One-pot paneer curry pie
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One-pot paneer curry pie

By Esther Clark

What's more comforting than a curry in pie form? This one-pot paneer pie is filled with a makhani-style filling and topped with a crisp puff pastry lid 

  • Prep:25 mins
    Cook:1 hrs 30 mins
    plus cooling
  • Serves 6
  • More effort

Nutrition per serving

  • kcal 871
  • fat 60g
  • saturates 31g
  • carbs 47g
  • sugars 17g
  • fibre 7g
  • protein 31g
  • salt 0.7g

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 440g paneer, cut into 2cm cubes
  • 4 tbsp ghee or butter
  • 2 large onions, finely sliced
  • 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
  • thumb-sized piece of ginger, finely grated
  • ½ tsp hot chilli powder
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp fenugreek seeds
  • 1½ tbsp garam masala
  • 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp caster sugar
  • 300g potato, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
  • 150g spinach
  • 150g frozen peas
  • 100ml double cream
  • 2 tbsp cashew nut butter
  • plain flour, for dusting
  • 320g sheet all-butter puff pastry
  • 2 large eggs, 1 whole, 1 yolk only, lightly beaten together (freeze the leftover egg white for another recipe)
  • 2 tsp nigella seeds
  • pilau rice or green veg, to serve

Tip

Pick the right pie dish

If you don’t have a shallow, ovenproof casserole dish, make your filling in a large pan, then transfer the mixture to a 28-30cm pie dish before topping with pastry and baking in the oven.

Method

  1. Heat the oil over a medium heat in a shallow flameproof casserole dish roughly 30cm wide. Add the paneer and fry for 5 mins, turning with tongs until each side is golden. Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate lined with kitchen paper. 

  2. Heat the ghee or butter in the same dish over a medium-low heat, then add the onions and a big pinch of salt. Fry for 15 mins, or until softened and caramelised. Stir in the garlic and ginger, cook for 1 min, then tip in the spices and fry for a further 2 mins. Scrape the spiced onions into a food processor or blender along with the tomatoes and blitz until smooth. Pour back into the pan with 1½ cans of water, then stir through the sugar and potatoes. Bring to the boil, lower to a simmer, then cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20-25 mins or until the potato is just tender.

  3. Add the spinach and peas, and cook for 5 mins. Stir in the cream and cashew butter, then return the paneer to the pan and season to taste. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool completely.

  4. Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 8. On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry out to just bigger than your casserole dish. Cut a thin strip off each side and fix these around the edge of the casserole. Roll the pastry sheet over the top and press the edges with a fork to seal, and tuck in any overhang. Brush with the egg, sprinkle with the nigella seeds and bake for 30-35 mins or until deep golden brown. Leave to rest for 15 mins before serving with pilau rice or green veg.

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