DISHOOM AND CHEF CALUM FRANKLIN COME TOGETHER TO LAUNCH THE CHICKEN RUBY PIE

This spring, Dishoom brings together two great comforts: a much-loved house classic, and the noble London pie and mash.

Launching in collaboration with storied Chef Calum Franklin, Dishoom presents a most special, limited-edition dish that wraps its most beloved Chicken Ruby in golden, buttery pastry. Thoughtfully crafted, stamped with flowers and generously filled, and rather wonderful, this beloved café favourite is cleverly encased and served with Dishoom’s take on mattar and mash: delicious belly-warming green peas alongside creamiest mashed potato with garlic and dill. Pour the good and proper sauce.

Before Independence, a special ‘one pie’ coin was conjured up in India for those most in need. The plan was to make this tiny flower-stamped coin of very low value using the metal cut from the ring-shaped ‘one pie’ coin. This noble idea proved too small to be practical, and this coin of littlest value never came to be. 

To honour this curious piece of history, Dishoom have joined forces with their dear friend and renowned pie-making legend, Chef Calum Franklin, to make one very tempting pie. Uniting Dishoom’s rich, velvety chicken makhani with the classic British tradition of pie and mash. 

Originally a yearly-changing chicken curry dish, the Ruby was added to the menu to instant acclaim and has remained firm on the Dishoom menu ever since. In fact, per day, 41% of customers order at least one Ruby per the table! The dish light-heartedly takes its name from the Cockney rhyming slang for curry: Ruby Murray. Rich and creamy, and primarily made from tomatoes and various spices including cinnamon, cardamom, garam masala, dill, and cumin, it is Dishoom’s take, of sorts, on a classic Butter Chicken.

For Dishoom, comfort has always been at the heart of the table. From slow-simmered curries to hand-rolled naan, particular care is taken over food that soothes, satisfies, and brings people together. The Chicken Ruby Pie builds on this tradition – transforming a familiar favourite into something surprising, while remaining unmistakably Dishoom. 

Inside each pie sits tender chicken, slow-cooked in a silky tomato-and-butter sauce that has earned Chicken Ruby its devoted following. Warm spices, mellow sweetness and deep savoury notes are sealed beneath a crisp, hand-crafted, flower-stamped pastry lid, made with the precision and reverence for tradition that defines Calum Franklin’s work.

“At Dishoom, the Chicken Ruby is more than just a dish; it’s a constant for our guests—that familiar, comforting warmth they come back to time and again,” said Dishoom Executive Chef Arun Kumar Tilak. “Partnering with Calum, a true master of his craft, and seeing it reimagined within his incredible pastry has been a real joy. We’ve stayed true to the soul of the Ruby while embracing the great British tradition of the pie. Serving it alongside our matar and mash feels like the ultimate celebration of comfort, and we can’t wait for everyone to have a taste.”

“At the heart of this collaboration is a truly delicious, crafted dish that I hope is going to bring smiles to many throughout the restaurants but it’s nestled in the middle of so much more than that,” said Chef Calum Franklin. “The conversations we have had about culture, our food history and passions, the development and the friendships built between our teams, this has been an incredible project to be part of.”

Fleeting fineness: a limited number of pies will be available in Dishoom and Permit Room cafés each day between 12pm and 5pm, from Thursday 19th March to Saturday 19th April. Ask your server to order.

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