Ingredients

Method

For the puff pastry:
• 1 kg cake flour
• 1 t salt
• 2 t baking powder
• 2 x 500 g unsalted butter bricks
• 2 cups boiling water
• 32 g cornflour
• 1 T cream of tartar
• 1 large free-range egg, beaten
For the filling:
• 30 g butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 kg free-range chicken fillets, cubed
• 2 T garlic crushed
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped
• 1 t turmeric
• 2 T ground coriander
• 1 t ground cumin
• ½ t chilli powder
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• ¾ cup coconut cream
• 2 T fresh coriander chopped
• 1 free-range egg, beaten
• black sesame seeds, for sprinkling

Method

Ingredients

1. To make the puff pastry, combine the flour, salt and baking powder in a large bowl.
2. Cut 1 brick butter into small pieces and add to the boiling water and allow to cool. Once cooled, carefully add to the dry ingredients and mix using a knife until slightly crumbly.
3. Divide the pastry into 4 x 500 g balls, wrap each in clingwrap and chill for 1 hour. Roll out into equal sized rectangles about 1 cm thick. Keep the pastry in the fridge as you work.
4. Meanwhile, mix the corn flour and cream of tartar and set aside. Grate the remaining butter and sprinkle it equally between three pieces of pastry (leaving the fourth clean). Sprinkle each piece with equal amounts of the corn flour and cream of tartar mixture.
5. Layer the pastry sheets on top of each other, finishing with the fourth clean pastry sheet. Roll out and fold in half. Repeat this step twice. Fold each side into the middle to create an envelope shape, cut in half and wrap in clingwrap. Freeze for 12 hours. Thaw before using. You only need half the pastry for the chicken pies.
6. To make the filling, heat the butter in a pan and fry the onion until light brown, then add the chicken, garlic and chilli and sauté.
7. Add the spices, season and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
8. Add the coconut cream and coriander. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
9. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Once the filling has cooled, spoon into 4 x 10 cm ovenproof dishes. Cut the thawed puff pastry into circles big enough to cover the filling. Push in the sides to secure, brush with egg and sprinkle with black sesame seeds. Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until golden brown and puffed up.

Cook's note: Use Woolworths readymade puff pastry instead if you prefer.

“The pastry recipe was passed down to my mom by her late stepmother. Make it from scratch if you can!” – Ashraf Booley

This recipe is part of TASTE's "Mother Knows Best" feature (May 2016), where the TASTE team convinced their mothers to share their secret recipes.

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