Chicken tikka masala pie recipe

Recipes

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All the flavours of the classic curry, encased in a hearty, comforting pie, this recipe takes chicken tikka masala as its starting point.

The creamy curry dish is said to have been invented in Glasgow in the 1970s, when a customer complained their chicken tikka was too dry. Restaurant owner Ali Ahmed Aslam had his chefs come up with a solution: adding a can of tomato soup and some spices to create what would evolve into a classic.

Here, two British favourites combine to create the ultimate comfort food.

TIP: allow 6 hours for marinating.

Ingredients

For the pastry

250 g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp sea salt
250 g cold, unsalted butter

8.8 oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp sea salt
8.8 oz cold, unsalted butter

8.8 oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp sea salt
8.8 oz cold, unsalted butter

For brushing

1 small knob of butter, melted
2 tsp lime juice
1 tsp chaat masala or garam masala

1 small knob of butter, melted
2 tsp lime juice
1 tsp chaat masala or garam masala

1 small knob of butter, melted
2 tsp lime juice
1 tsp chaat masala or garam masala

For the second marinade

250 g Greek-style yogurt
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground coriander
50 ml vegetable oil
0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
0.5 tsp chilli powder
0.5 tsp dried fenugreek leaves
2 tsp gram flour

8.8 oz Greek-style yogurt
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground coriander
1.8 fl oz vegetable oil
0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
0.5 tsp chilli powder
0.5 tsp dried fenugreek leaves
2 tsp gram flour

8.8 oz Greek-style yogurt
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground coriander
0.2 cup vegetable oil
0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
0.5 tsp chilli powder
0.5 tsp dried fenugreek leaves
2 tsp gram flour

For the first marinade

1 clove of garlic, peeled
1 cm (½ in) piece of fresh ginger, peeled
1 tsp chilli powder
0.5 lemon, juice only
1 kg boneless chicken thighs, chopped into bite-sized pieces

1 clove of garlic, peeled
1 cm (½ in) piece of fresh ginger, peeled
1 tsp chilli powder
0.5 lemon, juice only
2.2 lbs boneless chicken thighs, chopped into bite-sized pieces

1 clove of garlic, peeled
1 cm (½ in) piece of fresh ginger, peeled
1 tsp chilli powder
0.5 lemon, juice only
2.2 lbs boneless chicken thighs, chopped into bite-sized pieces

For the masala

1 small onion, peeled
10 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 glug of vegetable oil
6 cm (2½ in) piece of fresh ginger, peeled
3 tsp ground coriander
3 tsp chilli powder
3 tsp turmeric
3 tsp garam masala
2 large bunches fresh coriander, leaves picked
3 ripe tomatoes

1 small onion, peeled
10 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 glug of vegetable oil
6 cm (2½ in) piece of fresh ginger, peeled
3 tsp ground coriander
3 tsp chilli powder
3 tsp turmeric
3 tsp garam masala
2 large bunches fresh coriander, leaves picked
3 ripe tomatoes

1 small onion, peeled
10 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 glug of vegetable oil
6 cm (2½ in) piece of fresh ginger, peeled
3 tsp ground coriander
3 tsp chilli powder
3 tsp turmeric
3 tsp garam masala
2 large bunches fresh coriander, leaves picked
3 ripe tomatoes

Details

Cuisine: British
Recipe Type: Pie
Difficulty: Medium
Preparation Time: 45 mins
Cooking Time: 75 mins
Serves: 4

Step-by-step

For the first marinade, finely grate the garlic and ginger and place in a bowl. Add the chilli powder, lemon juice and chicken, then set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.
For the second marinade, add all of the ingredients to the bowl containing the chicken, mix together well and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for a further 4–6 hours.
Pre-heat the barbecue to hot, or the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Skewer the marinated chicken pieces and cook over the barbecue or in the oven for 15 minutes or until cooked through. Brush with a mixture of butter, lime juice and chaat masala or garam masala and set aside.
For the pastry, sieve the flour and salt into a bowl. Cube the butter, then rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add up to 50 ml (1½ fl oz) cold water, and slowly and gently mix into a dough until just combined but not wet.
Dust the dough with flour, wrap in clingfilm and leave to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Turn the oven down to 160°C/325°F/gas 3.
For the masala, chop the onion and garlic, then add with a little vegetable oil to a pan over a medium heat and sauté for 5 minutes until soft. Finely grate the ginger into the pan and cook for 2 minutes until golden.
Stir through the spices, then chop the coriander and tomatoes and add to the pan, stirring to combine. Stir for a couple more minutes until everything is cooked through. Toss the chicken in the masala.
Roll out the pastry to just under ½ cm (¼ in) thick.
Line the base of a pie dish (roughly 20 cm x 20 cm x 6 cm/ 8 in x 8 in x 2½ in) with pastry, reserving some for the lid.
Add the chicken filling to the dish. Lay the second piece of pastry on top, seal the edges, trim off any excess and poke a small hole in the top.
Bake in the oven for 35–40 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the filling is hot.

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