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Make the pastry:
add the ingredients – apart from the water – to a food processor. Pulse gently until the fat has broken down and is barely visible. Add water a couple of teaspoons at a time and pulse just until a soft dough is formed. Chill while you prepare the filling.
(2) Make the filling: add the chicken, onion and carrots to the food processor and pulse to break then down: this only takes a few seconds so go carefully as you want a bit of texture in there rather than a purée.
(3) Scrape the chicken mixture into a pan with a little vegetable oil and add the potatoes, the curry spices and seasoning. Fry over a medium-low heat for about 8 minutes – this is enough to just cook the chicken.
(4) Remove from the heat and stir in the frozen peas and chutney/pickle. Leave to cool.
(5) Assemble: take the pastry out of the fridge and cut into 6 equal pieces. Shape each into a rough ball and roll out thinly on a lightly floured surface.
(6) Cut out circles using a medium bowl or plate (I used a bowl with a diameter of about 14cm, but use what you have).
(7) Take about 2 tablespoons of the cooled mixture and place down the centre of a circle of pastry. You can lightly stretch the pastry if you need to: it is very well-behaved!
(8) Brush the edge lightly with the beaten egg and bring the pastry up and over the filling to meet above the centre. Pinch well to seal and crimp if you wish and place on the baking tray. Repeat with the rest of the pastry.
(9) Brush the tops generously with the egg and sprinkle over cumin seeds, if using. Make a couple of slits into the pasties with sharp knife to let the steam escape when they bake.
(10) Bake for about 20 minutes or until the pasties are a deep golden-brown.
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