Garam masala, a blend of spices, varies between Indian regions and family traditions but you can purchase garam masala blends in grocery stores that usually contain ground peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, cumin seeds and cardamom. If you have all the tools and ingredients, you can make fresh garam masala by grinding whole spices for some big flavor. After Raghavan Iyer’s visit to our kitchens a few weeks ago, I was really inspired to experiment with garam masala. While a few recipes caught my eye, I kept thinking how tasty it would be in a savory hand pie. It’s perfect timing because Pi Day is this Friday!
These hand pies are filled with a mixture of garam masala, Swiss chard, sweet potatoes, and chicken. When you bake these little guys, your kitchen instantly warms up with the smell of the aromatic spices.
Don’t forget to dunk the hand pies in our cilantro-yogurt dip for a tangy zip that really compliments the filling.
Chicken Hand Pies with Garam Masala
Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/3 cup cubed sweet potato or yam (about 1/2-inch)
2 tablespoons chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup shredded cooked chicken
1/2 cup chopped Swiss chard leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 box Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box
Serve with Cilantro-Yogurt Dip (recipe follows)
Directions
Heat oven to 425°F. In 10-inch skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Add sweet potato and onion, cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add chicken, Swiss chard, spices and salt; stir until Swiss chard is wilted, about 3 minutes. Set aside to cool, about 5 minutes.
Unroll pie crusts. With 3 1/2-inch round cutter, cut 7 rounds from each crust. Spoon about 2 tablespoons filling in center of 7 rounds, brush edges with water.
Place remaining pastry rounds on top. Use a fork to seal the two pie crust pieces together.
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Using sharp knife, cut 3 to 4 slits in top of each pastry.
If you’re a math geek like me, you can make the pi symbol on the pie crust instead of cutting the slits. With a paring knife, make one wavy horizontal inch long slit and two vertical wavy inch long slits below it. P.S. It’s easier to cut out the symbol on a flat surface than on the covered hand pies.
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Place pies on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
Tip: Save yourself some prep time by using rotisserie chicken! I also used red garnet sweet potatoes but they’re sometimes labeled as yams in the grocery store.
Cilantro-Yogurt Dip
Ingredients
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon lime zest
Directions
Stir together all ingredients. Makes 1/2 cup.
Prep Time: 45 Minutes | Total Time: 1 Hour | Makes: 7 hand pies
Get irrational with these pie-tastic ideas (sorry about the math joke):
- Spicy Potato Lentil Pies from Spabettie
- Apple Pi from A Periodic Table
- Winter Squash Pie from Log Cabin Cooking
- Pi Shaped Pies from Serious Eats
- Pi Pizza from Angela’s Kitchen