Snapper Curry Pies with Raita & Mango Chutney

Ingredients

100 g (3½ oz) chickpeas, soaked in water overnight

1 teaspoon sea salt

700 g (1 lb 9 oz) silverbeet (Swiss chard)

100 g (3½ oz) unsalted butter

8 x 90 g (3¼ oz) snapper fillets, skin on

4 ready-made puff pastry sheets, 30 cm (12 inches) square

2 free-range egg yolks, beaten

Mango Chutney recipe, to serve

yellow curry sauce

5 cloves

2 star anise

1½ cinnamon sticks

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 brown onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, puréed

45 g (1½ oz) fresh ginger, finely grated

1 heaped tablespoon curry powder

1 heaped tablespoon tomato paste (concentrated purée)

1 tablespoon grated palm sugar (jaggery)

5 kaffir lime leaves

zest and juice of 1 lime

300 ml (10½ fl oz) Chicken Stock recipe

70 g (2½ oz/2/3 cup) coconut milk powder

600 ml (21 fl oz) coconut milk

2 teaspoons soy sauce

Raita

250 g (9 oz) labneh, or plain yoghurt strained overnight

1 telegraph (long) cucumber, skin on, seeded, then grated

½ garlic clove, crushed with 1 teaspoon sea salt

15 mint leaves, chopped

juice of ½ lemon

½ teaspoon chaat masala

For the yellow curry sauce

Using a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle blend the cloves, star anise and cinnamon sticks until you have a powder. Sift to remove any large pieces, then set aside.

Place a saucepan over medium–high heat and heat the vegetable oil. Add the onion, garlic and

ginger. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the onion mixture for 5–10 minutes, or until browned. Stir in the ground spices and the curry powder and cook over low heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Add the palm sugar and turn the heat up slightly, then cook for 5 minutes, or until the sugar has caramelised. Stir in the lime leaves and lime zest.

Meanwhile, heat the stock in a small saucepan.

Whisk the coconut milk powder into the stock, then add to the spices along with the coconut milk and soy sauce. Cook over medium heat for a further 10–15 minutes.

Stir in the lime juice, remove from the heat and leave to cool to room temperature.

Strain the chickpeas and place in a saucepan with the salt and enough water to cover. Bring to the boil, then cook over medium heat for 45 minutes, or until the chickpeas are just cooked but still slightly firm. Strain and set aside.

Cut off and discard the white stems from the silverbeet. Rinse the leaves well, drain, then roughly chop.

Place a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter and silverbeet, season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and cook for 5 minutes, or until the silverbeet has wilted. Remove and place on a tray, then transfer straight to the freezer for 10 minutes, to stop the cooking process.

Remove the silverbeet from the freezer and strain any excess liquid.

For the raita

Mix everything together and keep covered in the refrigerator. The raita can be made2–3 hours in advance.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4).

Divide the silverbeet and chickpeas among four 18 x 12 cm (7 x 4½ inch) pie containers or ovenproof bowls to form a bed.

Season the snapper fillets and place two pieces in each bowl. Pour 200 ml (7 fl oz) of the yellow curry sauce into each bowl, then cover the bowls with the puff pastry, allowing it to overhang halfway down. Trim the excess pastry.

Brush the egg yolk wash over the pastry. Allow to dry for 5 minutes, then repeat this process twice.

Place the pies on a sturdy baking tray and bake for 15–17 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.

Carefully remove the pies from the oven and leave to rest on the tray for 5 minutes before serving.

Serve the pies with the raita and mango chutney.