Craving comfort food with a twist? These Butter Chicken Pies combine the rich, aromatic flavours of butter chicken with the golden, flaky goodness of homemade pastry pies. They’re a guaranteed crowd-pleaser for weeknight dinners or cosy weekend meals—and a clever way to turn a classic curry into a family-friendly favourite.
Makes 4 | Ready in 1 hour 20 minutes
Ingredients
For the pies:
- 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) chicken breasts
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- Salt and cracked black pepper, to season
- 4 sheets puff pastry
- 1 egg, beaten
Butter Chicken Gravy:
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp white sugar
- 1 Tbsp crushed garlic
- 1 Tbsp crushed ginger
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 Tbsp plain flour
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup cream
To serve:
- Steamed green vegetables
Method
- Cut chicken breasts in half horizontally. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook chicken for a few minutes each side until cooked through. Transfer to a bowl, cover with foil and set aside to cool.
- To make the gravy, sauté onion and half the butter in the same pan over low heat for a few minutes.
- Add garam masala, coriander, cumin, paprika, salt, cinnamon, and sugar. Cook for a few minutes.
- Stir in garlic, ginger, and tomato paste. Add remaining butter and allow to melt. Sprinkle over flour and cook for a few minutes, stirring.
- Gradually add water (½ cup at a time), stirring well. Pour in cream and cook until thick. Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) fan bake. Grease 4 small pie dishes or 1 large dish.
- Shred the chicken and stir into the cooled sauce along with any juices.
- Line pie dish(es) with pastry, add filling, and top with more pastry. Seal edges and brush with egg.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until golden and flaky. Serve with steamed greens.
Recipe by Vanya Insull, from Everyday Comfort Food (Allen & Unwin NZ, $39.99)
Photography by Melanie Jenkins (Flash Studios)
