This woman brings Toronto the flavours of Zimbabwe with these flaky, savoury pies

When it launched in 2011, the Toronto Underground Market played a pivotal role in growing theGTA'sculinary scene to what it is today.

While other festivals and events in the city featured already-established restaurants as vendors, many of which are chains, TUM's event organizerHasselAviles's intentions were clear; she wanted to give food pop-ups a chance.

A TUM event was unlike anything else the city had seen before.

Dozens of budding restaurant entrepreneurs presented their internationally-themed menus to thousands. During each visit, I would discover a handful of pop-ups I had never heard of before.

Ilearned about various styles of home cooking and found thatmany of thepop-upsdrewinspiration from their parents.

I metEvisChirowamhangufor the first time at a TUM Event.Chirowamhanguhad a small table where she was trying to introduce diners to Zimbabwean meat pies.

"Some of my fondest memories growing up as a kid was eating these meat pies," saidChirowamhanguwho was born inZimbabwe.

"I come from a big family. Our Sunday ritual was to get meat pies and drinks and share them."

WhenChirowamhanguarrived in Canada as a refugee in 2005, she quickly found that the GTA was lacking when it came to Zimbabwean cuisine.

"You don't see Zimbabwean food much here, which was surprising because we have the population. I couldn't find my favourite pies," she explained.

Suresh Doss: Mnandi Pies

6 years ago

Duration 0:43

Evis Chirowamhangu is the owner behind Mnandi Pies.

Encouraged by her friends and family,Chirowamhangudecided to learn how to make the traditional pies herself. On the outside they look like Jamaican patties or South Asian curry puffs, a fluffy puff pastry shell with meat and vegetable stuffing on the inside.

"It took me some time to perfect the flavouring of the filling. I drew my inspiration from traditional Zimbabwean curries and dishes to come up with these fillings," she said.

After a year,Chirowamhanguhit the Toronto event circuit to test out her pies.

"The response was immediate;people loved it," she said. "Who doesn't love a good savoury pie with a buttery exterior?"

Chirowamhangucalls her piesmnandi,which means delicious in Ndebele, alanguagespoken in southern Africa.

You can find her pop-up standat farmer's markets in Toronto; Saturdays at the Wychwood Barns market and the Withrow market.

The menu is limited,Chirowamhangumakes a half a dozen variations of the traditional pie. While they're all very good, two stand out for me.

There's a traditional tomato relish in Zimbabwean cooking called chakalaka, which is traditionally served with rice or bread. Think of salsa, but now picture it with curry powder, with deep paprika and cayenne notes.Chirowamhanguhas perfected her own version of it for one of her pies. When you crack open the puff pastry, you're greeted with notes from the curry mix, and the medley of vegetables come together like a hearty stew.

"There's no meat in this, and you won't miss meat when you eat this,"Chirowamhangusaid.

The second is the steak and onion,Chirowamhangusays its one of her most popular pies.

She uses high quality blade steak, which she chops up and mixes with spices and herbs. What I love is the immediate burst of black pepper flavour you get when you first bite through the crust and how the spice mix has been cooked down to cling on to each piece of tender meat.

When I first had this pie, I immediately went back for a second helping.

Chirowamhanguonly makes 500 pies a week withlocal ingredients. They are all handmade and she bakes them allin one night eachweek, and then she sends them offthe farmers markets.