Atul Kochhar’s Chicken Tikka Masala Pie

Ingredients

For the First Marinade

• 400g chicken breasts cut into chunks
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• juice of ½ a lemon

For the Second Marinade

• 250g Greek-style yogurt
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 50ml vegetable oil
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp chilli powder
• ½ tsp dried fenugreek leaves
• 2 tsp flour

For Brushing

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

For the Pastry

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

For the Masala

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

Method

For the First Marinade

1. Finely grate the garlic and ginger and place in a bowl.
2. Add the chilli powder, lemon juice and chicken.
3. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.

For the Second Marinade

1. Add all of the ingredients to the chicken with its previous marinade and mix together well.
2. Leave to marinate for a further 4 to 6 hours.

To Cook the Chicken

1. Skewer the marinated chicken pieces and cook over a barbecue, or in a hot oven at 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6, for 15 minutes, or until cooked through.
2. Brush with a mixture of butter, lime juice and chaat masala and set aside.

For the Pastry

1. Sieve the flour and salt into a bowl.
2. Cube the butter, then rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
3. Add 105ml of cold water and gently mix into a dough.
4. Dust the dough with flour, wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

For the Masala

1. Chop the onion and garlic, then add with a little vegetable oil to a pan over medium heat and sauté for 5 minutes until soft.
2. Finely grate the ginger into the pan and cook for 2 minutes until golden.
3. 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.
4. Toss the chicken in the masala.

To Assemble the Pie

1. Roll out the pastry to just under 1/2cm thick. Line the base of a pie dish (roughly 20cm x 20cm x 6cm), then add the chicken filling.
2. Lay another piece of pastry on top, seal the edges, trim off any excess and poke a small hole in the top.
3. Bake in a preheated oven at 160ºC/325ºF/ gas 3 for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the filling is hot.
4. Once cooked, garnish with summer berry chutney and fresh berries.

Recipe Courtesy of Atul Kochhar.