The joy of Chicken Tikka Masala Pie

Already a subscriber? Log in

This article is for subscribers only

2 tablespoons light olive oil (or a flavourless oil is fine)

1 tablespoon mustard seeds

½ tablespoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon red chilli powder

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 tablespoon garam masala

250 ml natural yoghurt

1 tablespoon butter

2 white onions, peeled and finely sliced into half-moons.

2 tablespoons tomato purée (good quality stuff)

1 ½ teaspoons salt

600g skinless, boneless chicken thighs (or breasts if you prefer), cut into bite-sized chunks

1 small handful of cashew nuts or almonds, ground with a tiny bit of water in a little blender

100 ml double cream

320g sheet of ready-made puff pastry

1 egg, beaten

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

Small bunch of fresh coriander

A lime

Peel the garlic and ginger, deseed the chillies, and chop them all up very finely (this is easiest done in a little food processor).

Place a large pan over a medium heat and add the oil to heat up. Add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When they start to pop, add them to the ginger/garlic/chilli mixture along with all the other spices.

Combine half the mixture with the yoghurt and add in the chicken. Give it a good stir, cover with foil and leave to marinate in the fridge for a few hours or preferably overnight.

Place the butter in a large pan (you can use the same one to save on washing up) on a low heat, add the onions and the other half of the spice mix, and cook until softened – you want to do this slowly (about 15-20 minutes) to make the onions sweet.

Add the salt, ground nuts, tomato purée, a couple of cups of water, and the cream and simmer for 15 minutes or so.

While simmering, place your chicken on a baking tray under the grill (at around 210°C) and cook for about 15 minutes until cooked through – you want a bit of crispiness and char ideally as that will add to the flavour.

Add the cooked chicken to the sauce (adding a bit more water if you need – it should have a loose consistency). Check the seasoning, and add the juice of half a lime. Pour it all into a large pie dish.

Cover the dish with pastry, pressing the edges to seal and trimming off the excess as required. Brush with beaten egg, sprinkle over the ½ teaspoon of cumin seeds and make a little incision in the centre to let the steam escape. Cook in an oven at 190°C until the pastry is golden.