Chicken Balti Pie

• 3tbsp oil
• 500g chicken breast, diced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 green pepper, roughly diced
• 4tbsp balti curry paste
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1tbsp ginger, minced
• 1x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 400ml water
• 2x puff pastry packs
• 1x egg (for egg wash)
• 1tsp nigella seeds (optional, for sprinkling on pie crust)

1. Pre-heat your oven to 200c
2. In a large pan, gently cook onion in the oil until soft
3. Add the garlic & ginger and cook for another minute
4. Add in the balti paste and 150ml water and stir until reduced and thickened
5. Next add in the diced chicken and fry until sealed
6. Add in the tomatoes & red pepper and stir
7. Depending on the consistency, add water as necessary. You want a fairly saucy curry but not too wet that it wont go in a pie
8. Simmer uncovered until chicken is cooked through and sauce is desired consistency
9. Remove from the heat and chill. You want the curry to be cold before adding to the pie
10. While the curry is cooling, line your pie tin with butter
11. Roll out 1 sheet of puff pasty, enough to line the bottom and sides of the tin
12. Gently line the pie tin with the pasty, making sure its pressed in all around the bottom and comes up over the edges. Trim any excess
13. Blind bake the pastry - If you have baking beans, add them to the pan, if not, rice will work
14. Blind bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes to ensure the bottom of the pie gets a head start and doesn't go soggy when adding the curry
15. Remove from oven, discard the rice and add the curry, bringing it up to the top of the pastry
16. Brush some egg wash around the top of the part baked pastry
17. Roll out the other sheet of puff pastry and gently add over the top of the pie. You want it to the top of the filling and part baked pastry, not the top of the tin. Press around the edges slightly to ensure a seal with the part baked pastry
18. Use a knife to discard any excess pastry
19. Brush the top with egg wash then pierce all over with a fork
20. Finally, sprinkle with nigella seeds then bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the pie looks nice and golden
21. Remove, cool slightly then dig in!

Recipe Courtesy of The Smokin Elk