A marriage of two winter favourites; silky fragrant butter chicken in a crisp pastry shell.

Ingredients

• 45 ml (3 Tbsp) butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 – 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 30 ml (2 T) grated gingerroot
• 10 – 15 ml (2 – 3 t) chilli powder
• 10 ml (2 t) ground turmeric
• 5 – 10 ml (1 – 2 t) ground cumin 
• 5 – 10 ml (1 – 2 t) ground coriander
• 2.5 ml (½ t) ground cinnamon
• 1 x 400 g can Rhodes Quality Tomato Puree 
• 1 x 50 g sachet of Rhodes Quality Tomato Paste
• 15 – 30 ml (1 – 2 T) brown sugar
• salt and black pepper
• 4 chicken breast fillets, cubed
• 250 ml (1 C) cream 
• handful chopped coriander leaves
• 2 x 400 g puff pastry
• 1 egg, beaten

Method

1. Heat the butter then add the onion and fry until tender. 
2. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook briefly before adding the chilli powder, turmeric, cumin, coriander and cinnamon and stir for a minute before adding the Rhodes Quality Tomato Puree, Rhodes Quality Tomato Paste and brown sugar. 
3. Season to taste, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes. 
4. Add the chicken and simmer for a further 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
5. Stir in the cream and coriander leaves.
6. Remove from the heat and cool.
7. Unroll one roll of puff pastry and roll out, as little as possible, to size to fit the base and sides of a baking pan.
8. Line the base and sides, leaving a small overhang, of a baking pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.
9. Spoon the cooled filling into the pie dish.
10. Unroll the second roll of puff pastry and trim the edges straight.
11. Using a ruler and a sharp knife, cut the pastry into even sized strips.
12. Lay strips of pastry, giving a small overhang, in parallel leaving a small gap between each piece along one side of the baking pan.
13. Pinch one strip of pastry, giving a small overhang, onto the edge running perpendicular to the parallel strips.
14. Weave over and under the strips running parallel.
15. Pinch a second strip of pastry on the edge below the first strip.
16. Weave under and over the strips running parallel.
17. Repeat with the remaining strips.
18. Trim all the edges of the strips flush with the bottom pastry.
19. Roll the rim of the shell over the edge of the lattice strips, and pinch to secure.
20. Brush the pastry lattice well with the beaten egg.
21. Chill the pie for 15 minutes to set the pastry.
22. Bake in a preheated oven at 190˚C for 30 – 35 minutes until the pastry is crisp and deep golden brown.

Cooking Tip: Do not want to fuss with lattice? Simply prepare a plain pastry lid by cutting pastry to size and use a fork to pinch the top and bottom pastry edges together. Make a small slit in the top for the steam to escape and brush with beaten egg before baking.