Tika masala chicken pie with Indian pastry

For the pastry:
300g plain flour
150g butter, diced and kept cold
pinch of salt
1 tsp garam masal
1 tsp curry powder
pinch of turmeric
quarter cup of cold water

For the filling:
4 tbs oil
1 small onion, finely diced
3 cloves of garlic, finely diced
1 small piece of ginger, finely diced
3 coriander stems, with roots, finely diced
2 medium chicken breasts, diced small
3 tbs store-bought tikka masala paste
1/4 cup of cream
3/4 cup diced, roasted pumpkin
small handful coriander leaves, roughly chopped
pinch of sugar
juice of one lemon
salt
1 egg, whisked
2-3 tsp cumin seeds

To make the pastry:
In a food processor combine the flour, butter, salt and spices and blend until it resembles coarse sand. Tip this into a large bowl, add the water and mix by hand until it comes together. Then give it a quick knead, wrap it in plastic and put in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.

Once rested, roll pastry out to a half centimetre thickness. Using a small side plate and a knife, cut out six circles and place them on a tray in the fridge.

To make the filling:
Preheat oven to 180˚C.

In a medium-sized saucepan heat the oil and gently fry the onion, garlic, ginger and coriander until just softened.

Add the chicken and tikka masala paste and fry for two minutes, stirring constantly so it does not catch.

Add the cream and simmer for three minutes.

In a medium-sized bowl add the tikka mix and fold through the pumpkin, coriander, sugar and lemon juice. Check the seasoning, add a little salt if necessary and set aside to cool.

Remove the pastry from the fridge and spread out on a lightly floured bench. On one half of the circle place three or four spoonfuls of mix (being careful not to have too much that you can’t fold them over).

Fold the other half of the circle over onto the filling side so you have a semicircle shape. Starting at one end, make little folds all the way along to seal and enclose the pie.

Alternatively, press down firmly with a fork all the way along.

Once all the pies are done, prick once with a fork or knife, wash the tops with whisked egg, sprinkle with cumin seeds and bake at 180˚C for 15-20 minutes. They should puff up and become golden brown.

Serve with a cucumber raita and a coriander and red onion salad.