Chicken Tikka Masala Pie | Main Course | Savoury Bake

While watching Masters of Taste with Gary Mehigan on Fox Life , I was intrigued by Michelin starred chef Atul Kochhar’s idea of Chicken Tikka in the form of a pie.

Here I have tried my own version of ‘Chicken Tikka Masala Pie’ using a double layered pie crust with a saucy filling of shredded chicken tikka pieces in a tomato onion gravy made creamy with thick whisked curd.

I have used left over chicken tikka pieces which I had ordered from a local restaurant. You can make chicken tikka at home using the Tandoori Chicken recipe on the blog and switching chicken on-the-bone with boneless pieces.

Chicken Tikka Masala Pie | Main Course | Savoury Bake

Prep Time : 45 minutes to 1 hour

Resting Time for dough : 1 – 2 hour

Baking Time : 50 minutes to 1 hour

Yield : 1 pie serves 2-3 (Using 9 inch diameter Pie Dish / Tart Pan with removable bottom)

Ingredients:

For the pie crust :

2.5 cups of All purpose flour (maida) ~ 300 g + extra for rolling the dough

1 cup butter (cold and salted) ~ 240g

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1/4 cup ice-cold water

For Egg Wash

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp milk

For Chicken Tikka Masala filling

1 tbsp oil

3 cups of water

3 tomatoes (medium sized)

2 onions (medium sized)

1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

2-3 tbsp thick curd (whisked to smooth consistency)

salt to taste

1 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp red chilli powder (can be increased according to taste)

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp Kohinoor Tandoori Masala ( You can use any other brand but I prefer this for its exceptional flavour)

1 tbsp kasoori methi

1.5 cup of cooked and shredded Chicken Tikka pieces ( ~ 6 pieces)

Method

For the pie crust

Take flour, salt and sugar in a cold mixing bowl and mix well.
Cut the cold butter into small cubes.
Add half the quantity of butter into the dry ingredients and incorporate the butter into the flour using tips of fingers until it resembles a crumb. Incorporate the rest of the butter and repeat the process until the dough resembles a coarse crumb.
Add ice-cold water 1 tbsp at a time and incorporate into the dough until the dough holds together. Do not over knead the dough . Do not add too much water , lest the dough will become sticky. Add water only to let dough hold together.
Divide the dough in equal halves and sprinkle some dry flour over each and wrap them separately in a cling film. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
After one hour, roll the dough on a floured surface using a rolling pin sprinkled with dry flour into a circular disc 2 inches wider than your pie pan diameter with uniform thickness not more than a quarter of an inch.Roll from outside to inside. Transfer it to the pie pan. Do not grease the pie pan. Let it cool for 30 minutes more in refrigerator. Roll the other half of the dough into a disc of a similar size as above and place it on a tray lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate as well for 30 minutes. This prevents shrinking of crust while baking.
After 30 minutes, pour the filling into the pie pan lined with dough. Place the top layer of the dough on the filling and carefully seal the two edges of the bottom and top layer of pie dough.
Make holes on the top layer using a fork to let steam pass through while baking.
Coat the top layer with egg wash to achieve a golden brown exterior after baking.
Refer to this video for more clarification on getting the perfect pie crust.

For the Chicken Tikka masala filling

Take 3 cups of water in a saucepan and add 1tsp salt to it. Bring it to a boil. Add tomatoes (cut into half) and onions ( peeled and cut into half) to the boiling water and blanch for 2 minutes . Switch off the heat and let the onions and tomatoes rest in water for 15 minutes.
Remove the onions and tomatoes from the water and puree them separately.
Take oil in a kadhai and put it on medium heat.
Add onion puree to it and cook until golden.
Add ginger garlic paste and cook till the raw smell is gone.
Add tomato puree to the above and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Add all dry spices to this ( except kasoori methi). Stir well.
Remove from heat and stir the whisked smooth curd into the kadhai.
Put it back on heat and cook for 5-6 minutes on simmer till oil separates and masala is done. You can add 1-2 tbsp of tomato puree for richness (optional).
Add kasoori methi and shredded chicken tikka pieces and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Chicken Tikka Masala filling is ready. Keep the masala saucy ( add water while cooking , if required) to avoid dry filling after baking.

Baking

Preheat oven at 160 degree Celsius. Bake the pie in middle rack for 50-60 minutes . Keep a check on pie crust after 45 minutes of baking. Insert a toothpick to check the consistency of the crust and confirm that it is cooked.Remove from oven. If you are using a pie pan with removable bottom, then place the pan on an inverted bowl (smaller than the pie pan diameter) and remove the rim of the pan slowly by sliding it down. Carefully shift the pie using the bottom disc of the pan and a flat metal spatula on a dish and serve warm.