Make the filling by heating the oil in a saucepan. Add the onions and saute until they soften and start turning lightly golden.
Add the ginger and garlic and saute a few more seconds.
Add the coriander powder, paprika, turmeric and garam masala. Stir to mix well.
Add the tomato and cook for about two to three minutes or until the tomato breaks down.
Add the carrots and green bell pepper. Stir to mix, cover, and cook about five minutes or until the vegetables start to soften.
Add the lentils and stir to mix.
Add two cups of water or enough to barely cover the lentils.
Bring the lentils to a boil, cover with a lid, and let the mixture cook about 25 to 30 minutes or until the lentils are cooked. Let any excess moisture evaporate. You want the filling to be very dry.
Add salt to taste and stir in the coriander leaves and spring onions, if using.
Set aside to cool.
To assemble the pies, unroll the thawed phyllo sheets and cover them with a damp towel.
On a flat surface, place one sheet and spray lightly with oil. Layer with another sheet, spray lightly with oil, then repeat for a third sheet.
Now cut the phyllo crosswise down the middle and stack the sheets on top of one another so you have six layers.
Place one-fifth of the filling in the center of the phyllo sheets, fold in the long sides first, press down to seal, brushing on some water along the edge if needed. Then fold in the shorter sides to make a packet.
Place seam side down on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Spray some oil over the top, for a prettier look.
Repeat with the remaining phyllo sheets and filling until you get five pies.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Bake the hand pies for 25 minutes or until they are golden-brown on top.
Remove the hand pies, transfer to a rack to cool, and serve either warm or cold.