Thai Red Chicken Curry Filo Pies
These fragrant chicken curry pies are delicately spiced, making them suitable for the whole family. If you prefer more of a kick, turn up the heat by adding extra red curry paste.
Ingredients
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 makrut (kaffir) lime leaves
1 lemongrass stem, bruised
2 tsp red curry paste
400g chicken thighs, cut into small pieces (or 400g cooked shredded chicken, see note at the bottom)
1 medium potato, peeled and cut into 1cm cubes
400ml coconut milk
1 cup frozen peas
2 tsp cornflour, mixed with 2 Tbsp water (if required)
25g butter, melted
1 packet filo pastry
1 Tbsp sesame seeds, black, white or a mix
Method
Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a pan. Add the onion and fry until soft, about 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic, lime leaves and lemongrass and cook for one minute, then add the curry paste and fry until fragrant. Add the chicken pieces and fry until lightly browned, then add the potato and the coconut milk. Gently simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes and chicken are cooked through. Add the peas and cook a further 2-3 minutes
If your sauce is too liquid, add a little of the cornflour slurry and stir continuously over a low heat, adding more if required, until thickened. Remove and discard the makrut leaves and lemongrass and set the curry aside to cool
In a small bowl, combine the melted butter with the remaining olive oil. Lay out a sheet of filo and brush it with the butter oil mix. Top it with a second sheet and repeat the brushing process until you have a total of six layers. Cut the filo into six even squares, gently pressing each piece into an oiled Texas muffin tray to create filo cup (the edges will be sticking up). Spoon the pie filling into the filo cups, going no higher than the top of each cup. Fold in the edges and brush the tops with the butter
Brush and layer two additional sheets of filo and cut six even squares. Scrunch up the pastry squares and place them on top of the pies. Sprinkle with a few sesame seeds and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before baking
To bake, preheat the oven to 200°C. Transfer the tray to the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until golden. Cool for a few minutes in the tin before carefully removing and serving
Leftover Love: If you want to use up some leftover chicken instead of cooking more, just add it to the coconut milk sauce at the same time as the peas.