DIY Recipes: How to make Chicken Pie

Ingredients

1kg (2.2 lbs) plain flour (All-Purpose Flour)

300g (0.7 lbs) margarine

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 glass of whole milk or water

350g (1.1 lbs) minced chicken

2 small Irish potatoes (spuds)

1 small piece of carrot

1 white onion

1 cooking spoon vegetable oil

2 Knorr cubes

1 teaspoon thyme

2 teaspoons Nigerian curry powder

1 teaspoon plain flour

Some water

Salt (to taste)

1 egg

Method

Pie Filling

Place the minced chicken in a bowl, add the stock cubes (crushed), thyme, salt and some of the curry powder.

Mix till everything is combined.

Cover and place it in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Peel the Irish potatoes and cut into medium cubes. Scrape the carrot and grate. Dice the onion. Set these aside.

Boil the cubes of Irish potato in some water. Add salt for taste. Cook till done but not soft.

Decant the water from the potatoes and set the potatoes aside.

After 20 minutes of the chicken being in the fridge, set a clean dry pot on a stove.

Pour the vegetable oil and when hot, add the diced onions. Stir for a bit.

Add the marinated chicken and start stirring vigorously.

When the chicken is pale, add a small quantity of water and the remaining curry powder.

Add the boiled potatoes and the grated carrot.

Cover and once it boils again, add the thickener prepared above.

Stir very well, add salt if necessary and set the filling aside to cool down completely.

Chicken Pie dough

Sift the flour into a big enough bowl.

Add the baking powder and salt and mix well.

Using a spoon, add the margarine in small scoops.

Mix by hand till the mix becomes like crumbs.

Start adding the whole milk (or water) bit by bit and mix till a stiff ball of dough is formed. Leave the dough in the bowl, cover and set it aside to rest for 10 minutes.

Knead it again and you will notice that it is softer and smoother.

The main pie

Prepare your oven tray to receive the Chicken Pies by rubbing margarine all over the inside of your oven tray. You can also use a baking sheet to line the oven tray. Set the tray aside.

Break the egg, beat it and set aside, we will need it soon.

Roll out the dough on a flat surface.

Make round cuts on the dough using a dough cutter. Remove the excess dough.

Scoop some Chicken Pie filling into the center of the round dough.

Rub the egg on the inside edge of the round cuts. Close and use a fork to close tight. If you have a pie cutter filler utensil, follow the instructions for it to cut, fill and close the Chicken Pies.

Place the finished pie in the oven tray and repeat the process for the rest of the dough and filling.

Rub the egg on the finished Chicken Pies so they will be shiny when done.

Place the oven tray in a preheated oven and bake at 180°C (350°F) till light brown. Once it is golden, take the pies out of the oven so they will not continue to brown and dry up.

Serve with any beverage or drink.