredients into a medium mixing bowl. Spread the bean mixture over base of pastry shell; top with combined extra taco sauce and tomato paste. Bake 20 minutes.

5. Cut avocado in half, peel and slice. Arrange slices of avocado in a wheel pattern over hot pie; dollop sour cream in the centre. Serve immediately, with a green salad and warm cornbread or rolls.