My first confession is that that I never thought I would be sitting here writing a recipe for a Thai Curry pie, but times change and we change with them or stagnate. My interest was sparked on my first trip back to Bangkok after the pandemic, chicken curry puffs have long been a popular Thai snack but savoury pies, usually steak and kidney, were very much something that was restricted to the Bangkok expat pub scene. All that had changed, bake shops were springing up outside the traditional tourist areas and Thai's themselves were getting heavily into savoury pastry. Trending restaurants now had some form of savoury pastry or pie on the menu and when I saw the Mandarin Oriental had chicken curry pies I knew I had to go for it on my return.
My second confession is that I am a complete convert. There will always be those who insist curry has to be served with rice. For the rest of you, those who love both puff pastry and Thai curry I suggest it is not too big a leap to imagine how tempting this dish could be. if you're short of imagination you can always watch the video below😊. The great thing about this recipe is that you're not confined or restricted to one particular flavour, If you prefer Massaman to Green curry then go with a Massaman Curry pie, The choice is yours.
Ingredients for this recipe are for a Green curry pie, if you wish to make it with another curry paste all you need do is follow the recipe for that particular paste, Beef Panang for example, but keeping the sauce to a consistency more suitable for a pie filling. Then follow the baking steps as below, and talking of baking, everyone has their own method often adapting it to the characteristics of their oven or the way they like their pastry. These baking steps are just examples and they're what works best for me in my kitchen.
Prepped Ingredients for Thai Green Curry Pie. See recipe at bottom of page for full details.
Stir fry chicken in oil until cooked and starting to brown
Add chicken to pan with the rest of the prepped ingredients.
Cook for about 10 minutes, or until you are happy with the consistency of the sauce.
Allow the curry filling to cool before filling your pie cases. Make the pie cases by rolling out the shortcrust pastry, brushing the moulds lightly with oil and filling the pie dish holes, hopefully neater than I have:-)
Add the puff pastry lids, crimp down the edges with a little water and brush with beaten egg. Cut a cross in the middle of the lid to allow steam to escape.
In my oven, I baked these at 210C for about 35 minutes but ovens vary so check at 25 minutes and cover with some foil if browning too quickly. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before removing from the moulds.
Our Thai Curry Pie is made with a light and flaky puff pastry crust, packed with your choice of curry. Whether it's a Beef Massaman or a Thai Green Curry filling, the choice is yours. Taste the authentic flavors of Southeast Asia in every bite.
Cut chicken into bite size chunks, the sweetcorn and peppers or mild chillies, and spring onions into small pieces Put pan on a medium heat, add paste and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the chicken to the pan and stir fry in a little oil until starting to brown.
Add half the can of coconut milk, preferably the thicker part from top of the can. Add the rest of the ingredients.
Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes.
Adjust the consistency of the sauce adding more liquid from the can if needed. Remember you need this to be thicker than you would in a curry. Adjust the taste with a little fresh lime juice and Thai fish sauce if needed.
Put to one side and allow to cool before using.
Make the pie cases by rolling out the shortcrust pastry, brushing the moulds lightly with oil and filling the pie dish moulds.
Roll out the puff pastry and cut the lids to the required size for your pie moulds. Add the puff pastry lids, crimp down the edges with a little water and brush with beaten egg. Cut a cross in the middle of the lid to allow steam to escape.
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 210C for about 35 minutes, but ovens vary so check at 25 minutes and cover with some foil if browning too quickly. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before removing from the moulds.
Recipe Note
This recipe is for Thai green chicken curry. If you would
prefer to cook using a different paste or choice of filling check out some of
the other recipes on the website and cook the filling accordingly. The main
thing to remember is that you need less liquid for a pie filling then you do
for a curry.
If you're using frozen pastry don't let it thaw too much
before using. The short crust pastry once in the moulds can also be “blind baked”
if you would prefer a firmer crust. Whatever way you do it make sure the
filling has cooled before putting into the pie moulds.
These pies can also be frozen after baking. Wrap in 2 layers
of cling film and then aluminium foil. Place on a baking tray covered loosely
by aluminium foil and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 35 minutes
until cooked through.
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Finally got around to trying Nitsa's beef short-ribs recipe. I followed the instructions to the letter and it was absolutely superb! My wife start making alarming gurgling noises and I thought I might have to call a doctor. But no, she was just in raptures having had her first bite of the slow cooked ribs! I garnished it with some Thai basil and that worked beautifully. I did find I had to boil away quite alot of the liquid and should perhaps have added a little less than I did, but I got it to the right consistency eventually! 10 out of 10!
Finally got around to trying Nitsa's beef short-ribs recipe. I followed the instructions to the letter and it was absolutely superb! My wife start making alarming gurgling noises and I thought I might have to call a doctor. But no, she was just in raptures having had her first bite of the slow cooked ribs! I garnished it with some Thai basil and that worked beautifully. I did find I had to boil away quite alot of the liquid and should perhaps have added a little less than I did, but I got it to the right consistency eventually! 10 out of 10!
