Chicken Curry Pasties

Chicken Curry Pasties are a relatively new type of filling into an age-old British food staple. This curried chicken pasty filling is spicy, but not too hot (you can vary this by adding in more or less green chillies and chilli powder). They are equally good served hot or cold, and make a change when you are after something savoury with a little bit of a kick.

Chicken Curry Pasties Recipe

Makes 6 Chicken Curry Pasties.

Recipe Ingredients:

• 2 large chicken breasts (boneless & skinless)
• 320g potatoes (peeled & diced into 2cm cubes)
• 1 onion (finely diced)
• 3 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
• 150ml water
• 3 garlic cloves (crushed and minced)
• 25g fresh root ginger (peeled and grated)
• 2 green chillies (de-seeded and finely sliced)
• 30g sultanas (roughly chopped)
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 1/4 tsp hot chilli powder (add more to taste)
• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
• 3 tbsp coriander leaves (fresh – finely chopped)
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• pinch of sea salt
• pinch of freshly ground black pepper

see this masterclass on making shortcrust pastry

• 450g plain flour (plus extra for dusting)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 175g butter (diced)
• 2 egg yolks
• 125ml cold water

• 2 egg yolks with 1 tbsp milk (beaten to glaze)

Recipe Method:

To make the pasty filling: In a saucepan add some salted water and bring it up to the boil. Add the diced potato, simmer, and cook for 7 minutes, (or until the potatoes are soft). Drain and set aside to cool.

In a large skillet or non-stick frying pan, with deep sides, add the oil, heat and then over a low heat gently fry the onion, garlic, grated ginger and fine sliced chilli, stirring regularly for 5 minutes. Cut the chicken breasts into small bite sized pieces, coat them in the flour, and add to the frying pan.

Add the spices, sprinkle them over, mix them in, and coat everything. Fry for a further 3 minutes. Pour the water into the frying pan, add the boiled potato pieces, chopped sultanas and coriander and simmer for 5 minutes on a medium-high heat, until the water has almost all evaporated. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool.

For the pastry: see this masterclass on making shortcrust pastry. In a mixing bowl sift in the flour and add the salt and baking powder. Take the softened butter and rub this into the flour with your finger-tips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Mix in the beaten egg yolks and cold water to bring the flour and butter breadcrumbs into a pastry dough which is silky and smooth. Roll the dough into a ball. Cover and place the pastry dough in the fridge to chill for twenty minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200°C

Take the pastry out of the fridge and roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface until it is about 5mm thick. Using an upturned plate, about 15cm in diameter, cut out 6 pastry rounds – you will need to gather and re-roll the pastry as necessary. Into the centre of each pastry disc evenly divide and spoon the curried chicken pasty filling. Keep the pasty filling in the centre, with a wide border of pastry around it for sealing.

Brush around the edges of the pastry disc with some beaten egg yolk – then bring the 2 sides of pastry up and over the pasty filling. Press the edges together to seal firmly. Crimp this seal using your thumbs and fingers. Seal all the pasties in the same way.

Place the pasties on a non-stick baking tray, lined with baking parchment. Brush over each of the pasties with more beaten egg yolk to glaze. Bake the Chicken Curry Pasties for 25 to 35 minutes in an oven at 200C or until they are nicely browned, and the filling is cooked and piping hot. Remove the pasties from the oven and allow to cool – serve warm, or chill in the fridge and serve cold.