Curried beef pot pies

SERVES 4 PREP AND COOK TIME 9 HOURS

1kg beef chuck steak

¼ cup (35g) plain flour

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons curry powder

1 large (200g) onion, chopped coarsely 2 cloves garlic, chopped

400g can diced tomatoes

½ cup (125ml) beef stock

400g can chickpeas, drained, rinsed 120g baby spinach leaves

¼ cup (80g) mango chutney

4 sheets puff pastry, thawed

1 egg, beaten lightly

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

½ teaspoon sea salt flakes

1 Trim beef and cut into 4cm pieces; place in a large bowl. Add flour and season well with salt and pepper. Toss beef in flour to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large frying pan, cook half the beef until browned. Repeat with remaining oil and beef. Transfer all beef to a 6-litre (24-cup) slow cooker. Add curry powder, onion, garlic, tomatoes and stock to pan; bring to boil.

2 Spoon curry mixture into slow cooker; cook, covered, on low for 8 hours (or high for 4 hours).

3 Add chickpeas and spinach to cooker; cover, stand until wilted. Stir in chutney and season to taste. Cool.

4 Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Divide cooled mixture among four 2-cup (500ml) ovenproof dishes. Cut each pastry sheet into rounds, large enough to cover top of dishes. Top dishes with pastry rounds and seal edges.

5 Place dishes on an oven tray. Brush pastry with egg and sprinkle with cumin seeds and sea salt. Cut a small slit in the top. Bake for 25 minutes or until well browned.

Cooked pies suitable to freeze.

Not suitable to microwave.