Note: these are amounts for a nine-inch round pie. For the 13x9 rectangular pie, I used a double batch of filling and a 1.5x batch of crust.
- One batch pie crust for a double crust pie (I'm a fan of this one)
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 2Tbsp garlic-ginger paste (recipe follows)
- 1Tbsp ground coriander
- 1/4tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 cup water, plus more for raisins
- 2Tbsp canola oil
- 1 serrano pepper, chopped fine
- 1tsp whole cumin seeds
- 3lbs Bosc pears, peeled, cored, quartered, and chopped to 1/2-inch slices (I used pears that weren't rock-solid, but were still firmer than you would eat, which I thought worked fine, but your call)
- 2Tbsp sugar
- 1/2tsp table salt
- 1Tbsp flour
- 1 egg, lightly beaten (this is enough for either a single or double recipe)
Put raisins in a bowl and cover with boiling water, set aside for fifteen minutes, then drain and shake dry.
Combine 1/2c water, garlic-ginger paste, coriander, and turmeric in a bowl and stir to combine.
Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add chopped serrano and fry for about thirty seconds, stirring a bit. Add cumin seeds and cook until they stop popping, about a minute. Add water-spice mixture (this will bubble/hiss a lot). Cook until it darkens, thickens a lot (most of the water will be cooked off), and starts to exude oil around the edges, 2-3 minutes or so (longer for a double batch). Remove from heat and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350F.
Roll out bottom crust and put in a nine-inch pie pan, leaving a half inch of overhang around the edge.
To a large bowl, add sliced pears, curry mixture, raisins, flour, salt, and sugar. Combine with a spatula or gloved hand. Add to prepared bottom crust.
Roll out top crust, and either top it and vent it, or do a lattice top (good instructions for a round lattice are here, and I can probably explain the diagonal rectangular one if you want, but I haven't looked for instructions online). Either way, trim, seal, and crimp edges. Brush crust with egg wash.
Bake at 350F until the crust is brown and a metal skewer inserted into the fruit comes back out hot and has little enough resistence for the fruit to feel done, about an hour for a single recipe or an hour and a quarter for double. Cool to room temperature, either uncovered or with a towel over it. Serve plain, or accompanied by plain yogurt.
Combine 2 parts whole garlic cloves, 2 parts peeled, 1/2-inch-diced fresh ginger, and one part canola oil (e.g., 1/2cup garlic, 1/2cup ginger, 1/4cup oil) in a mini food processor and puree. What you don't use will keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge.