The life of pie: Beyond apples and walnuts

My earliest memory of digging into a warm apple pie was at the age of 10 years at a charming bakery along Mussoorie’s Mall Road in the early 2000s. I remember relishing the sweet treat while admiring the scenic mountainscape outside. 

I recall the pie’s crust to be my favourite part. The buttery goodness made it crumble in my mouth, so much so that I was aghast at how quickly it melted. 

Over the years, my obsession with pies reduced because of its scarce availability. Even if I managed to spot the dessert on the menu of a bakery or café, it would be nothing beyond the quintessential apple or walnut pies. 

The tide, perhaps, now seems to have changed.

From dedicated pie shops in metros offering savoury and sweet varieties to bakeries experimenting with innovative flavours—a lot is happening behind the scenes today. 

YS Life dives deep to understand what has changed over time, besides spotlighting some unique flavours available to food lovers. 

The growing popularity of pies 

The origin of pies seems to have an interesting story. 

There's a reason why food writer Alan Davidson believed it was derived from the word magpie. 

He wrote, “The magpie collects a variety of things, and it was an essential feature of early pies that they contained a variety of ingredients… But nowadays, one can have pies with only one important ingredient, e.g. the Scotch pie, which contains just minced meat; a chicken pie; an apple pie, etc.” 

Many bakers and home chefs have taken inspiration from this trend. 

A popular name in Delhi, La Croûte, run by Ipsa Sambhi—who recently opened an artisanal pie shop and café in Sunder Nagar—has adapted the pie to a broader palate, making it more inclusive and appealing to varied generations. 

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With focus on fermentation, this restaurant takes diners on a gastronomic ride across India

“The idea is to take the pie out of its distant and elite French kitchen and make it travel the world. We know how much the millennials love to travel and eat and drink. We have created a space that smells like cinnamon, spice, and all things nice. It will remind you of London's pot pie and mash shops that offer the most delicious pies and quiches prepared from fresh produce from the local market,” she adds. 

The popularity of pies is indeed growing, believes Sambhi, fueled in part by increased travel and the sharing of food experiences on social media. 

“Pies ignite a feeling of comfort and warmth. It not only delights the palate but also evokes memories and cultural connections. Savoury or sweet pies—being easy to eat on the go or as a sit-down meal—fit well into this trend,” she says. 

Mrudula Putcha, Founder of Bengaluru-based The Humble Pie, agrees, as she says pies are a very American concept and have grown among Indians due to a surge of pop culture. 

Moreover, the celebration of American festivals like Halloween and Thanksgiving, where pies take centre stage, has added to its popularity. “October and November are our busiest months for seasonal favourites like pumpkin, pecan, and other fall-themed pies,” she reveals. 

Vanshika Bhatia, Owner of Petite Pie Shop in Gurugram’s upscale Worldmark complex, has an interesting observation. 

When she started in 2021, the audience was well-versed with only the sweet iterations of pies. Petite Pie Shop’s focus was to bring to the table savoury pies like pot pies, galettes, and hand pies into the vocabulary of diners. 

“It was hard work cracking the market, but with a lot of dedication backed by good ingredients, and quality control, we could reach our customers. Today, we offer 40 varieties of sweet and savoury pies,” Bhatia tells YS Life.  

Some of Petite Pie Shop’s bestsellers include the chicken and mushroom pie, pulled pork pie, wild mushroom pie, and its decadent mac and cheese pie.

A unique twist to classics 

Besides trends, the innovation in flavours is drawing more consumers to pies. For instance, Petite Pie Shop's bestsellers in the sweet section include the salted caramel pie and the lemon custard pie. 

That's not all. Bhatia adds that the shop also offers seasonal pies like strawberry and cream in the winter and mulberry almond in the few months mulberry is available. 

Similarly at La Croûte, its sweet offerings go beyond the ordinary. Some of the items on the menu are the Orange Blossom Baklava Tart, Earl Grey and Blueberry Tart, French Silk Pie, Cherry Pie, and Deep Dish Blueberry Crumble Pie, among others options. 

The savoury section is equally wide. From the subtly spiced Peri Peri Chicken Quiche with its house-made sauce, the indulgent Pulled Lamb Shepherd’s Pie to the Ratatouille Breakfast Galette and Tuscan Chicken Hand Pie—there’s so much and more to try.

Bengaluru’s Paper & Pie Cafe offers mostly classic sweet pies. It has gone all out with its savoury combinations of Butter Chicken Pie, Lamb Stew Pie, and Spinach Mushroom Pie. 

“Each savoury pie is crafted to offer a hearty and flavourful meal, combining traditional pie-making techniques with innovative fillings that cater to diverse palates,” shares Vamsi Mareddy, Co-founder of Paper & Pie Cafe. 

Delhi’s Cafe Monique, founded by Shivan Gupta and his partner Chef Maxime Montay, serves traditional savoury and sweet pies. For instance, its Feuilleté, a decadent and cheesy savoury pie, is made on a puff pastry base. 

The vegetarian version is made with French Morbier cheese, whole grain mustard, and black olives, while the non-vegetarian one is Spanish-inspired, with pork chorizo, Spanish goat cheese, and red bell pepper.

Chef Montay explains that pies are known as tarts in a French patisserie. On its menu, it has French classics like the Dark Chocolate Tart or the Lemon Meringue Tart, to more exotic and seasonal ones such as the Ispahan Tart with rose, lychee, and raspberry. 

A making of the perfect pie 

While the combinations matter, it is also how a pie is made that makes all the difference. 

Petite Pie Shop, Bhatia says, uses a variety of pie shells for savoury and sweet options, filled with the best of seasonal ingredients. For instance, its 5-chocolate centred pies use Callebaut chocolate, while its cream pies use only fresh cream and real butter. 

Similarly with Mumbai-based Pie & Co, Chef Aditi Goel has tried to keep her pies simple but classy, with the familiar flavours of Goan Chorizo Pie being her absolute favourite. 

She explains that the dough is flaky, layered with lots of good quality butter. “Our ingredients are simple with balanced filling, just like I remember eating at home,” she adds. 

That's also the secret to the success of La Croute’s pies. The name itself translates to ‘the crust’, which is why Sambhi and her team take extra care to make it as flaky and light as possible. 

“The key to a perfect crust lies in using cold butter that remains firm throughout the process and adding just the right amount of water, just to bring it all together without activating the gluten and without overworking the dough. While we employ advanced machinery to assist us, the ultimate quality of our crusts is crafted by skilled hands,” she concludes. 

What's your favourite savoury or sweet pie?