Pie was invented in the 5th century as an easy all in one meal or dessert, however it quickly became a delicacy of Pharaohs and later Emperors and Kings. The crust was made from a variety of milled grains and could be filled with the “kitchen sink” or the finest ingredients. So how was that this tasty and flaky little concept transcended all walks of life and flavors? To be honest, Rahul and I have no clue we are not historians or sociologists. However, we both understand and appreciate the comfort and warmth pie brings to people across the world.
This is what brought us together, while having a beer in 2019 at Temescal Brewery. We both enjoyed working in food and seeing the joy we could bring to people through simple well prepared meals, but wanted to do something different. Rahul brought the idea of a Chicken Tikka Masala pie bowl to the table. I admittedly wasn’t sure but very much intrigued, pie flavors tend to stick in traditional lanes, and there’s a lot of competition. We parlayed the idea into a couple R&D sessions, putting together a pie crust and filling them with different flavors we grew up enjoying. Once we had the pie crust and a few filling recipes down we were both hooked on the concept.
There are endless possibilities when combining robust homely flavors from around the world into a crust and shape so many people cherish, and Chicken Tikka Masala Pie was going to be the flagship. It’s everything we wanted to showcase in our concept, rooted in both our backgrounds growing up and universally loved, but unique in the world of pastry. Rahul quickly coined the phrase “House of chicken tikka masala”, and so it began.