Chicken Balti Pies
How to make delicious individual chicken Balti pies, easy step by step instructions, from start to finish.
Ingredients
Method
- The Pastry:
- 400g / 14oz Plain or all-purpose flour
- 170g / mls Water
- 90g / 3¼oz Butter
- 100g / 3½oz Lard or shortening
- 1tsp Garam Masala
- 8g / 1tsp Salt
- Egg wash
- The Curry Filling:
- 300g / 11oz Chicken breast fillets
- 1 Medium size onion
- 25g Fresh Coriander leaves
- 250g Fresh tomatoes (chopped small)
- 1 Small piece of fresh peeled ginger
- 3 or 4 Garlic cloves
- 6 Small chillies (chopped small)
- 1tsp Hot or mild chilli powder
- ½tsp Turmeric powder
- 1tsp Garam Masala
- ½tsp Dried Fenugreek leaves
- 4g / ½tsp Salt
- 60mls / 4tbls Rapeseed or Vegetable oil
- 150mls Chicken stock or water
- 2tsp Fresh Cream
- Mix the salt and Garam masala into the flour, and form a well.
- Place the water on a low heat and add the butter and lard to the pan, bring to a simmer.
- Soon as the fats have melted, pour the hot liquid into the flour well in the bowl, and bring it all together.
- Tip the contents of the bowl out onto the work surface.
- Gently knead the dough until it all comes together.
- Cut the pastry onto 2 pieces, 2 thirds, for the base of the pie, and 1 third for the top of the pie.
- Cover in plastic wrap or food bags, and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour before using.
- Making up the spices:
- To a small bowl add the salt, followed by the following spices
- ½tsp of dried Fenugreek leaves aka: Kasuri Methi.
- Next is ½tsp of turmeric powder.
- Now 1tsp of hot or mild chilli powder.
- And the last spice is 1 tsp of Garam masala.
- Making the filling:
- In a medium size frying pan, or curry pan if you have one, add the 4 tablespoons of oil and get it hot.
- Start by frying off your onions until they’re translucent, and just starting to colour.
- Add you chopped ginger and garlic, stir fry for 1 minute.
- Add the tomatoes to the pan, and mix them in.
- Next: add the chicken, stir fry for 1minute.
- Now add your mixed spices and salt, combine it all together.
- Add the chopped Birdseye chillies and mix those in.
- Pour in your chicken stock or water and bring to a low simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the 2tsp of double or heavy cream, and mix in.
- Finally add the chopped fresh Coriander leaves and mix those in.
- Turn off the heat, cover the pan and allow to cool.
- Putting the pies together:
- Make up your egg wash, using 1 small egg and a dash of milk, whisk until smooth and runny.
- Grease 4 small non-stick pie tins, the dimensions of the tins I use, are 100mm x 20mm, approximately 4 x 1 inches.
- Roll out your pastry, and cut out 4, 125mm / 5” circles for the bases, and 4 100mm / 4” circles for the lids of the pies.
- Place the pastry bases in the pie tins, press the pastry right down into the corners, make sure to leave some pastry sticking over the rim of the pie tin.
- Fill the cases with the now cooled Balti filling to just below the top of the pastry.
- Tap the tins on your bench to release any trapped air bubbles.
- At this point, preheat your oven to, 170°C / 340°F / Gas mark 3.
- Brush egg wash all around the edge of the pastry.
- Place the lids on the top of the pie bases, and gently press it down, using your thumbs and forefingers, neatly crimp the 2 pastries together.
- Place the tray on the lowest part of the preheated oven, and use the bottom element if you have one.
- Now set your timer for 40 minutes.
- Cut 2 vent slits in the top of each pie.
- Give each pie a good coat of the egg wash.
- Place the tray in middle of the preheated oven, and use the bottom element, if you have one.
- Now set your timer for 40 minutes.
- Once the time is up, move these gorgeous pies onto a wire rack, and allow them to settle still in their tins for 5 minutes.
- Remove from the tins, and serve with, chips/fries and side salad.
- Enjoy
Equipment & products used in my kitchen and videos
