Butter chicken pie with naan crust

Ingredients

• 1kg skinless, boneless chicken thighs, fat trimmed and cut into bite-sized chunks
• 2 red peppers, halved

MARINADE

• 1 lemon, juiced
• 150g natural yogurt
• ½ tsp hot chilli powder
• 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground turmeric

CURRY SAUCE

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for the bowl
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• a thumb-sized piece ginger, finely grated
• 1 ½ tsp ground coriander
• 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
• 1 ½ tsp fenugreek seeds
• 1 ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp mild chilli powder
• 150g tomato purée
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 800ml chicken stock
• 25g unsalted butter
• 4 tbsp double cream

NAAN CRUST

• 7g sachet fast-action dried yeast
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 300g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 100g natural yogurt
• 2 tsp nigella seeds
• 3 tbsp butter, melted

Description

• STEP 1

  Mix the marinade ingredients in a non-metallic bowl with 1 tsp salt and some crushed black pepper. Add the chicken and mix well to coat, then marinate in the fridge for at least 3 hours or preferably overnight.

• STEP 2

  Heat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Space the chicken chunks on a grill rack over a baking tray, and sit the red peppers alongside. Bake for 20 minutes, turning halfway. Take out and cut the roasted peppers into chunks.

• STEP 3

  Heat the vegetable oil in a deep frying pan or casserole and gently cook the onion, garlic and ginger with a little salt for 10 minutes until soft. Add the spices and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant, then stir in the tomato purée and cook for another minute.

• STEP 4

  Add the lemon juice, stock, chicken pieces and peppers, and bring to a simmer. Gently bubble for 20 minutes, then stir in the butter and cream. When the sauce is smooth, season to taste and take off the heat. Cool.

• STEP 5

  For the naan crust, mix the yeast, sugar and 3 tbsp of warm water. Leave the mixture until frothy. Put the flour in a big mixing bowl with the fine sea salt and make a well in the middle. Mix the yogurt into the yeast mixture, then pour into the middle of the well and mix. Gradually stir in another 100ml of warm water to make a soft, sticky dough. Knead for 5 minutes on a lightly floured worksurface, then put back into a clean bowl and cover with lightly oiled clingfilm. Leave until doubled in size.

• STEP 6

  Pour the curry into a baking or pie dish. Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4.

• STEP 7

  Knock the air out of the naan dough by kneading in the nigella seeds, then roll out onto a lightly floured worksurface until big enough to cover the pie dish, with a small overhang. Brush the outside edge of the dish with a little melted butter, then put the dough on top. Press down around the sides of the dish to seal. Brush the top with more melted butter.

• STEP 8

  Bake the pie for 30-35 minutes or until the naan is pale golden and crisp on top.