I was a friend of Indian restaurant owner Ramon Kapoor who owned the then famous Gaylord restaurant in Manchester, who passed on this Masala recipe to me. If you can use thigh meat it has a far better taste than breast meat and is cheaper. I make the pasty like I would one my jumbo Eccles cakes.
Ingredients:
60ml / 4 tbsp sunflower oil
2 large red onions sliced thin
1 large beef tomato diced
30ml / 2 tbsp garlic paste
15ml / 1 tbsp ginger paste
30ml / 2 tsp coriander powder
5ml / 1 tsp cumin powder
3ml / ½ tsp turmeric powder
3ml ½ tsp red chilli powder
45 ml / 3 tsp garam masala powder
1 large green pepper chopped
1 kg free range Boneless chicken pieces, skin removed
100ml chicken stock
100ml soured cream
Sea salt and freshly milled black pepper
450g short crust pastry (see recipe)
Method
Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onions till golden brown. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Blend the onions into a smooth paste in a food processor.
Remove into a separate container.
Now grind the tomatoes, garlic and ginger pastes together into a smooth paste.
Heat the remaining oil again and add the onion paste. Fry for 3 minutes.
Add the tomato paste and all the spices. Mix well.
Fry the masala till the oil begins to separate from it.
Add the green pepper and chicken to the masala and brown well.
Slowly add the chicken stock and soured cream to the chicken, simmer and cover. Cook for 5 minutes and place to one side.
Roll out the pastry to about 4mm thick and cut into 30cm circles.
Place a small spoonful of filling into the centre of each circle. Draw the edges together over the chicken and pinch to seal. Then turn over and press gently to flatten the pasties.
Make a small slash in the top of each pastie and place on a baking tray.
Brush with the egg wash and bake in the centre of the oven for about 30 minutes at 220* Gas mark 6.
Tom Ridge