Today is pi(e) day, a day when food bloggers and all alike profess their love for the mathematical constant that is pi and for the dynamic food that is pie!
As a terribly nerdy kid, I really had fun memorizing digits of pi. At one point, I was able to recite twenty. Since then, my memory decided that the last fourteen weren’t as important as other numbers, like my cell phone, so all I have now is 3.14159. Karl, on the other hand, can still recite 50… which is cool, but can he make mini chicken tikka masala pot pies?! Probably. But I came up with the idea.
I have been saving this recipe for this special day, and I am so excited I finally get to share it with you all! I adapted the chicken tikka masala recipe from Bon Appetit. I was hoping to create a naan-like crust, but when I realized that was not going to happen for me, I went with my basic crust recipe and jazzed it up with some garlic and parsley. These pot pies were so much fun to make and even more fun to eat!
- 3¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley or dried parsley flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1½ cup unsalted butter, chilled and diced
- ¾ cup cold water
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ heaping tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- ½ heaping tablespoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoons ground cumin
- ½ cup whole-milk yogurt
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 pound chicken breasts, sliced into long strips, about 1 inch wide
- 1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 cardamom pods, crushed
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ tablespoon sugar
- 14 ounces whole peeled tomatoes (in a can)
- 1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 egg, whisked
- In a food processor, combine the flour, garlic, parsley, and salt.
- Add the butter and pulse until the butter is about pea-sized.
- Slowly add the water and pulse until the dough forms into a ball.
- Wrap the dough in plastic warp and refrigerate for at least one hour.
- In a small bowl, mix together garlic, ginger, turmeric, garam masala, coriander, and cumin, then set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk yogurt, 1 teaspoon salt, and half of the spice mixture. Add chicken, coat it with the mixture, then cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerator for 1 hour.
- In a dutch oven or large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, tomato paste, cardamom pods, crushed red pepper flakes, and sugar. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the tomato paste darkens and the onions soften. Add the remaining spice mixture, and cook for another 4 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes with its juices, carefully crushing them with your hands as you add them to the pot. Slowly add the sifted flour (to prevent the flour from clumping: add a little bit at a time and stir into the sauce, then add a little more and stir again). Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 8-10 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Stir often.
- Add 1 teaspoon salt, cream, and chopped cilantro. Simmer and stir every few minutes for 35 minutes.
- Move the oven rack to the top row, then preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil, then place the chicken on the baking sheet. Broil for 10 minutes, until the chicken begins to blacken.
- Allow the chicken to cool down slightly, then slice into bite-size pieces. Add the chicken to the sauce, and cook for another 10 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Lightly flour a clean work surface and a rolling pin. Lightly flour the pie crust dough and roll out with a rolling pin. Line 6 3.5 inch-ramekins (or a large muffin pan) with crust, leaving some dough hanging over the edges.
- Fill the ramekins with the chicken tikka masala filling, then cover with a smaller (4-inch) circle on top. Fold the the edges of the crust over and crimp the edges. Slowly poke the tops with a fork.
- Brush the egg wash over the tops of the pies. Bake on a baking sheet for 35-40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Allow them pies to cool for 10-15 minutes, then serve.
