Atul Kochhar’s chicken tikka masala pie

Method

1. Put the grated garlic and ginger, chilli powder and lemon juice in a large bowl. Add the chicken thighs and mix well to coat. Leave to marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.
2. After 30 minutes, add the yogurt, oil, ground spices, kasoori methi and gram flour. Mix well to combine, then cover and leave in the fridge for 4-6 hours (or overnight).
3. To make the pastry, sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Add the butter and use your fingertips to rub everything together until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add 105ml cold water, then gently mix into a dough. Dust with a little flour, wrap well and leave to rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour (or overnight).
4. When ready to cook, heat the grill to high. Lay the marinated chicken thighs out on a baking tray. Mix together the melted butter, lime juice and chaat/ garam masala in a small bowl. Cook the chicken under the grill for about 15 minutes, turning occasionally and basting with the butter mixture. Cut into bite-size pieces and set aside to cool.
5. To make the masala, heat a splash of vegetable oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, cook for 5 minutes until soft, then add the ginger and cook for another 2 minutes.
6. Stir in the ground spices, cook for 1 minute, then add the chopped coriander and tomatoes. Cook for a few more minutes until the tomatoes have collapsed, then add the chicken pieces and a pinch of salt. Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely before assembling the pie.
7. Dust a work surface with flour, then unwrap the pastry and divide into 2 pieces (60/40 – the bigger piece should be about 400g). Roll out the bigger piece of pastry until it’s large enough to line the pie tin (4-5mm thick), then spoon in the filling. Roll out the other piece of pastry and lay it on top to create a lid. Seal and crimp the edges, if you like, then trim away any excess and cut a cross in the centre to let any steam out. Brush with the beaten egg, then sprinkle with the nigella seeds. Put the assembled pie back in the fridge while you heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4.
8. Bake the pie for 45 minutes, until golden and crisp on top. Garnish with the coriander leaves to serve.