I really did honestly just throw these together out of what was in the house, so your version may not look like my version. That’s fine, it’ll be tasty, trust me. (: I would like these to have a bit more of a creamy filling, but they’re still pretty good just as they are. This makes enough filling for about 12 pasties, pocket-pies, calzones, whatever you call them.

Curry Chicken Pasties

  • 1 to 1.5 recipes Sourdough Piecrust
  • 1 lb. ground chicken
  • olive oil
  • 1 small-medium onion, chopped
  • about 10 button mushrooms, chopped
  • 1/2 c. celery or Swiss chard stems, chopped (I used reconstituted dried celery and chard from my stash)
  • 1 hot pepper, minced
  • 1 Tbsp. ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric (if you’re using Penzey’s turmeric, use less — it’s strong stuff)
  • 1/2-1 tsp ground ginger
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 c. raisins (or more)
  • 1/4-3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (depending on how much heat you like)
  • salt to taste
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • generous pinch sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. garam masala
  • 2 Tbsp. butter

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Saute the onion and celery in a generous splash of olive oil until they start to turn soft and tender. Add the mushrooms, hot pepper, and spices. When the mushrooms are beginning to get tender, add the garlic and the ground chicken. Chop and smash the chicken with a spoon as you cook it to get small pieces. Add a little water to loosen it all up if you need to (the mushrooms will release liquid as they cook, which may be enough), then add the lemon juice, sugar, and raisins. Let cook until the raisins are nice and plump and the chicken is fully cooked. Swirl in the butter, remove from the heat, add the garam masala, and stir well. Taste and add salt or more garam masala if needed. Allow to cool.

Make small balls of the sourdough piecrust, each a little larger than a golf ball. Roll one ball into a round, top half the round with chicken mixture, fold over the other half, and seal it shut with a fork. Cut a vent hole in the top of the pastie with a sharp knife and place it on a cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining pastry balls. You will get about eight pasties with 1 recipe of piecrust, and some chicken left over. You’ll get about 12 for 1.5 recipes of piecrust, and no chicken left over.

Bake the pasties at 350°F for 40 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. They can be frozen and re-heated in the oven to crisp them up — 20 minutes at 350°F for reheating.