Crisp, golden and downright irresistible: Pies are the ultimate comfort food, no matter the season. With an easy hot water pastry, delicate layers of puff pastry and a classic crumbly shortcrust, we’re baking our way to pie perfection.  

Pepper steak & Guinness pie

Serves 8 

This pie is pure winter magic, with a rich, toasted dark malt flavour. Replace the beer with beef stock for an alcohol-free version.  

Ingredients

For the pie filling  

2 Tbsp oil 
2 onions, chopped 
2 celery stalks, chopped 
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
⅔ cup tomato paste 
2 tsp ground cumin 
2 tsp ground coriander 
2 tsp smoked paprika 
1kg beef goulash
2 Tbsp milled black pepper
10 sprigs thyme, picked 
2 cups Guinness or stout beer of choice 
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 can (400g) tomato puree
½ Tbsp brown sugar Salt  

For the pastry 

1 cup (250g) butter, cubed
1¼ cups (310ml) water 
4 cups (600g) flour 
1 tsp (5ml) salt flakes 
Handful parsley, chopped 
2 tsp (10ml) cumin seeds, toasted 
1 egg, beaten 
Creamy mash, to serve  

Method

1. For the filling, heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté the onions, celery, garlic and carrots for about 5-8 minutes. 
2. Add tomato paste and spices. Fry for another minute. 
3. Add beef, black pepper and thyme. Brown for 3-5 minutes. 
4. Add beer, Worcestershire sauce, tomato puree and sugar. Season. 
5. Lower the temperature and cook for about 2 hours. 
6. For the pastry, combine the butter and water in a pot and bring to a boil. 
7. Combine flour, salt, parsley and cumin seeds in a bowl. 
8. Add the butter mixture to the flour mixture. Combine with a wooden spoon to create a dough. 
9. Knead the dough on a floured surface for about 3 minutes or until smooth. 
10. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Spray a 25x35cm pie dish with non-stick spray. 11. Roll the pastry out to about 2-3mm thick. Chill until firm. 
11. To assemble, spoon the pie filling into the prepared dish. 
12. Cover the filling with pastry. Use any pastry off-cuts to decorate the pie. Brush the pastry with egg wash. 
13. Bake for about 40-45 minutes or until pastry is golden and crisp.
14. Serve the pie with mash.

Good to know 
What is hot water pastry, exactly? This firm, versatile dough is traditionally used for savoury pastries and raised pies, which are strong enough to stand up without the support of a tin. It’s made by melting fat (butter or lard) in boiling water and combining it with flour to make a dough that is easy to handle and keeps its shape. 

Mushroom, potato & spinach pies  

Makes 6  

Perfect as is or served with salad or roasted veg to make the meal stretch further. 

Ingredients

2 potatoes, peeled and quartered 
1 Tbsp olive oil 
1 onion, finely chopped 
3 cloves garlic, finely grated
180g mixed mushrooms, sliced 
50g baby spinach 
3 Tbsp wholegrain mustard
¼ cup sour cream 
Handful parsley, chopped 
400g short crust pastry, defrosted 
1 egg, beaten 
Salt and milled pepper  

Method

1. Boil the potatoes until tender. Use a fork to mash some of the potatoes, leaving some pieces whole. 
2. Heat the oil and fry the onion for about 4 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and mushrooms and fry for another 5 minutes. 
4. Turn off the heat. Stir in the baby spinach, mustard, sour cream and parsley. Season. 
5. Preheat oven to 180°C. 6. Cut 6x15cm rounds from the short crust pastry. Brush with egg wash. 
6. Place the filling on half of the pastry rounds, leaving a 1cm border clean. Fold pastry over, encasing the filling. 
7. Seal the pastry by crimping the edges. Fold the edge and press down at increments, 1cm apart. 
8. Place the pies on a baking tray. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with salt.
9. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. 

Butter chicken pot pies  

Serves 3-4  

Pie-making at home cannot get easier than this! Your favourite curry, now with a golden, flaky crown. 

Ingredients

4 chicken breast fillets 
1 Tbsp oil 
Salt and milled pepper 
400g butter chicken cook-in sauce 
2 (250g each) ready-rolled puff pastry sheets, defrosted 
1 egg, beaten 
Coriander, to serve 
Cooked basmati rice, to serve  

Method

1. Cut the chicken into bite-size cubes. 
2. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the chicken for about 5 minutes. Season. 
3. Add the butter chicken cook-in sauce and simmer for another 10 minutes. 
4. Preheat the oven to 180°C. 
5. Using a cookie cutter, cut the pastry into desired shapes of about 4-5cm in size. Chill. 
6. To assemble, divide the filling between 3-4 individual pie dishes. 
7. Top with pastry and brush with egg wash. 
8. Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until golden brown. 
9. Garnish with coriander and enjoy with basmati rice. 

Good to know
Working with puff pastry can be a finicky thing, but there are some basic tricks to it. Avoid overworking it, as doing so can cause the layers to compress, which reduces flakiness. Use a sharp knife to avoid squeezing the layers of puff pastry together. If making a pie base, prevent sogginess by blind baking it first or use a small amount of breadcrumbs or semolina to absorb moisture.  

By: Lichelle May
Photography by: Zhann Solomons
Text courtesy of MyKitchen magazine 

The post Flaky and fabulous  appeared first on MyKitchen.

Editor Chad January dishes out heaps of heart-warming pies, topped with tips to perfect any kind of crust.  

Beef and Guinness pie 

Serves 4-6 • Total Time 1 Hr 45 Min 

Ingredients

1kg beef shin or stewing beef  
Salt and milled black pepper  
Cake flour, for dusting 
2 Tbsp canola oil  
1 onion, chopped  
2 carrots, peeled and chopped 
2 stalks celery, sliced  
3 cloves garlic, chopped  
Handful fresh thyme  
400g tinned chopped tomatoes  
440ml Guinness beer  
1 cup beef stock  
Handful fresh coriander, chopped 
400g puff pastry, defrosted  
1 egg, whisked  

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. 
2. Generously season beef and lightly dust with flour. 
3. Heat oil in large pot and brown beef in batches. Set aside. 
4. Add another glug of oil and sauté onion, carrots and celery for 3-5 minutes or until golden. 
5. Add garlic and thyme and fry for 1-2 minutes. 
6. Return beef to pot and pour in tomatoes, beer and stock. Cover and simmer for about an hour or until meat is tender. 
7. Stir through coriander and simmer for another 10-12 minutes. Season well. 
8. Roll pastry out on a floured surface to about 3mm thick. 
9. Place half the pastry into a greased round oven dish and prick the base with a fork. 
10. Blind bake pastry for 6-8 minutes and set aside. 
11. Pour filling into pie crust and cover with remaining pastry. 
12. Brush with egg and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Serve hot. 

TIME SAVER 
Skip the blind baking and spoon pie filling into small ovenproof ramekins and top with puff pastry. Brush with egg and bake for 15 minutes or until golden.  

Haddock, cheddar and potato pie 

Serves 4-6 • Total Time 1 Hr 

Ingredients

500g smoked haddock  
Glug olive oil  
1 onion, chopped  
2 carrots, peeled and chopped  
2 cloves garlic, chopped  
½ cup cream  
½ cup vegetable stock  
2 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped  
1 lemon, zested and juiced  
Salt and milled black pepper  
6 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped 
½ cup sour cream  
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard  
2 Tbsp chives, parsley or coriander, chopped 
1 cup mature cheddar, grated  

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. 
2. Place haddock in a colander over a pot of simmering water, cover with a lid and steam for about 8-10 minutes or until cooked through. Flake fish, discard bones and set aside. 
3. Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet; sauté onions and carrots until golden. 
4. Add garlic and fry for another minute or until fragrant. 
5. Pour in cream, vegetable stock and dill. Simmer for 5-6 minutes. 
6. Fold through haddock and mustard and simmer for another 3-5 minutes. 
7. Add lemon zest and juice, season and set aside in skillet. 
8. Boil potatoes for 6-8 minutes, or until cooked through, and drain. 
9. Mash potatoes until smooth and fold through sour cream, mustard, herbs and cheddar. 
10. Top haddock mixture with potato and level with the back of a spoon. 
11. Bake pie for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Serve hot. 

CHEF’S TIP 
Swap out haddock for hake, mackerel or tuna if you prefer.  

Butter chicken phyllo pastry pie 

Serves 4-6 • Total Time 45-50 Min 

Ingredients

FOR THE MARINADE  

½ cup plain yoghurt  
3 cloves garlic, chopped  
2 tsp grated fresh ginger  
1 Tbsp Garam Masala 
1 tsp turmeric  
1 tsp ground cumin  
1 tsp ground coriander  
1 tsp paprika  
½ tsp salt   

FOR THE BUTTER CHICKEN 

500g chicken breasts, cut into medium-sized chunks  
1 Tbsp canola oil  
3 Tbsp butter  
1 onion, chopped  
3 cloves garlic, chopped  
1 tsp grated fresh ginger  
2 tsp Garam Masala 
1 tsp ground coriander  
1 tsp paprika  
1 Tbsp turmeric  
100g tomato paste 
1 tsp sugar  
1 can chopped tomatoes  
1 can coconut milk or cream 
3 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander  
Salt and milled black pepper  

FOR THE CRUST  

6-8 sheets phyllo pastry, defrosted  
Melted butter for brushing  
Fresh coriander, chopped for serving 
Plain yoghurt, for serving 

Method

1. Combine marinade ingredients and chicken in a bowl and set aside for an hour. 
2. Preheat oven to 180°C. 
3. Fry chicken in batches in a large pot or skillet for about 3-4 minutes. Don’t cook chicken all the way through. Reserve marinade and set aside.
4. Remove chicken and set aside. 
5. For the sauce, heat oil and butter in the same pan and sauté onions for 3-4 minutes. 
6. Add garlic and ginger and fry for 1-2 minutes. 
7. Stir through spices and cook for 2 minutes. Add a splash of water if needed. 
8. Add tomato paste and cook for a minute. Stir through sugar. 
9. Pour in tomatoes and coconut milk or cream. Simmer for 5 minutes. 
10. Add chicken and simmer for about 10 minutes. 
11. Stir through coriander and season. 
12. Pour butter chicken into a large ovenproof dish. 
13. Cut each sheet of phyllo pastry into four long strips. Fold each strip into a triangle shape to resemble a samoosa. 
14. Arrange pastry on top of butter chicken and brush with melted butter. 
15. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until pastry is golden. 
16. Serve with dollops of yoghurt and garnished with fresh coriander. 

LEVEL UP
Arrange 4-5 phyllo pastry sheets at the bottom of your pastry dish, brushing with butter between each layer. Blind bake for 6-8 minutes.  Then add in the butter chicken.  

Roasted vegetable pie with herbed cream cheese pastry 

Serves 4-6 • Total Time 45 Min  [Plus 30 Min Chill Time] 

Ingredients

FOR THE PASTRY  

2 cups cake flour  
½ tsp salt  
½ cup butter, grated  
¼ cup chopped fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, coriander or rosemary)  
230g medium fat cream cheese  
2 Tbsp water, if needed   

FOR THE FILLING  

1kg roasted vegetable mix  
Glug canola oil  
Salt and milled black pepper 
Handful fresh thyme or rosemary  
4 cloves garlic, sliced  
2 Tbsp sundried tomato pesto  
¼ cup canola oil  
1 egg, whisked  

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. 
2. Sift flour and salt into a bowl. Rub butter into flour using your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. 
3. Mix through herbs and cream cheese with a wooden spoon until a smooth, soft dough is formed. Add a splash of water if dough is too dry. 
4. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes. 
5. Arrange vegetables in an ovenproof dish or deep roasting tray, taking care to spread them out evenly. 
6. Drizzle with oil, season, sprinkle with herbs and garlic. Roast for 15 minutes or until golden and slightly charred. 
7. Combine pesto and oil. 
8. Remove vegetables from oven and stir through pesto. Roast for another 6-8 minutes. 
9. Roll out pastry onto a lightly floured surface to about 3cm thick and shape according to your greased pie dish. Leave enough pastry to create a lid. 
10. Press pastry into pie dish, prick base with a fork and blind bake for 10 minutes. 
11. Remove vegetables from oven, season well and stir. Spoon vegetables into the blind-baked pie dish. 
12. Cut remaining pastry into large strips and arrange over filling to create a lattice. 
13. Brush with egg and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until pastry is golden and cooked through. Serve hot out of the oven.

Creamy chicken and kale pie with harissa sweet potato crust 

Serves 4-6 • Total Time 1 Hr 

Ingredients

FOR THE FILLING  

500g chicken breast fillets 
2 Tbsp canola oil  
3 spring onions, sliced  
4 leeks, sliced  
3 cloves garlic, chopped  
3 Tbsp butter  
2 Tbsp flour  
1 cup cream  
300g kale, roughly chopped  
Salt and milled black pepper  
3 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander or parsley  

FOR THE CRUST  

4-6 sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced  
2 Tbsp harissa paste  
1 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander  

Method

1. Place chicken into a large pot and fill with water to cover. 
2. Bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer for about 15-20 minutes. 
3. Remove chicken and allow to cool before shredding. Reserve ¼ cup poaching liquid. 
4. Heat oil in a large pot and sauté onion and leeks for 5-6 minutes. 
5. Stir through garlic and fry for another 2 minutes. 
6. Add butter and, once melted, stir through flour until smooth.
7. Add poaching liquid and stir until smooth. Cook for 3-5 minutes. 
8. Pour in cream and simmer for 5 minutes. 
9. Fold in chicken, kale and herbs and season well. 
10. Preheat oven to 180°C. 
11. Spoon filling into an ovenproof pie dish or skillet pan. 
12. Toss sweet potato, harissa and coriander. Season well. 
13. Arrange sweet potato slices on top of filling in a spiral. 
14. Bake pie for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through and golden. Serve hot. 

CHEF’S TIP 
Swap kale for spinach or Swiss chard.  

Mini pork pies 

Serves 12 • Total Time 45-50 Min 

Ingredients

400g puff pastry, defrosted  
2 Tbsp canola oil  
1 onion, chopped  
2 cloves garlic, chopped  
500g pork bangers, casing removed 
1 tsp ground nutmeg  
2 tsp wholegrain or Dijon mustard 
Salt and milled black pepper  
1 egg, whisked  

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. 
2. Roll out pastry onto a lightly floured surface to about 3cm thick. 
3. Cut out 12 circles, larger than the cups of a 6-cup muffin tray. 
4. Grease your muffin tray and line each cup with pastry, taking care to leave some above the rim of the cup. Prick with a fork and chill in fridge for 15 minutes. Set aside remaining pastry circles. 
5. Blind bake pastry for 10-12 minutes. Set aside to cool. 
6. Heat oil in a large pan and sauté onions for 3-5 minutes. 
7. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Set aside to cool. 
8. Combine pork, nutmeg, mustard and cooled onions. Season well. 
9. Spoon filling into muffin cups and level with the back of a spoon. 
10. Cover filling with remaining pastry and crimp edges with excess pastry to enclose. 
11. Brush with egg and bake for about 30 minutes or until pastry is golden. 
12. Cool on a wire rack and serve hot or cold with dollops of mustard. 

The post Tips to perfect your heart-warming pies appeared first on MyKitchen.

We love Indian food especially this simple butter chicken! It may be simple, but it is still packed with flavour and perfect for cosy winter evenings.

SERVES 4 // TOTAL TIME 55 min + marination

INGREDIENTS

For the chicken marinade

Boneless chicken fillets, sliced into short strips 4 
Plain yoghurt ¾ cup 
Garlic cloves, minced 3 
Piece ginger, grated 3 cm 
Garam masala 1 tsp 
Ground cumin 1 tsp 
Turmeric 1 tsp 
Chilli powder ½ tsp 

For the sambal

Oil 1 ½ tbsp 
Red chillies, washed & de-stemmed 200 g 
Garlic clove, minced 1 
Lime juice 1 tbsp 
Salt 2 tsp 
Brown sugar 1 tbsp 

For the curry

Oil 2 tbsp 
Onion, chopped 1 
Garlic cloves, minced 3 
Piece ginger, grated 2 cm 
Butter 2 tbsp 
Garam masala 2 tbsp 
Ground cumin 1 ½ tsp 
Turmeric ½ tsp 
Tomato paste 2 tbsp 
Tin tomatoes 1 × 400 g
Chicken stock 1 cup 
Sugar 1 tbsp 
Cream 1 cup 

To serve

Basmati rice, cooked
Roti 4 
Coriander sprigs, to garnish

METHOD

For the chicken marinade

1. Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix to coat the chicken evenly. Cover and set aside for at least 3 hours to marinate.

For the sambal

1. Place the oil in a pan over high heat. Once hot, add the chillies and garlic, then fry for 30 seconds.
2. Remove from the heat and add to a food processor with the remaining ingredients. Blend into a rough paste, then transfer to a jar and set aside.

For the curry

1. Place the oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for 1 min until fragrant. Add the butter, garam masala, cumin, turmeric and tomato paste. Fry for a minute, stirring well. 
2. Add the tinned tomatoes, stock and sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 20–30 min, until reduced.
3. Add the cream, chicken and marinade to the sauce and cook for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. 
4. Serve in bowls with rice, warm roti, coriander and sambal.

Recipes & styling: Sjaan van der Ploeg
Styling assistant: Jezza-Rae Larsen, Kirsty Buchanan
Photography: Chanelle Naudt/hmimages.co.za

You can’t deny that curry on a cold winters day is not the absolute best! So why not ditch the usual chicken or veg and try our crab curry recipe instead!

The post Simple butter chicken  appeared first on MyKitchen.

Gather your friends and family around for a fun movie night, complete with some incredible home-made snacks such as these Mini butter chicken bunny chows!

SERVES 6 //  COOK TIME 45 min

INGREDIENTS
For the chicken
5 chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground turmeric 
1 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced
⅓ cup double-cream yoghurt 
For the curry
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground turmeric 
1 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp chilli powder
2 cardamom pods
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 cup water
½ cup cream
To serve
6 large rolls, heated
Handful coriander, chopped 

METHOD
For the chicken 
1. Place chicken in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
2. Add the spices and garlic, and stir well to coat the chicken. Mix in the yoghurt. 
3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
For the curry
1. Heat some oil in a pan over medium heat. Fry the onion for 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and ginger paste, tomato paste and spices. Cook for 1 min.
2. Mix in the tinned tomatoes and water. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10–15 minutes or until thick. 
3. Using a stick blender, blend the sauce until almost smooth. 
4. Bring to a simmer and add the chicken. Simmer for another 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. Stir through the cream and season.

To serve
1. Slice off the tops of the rolls and use a fork to scoop out the fluffy middle so that you have a hollow bread ‘bowl’. Remember to leave enough roll around the sides of the ‘bowl’ so that the curry doesn’t seep through.
2. Spoon the curry into each roll and top with the chopped coriander.

Quick tip: Buy rolls that have a hearty centre and a thicker crust so that you can fill them with as much curry
as possible!

Recipes & styling: Jezza-Rae Larsen
Photography: K-Leigh Siebritz

Looking for new ways to spice up your braai meat? Try these South African-style boerewors corn dogs for a yummy twist on a local favourite.

The post Mini butter chicken bunny chows appeared first on MyKitchen.

Butter chicken is, and always will be, a mouthwatering local favourite, no matter the time of year! Our baked butter chicken recipe is filled with perfectly balanced fragrant spices to make this dish that much more delicious.

SERVES 8 // COOKING TIME 1 hour 40 min

INGREDIENTS
For the baked butter chicken
1 tbsp tandoori spice
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp salt
Juice of 1 lemon
100 ml vegetable oil
1 whole chicken
5 tbsp butter
400 g tin chopped tomatoes
1 onion, chopped
1 cup cream
1 tsp tomato paste
1 tsp cumin
For the coriander sauce
1 cup coriander
¼ cup mint
7 green chillies, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
3 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp grated ginger
1 garlic clove, grated
½ tsp cumin, toasted
½ tsp salt
½ cup yoghurt

METHOD
For the baked butter chicken
1. Mix tandoori spice, garlic, ginger, salt, lemon juice and 3 tbsp oil. Coat the chicken in the mixture and leave to marinate for 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 180°C.
3. Heat remaining oil and butter in an ovenproof pot. Sear the chicken on all sides, then add the remaining ingredients.
4. Place pot in oven and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes. Remove from oven and leave the chicken to cool in sauce for 30 minutes.
5. Remove whole chicken from sauce and shred all meat off it. Return meat to sauce and warm through, stirring to mix.
For the coriander sauce
1. Place all ingredients, except yoghurt, in a food processor and pulse until smooth.
2. Fold in yoghurt.

Recipe & styling: Chiara Turilli & Amerae Vercueil
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za

The post Baked butter chicken appeared first on MyKitchen.

Say hello to the quickest and easiest butter chicken curry you’ve ever tasted. And did we mention that it’s absolutely delicious and packed with flavour as well?

SERVES 4–6 // COOKING TIME 30 min

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp olive oil
2 red onions, peeled and chopped
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp crushed ginger
4 chicken breast fillets, sliced and seasoned to taste
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp masala spice
1 cup cream
1 cup full-cream plain yoghurt
300g prawns
Coriander, chopped, to garnish
Coconut shavings, to serve
Basmati rice, to serve

METHOD
1. Heat oil in a pan over high heat and fry onions, garlic and ginger until browned.
2. Add chicken, tomato paste and masala spice.
3. When the chicken is almost cooked, add the cream, yoghurt and prawns. Cook for a further 5 minutes.
4. Garnish with coriander and coconut and serve with rice.

The post Butter chicken and prawn curry appeared first on MyKitchen.