Description
A warm and comforting curried chicken pie with tender chicken thighs, aromatic spices, creamy sauce, and a golden flaky pastry crust. Perfect for cozy dinners.
Ingredients
Units
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- 1 tbsp olive oil, plus more if needed
- 200g (7 oz) potato, diced into small cubes
- 2 tbsp curry powder (medium spice)
- 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper, plus more to taste
- 600g (1.3 lb) boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 medium carrot, finely diced (approx. 75g / 2.6oz)
- 1 medium white onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely diced
- 2 tsp finely diced or grated ginger
- 3 tbsp (45g) butter
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 480ml (2 cups) chicken stock
- 120ml (1/2 cup) heavy/double cream, room temperature
- 2 tbsp tomato puree (tomato paste)
- 1 sheet (320g / 11 oz) shortcrust pastry
- 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
- Nigella seeds (optional, for topping)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add diced potatoes and cook for 5–7 minutes until lightly golden.
- Season chicken thighs with salt, pepper, and 1 tbsp of the curry powder. Add to the pan and cook until browned on all sides. Remove chicken and potatoes from the pan and set aside.
- Add a little more oil if needed, then sauté the onion, carrot, garlic, and ginger until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in remaining curry powder, cumin, turmeric, coriander, and garam masala. Cook 1 minute to toast spices.
- Add butter and let melt, then stir in flour to coat vegetables. Cook 1–2 minutes.
- Gradually pour in chicken stock while stirring to avoid lumps. Simmer until sauce begins to thicken.
- Stir in tomato puree and cream. Add chicken and potatoes back to the sauce. Simmer gently for 5–10 minutes, seasoning to taste.
- Preheat oven to 200°C / 390°F.
- Transfer filling into a baking dish. Lay shortcrust pastry sheet over the top, trimming edges as needed. Seal edges and cut small steam slits in the top.
- Brush pastry with beaten egg and sprinkle with Nigella seeds.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbling.
- Let cool slightly before serving.
Notes
- Chicken thighs stay juicier than chicken breast and are recommended for this recipe.
- If sauce thickens too much, add a splash of extra stock.
- Shortcrust pastry can be replaced with puff pastry for a flakier topping.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 640mg
- Fat: 31g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 36g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 150mg