The inspiration for the pie crust in this recipe is from Ina Garten (my all time favorite Barefoot Contessa!), the specific recipe using these ingredients was created by my sister, Ambareen, and then the final presentation, adjustments and details were slightly tweaked by me. Ambareen is an excellent cook and I may be biased when saying this, but all five of us sisters seem to have the cooking gene inherited from my mom. The equal passion we all share for cooking becomes even more apparent if you happen to go through pictures in our WhatsApp chat in Ramadhan-when all five of us are cooking up a storm! So this fusion chicken pot pie recipe that we present to you is a true, sisterly labor of love!
The beauty of chicken pot pie is you can add whatever vegetables you like to the filling, and leave out others. So as long as the filling has a creamy, velvety texture, and the pieces of chicken are tender and moist, you really can’t go wrong! Again, there is a technique to thicken the filling with all purpose flour and a technique to make the pie dough. Once learned, you can apply these skills to many other recipes and nail every single one! The vegetables Ambareen carefully and thoughtfully decided on include marinated artichoke hearts, peas, corn, onions and potatoes-a lovely combination of crunchy, tangy, tender and delicious!
Tandoori Chicken Pot Pie
I love Chicken Pot Pie. For me, this is the ultimate comfort food at every level. The filling is the showstopper in this recipe. Creamy, luscious bites of spiced Tandoori chicken, tangy, marinated artichoke hearts, sauteed mushrooms, peas, sweet corn and tender potatoes covered with a flaky homemade pie crust and then baked until golden brown. Brunch, Dinner, Sehri or Iftar-this Tandoori Chicken Pot Pie is perfect just about anytime!
Servings: 8
Ingredients
For Chicken Marinade
- 3 chicken breasts
- 3 tsp olive oil
- 2 tsp Tandoori masala *Rajah brand
- 3/4 tsp Kosher salt *or to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
For Filling
- 5 cups vegetable stock *or chicken stock
- 1 large yellow onion *chopped
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt *or to taste
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 6 oz marinated artichoke hearts *jarred, store-bought
- 2 medium potatoes *parboiled, peeled and sliced
- 1 cup peas *defrosted
- 1 cup fresh mushrooms *sauteed
- 10 oz whole kernel corn *Del Monte brand
- 10 oz condensed cream of mushroom soup *Campbell's brand
- 1 1/2 sticks butter *unsalted
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup parsley leaves *rinsed, stemmed and chopped
For Pie Crust
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt *or to taste
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening *Crisco brand
- 1 stick butter *cold, unsalted and diced
- 2/3 cup ice water *as needed
- 1 egg *add 1 tbsp water and whisk to make egg wash
- pinch sea salt *crust topping
- pinch freshly cracked black pepper *crust topping
Instructions
For Roasting Chicken
- Place the chicken breasts in a gallon size Ziploc bag and using a kitchen mallet, gently pound the chicken breasts to thinner pieces. Place tenderized chicken in a large mixing bowl. Add 1 tsp Tandoori Masala, 3 tsp olive oil, 3/4 tsp Kosher salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper and massage spices into chicken. Let marinate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place marinated chicken breasts onto a large baking sheet. Cover baking sheet with aluminum foil (place a few slits with knife in foil to allow steam to vent). Roast chicken for 20 minutes, then remove aluminum foil, and roast for an additional 10 minutes or until cooked through. Set aside and let cool. Once cooled, cut roasted chicken breasts into cubes.
For Filling preparation
- While chicken is roasting, prepare the filling. In a sauce pan, heat the vegetable stock. Once stock comes to a boil, dissolve the 2 chicken bouillon cubes, cook for 2-3 more minutes and set aside.
- Parboil potatoes until almost done (please do not overcook as potatoes will finish cooking in oven as part of filling. Fork should pierce potatoes with some pressure). Let cool, peel potatoes, slice in circles and set aside.
- In a small skillet, saute fresh mushrooms in 1/2 tsp grape seed oil (or olive oil) until mushrooms change color and are soft. Remove on paper-towel lined plate and set aside.
- In a Dutch oven or large cooking pot, melt the butter and 1 tsp olive oil on medium heat. Now add the chopped onions, turn heat to medium low and saute for 10 to 12 minutes, until translucent. Turn heat to low and then add 1 tsp Tandoori Masala, 1/2 tsp Kosher salt (or to taste), 1/2 tsp black pepper and mix well. Saute for 1-2 minutes. Then add 3/4 cup all purpose flour and continue to cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes. Now add the vegetable stock mixture. Simmer over low heat for 2-3 more minutes, stirring until thick. Now add the condensed cream of mushroom soup and mix well. Add the peas, corn, sauteed mushrooms, marinated artichoke hearts, parboiled/sliced potatoes and gently mix to incorporate. Then add 1/4 cup heavy cream and stir to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the roasted chicken pieces and 1/4 cup chopped parsley and mix again and cook for final 2-3 minutes (If filling is too thick, you can add 1/4 cup or less of vegetable stock, as needed, to desired consistency). Set aside and let cool.
For Pie Crust
- In food processor with blade attachment, add the flour, salt and baking powder and pulse to mix. Now add the vegetable shortening and cold, diced butter, mix with spatula first to incorporate into flour mixture, and then pulse 10-12 times. As the dough comes together, while the food processor is still on, gradually add the cold, ice water through the lid opening and process until dough mixture just comes together (please do not over process). Carefully remove dough ball onto floured surface and knead dough into a ball. Place in a large mixing bowl, cover dough with saran wrap and let rest in fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Once dough has rested, divide dough into pieces and with rolling pin, roll out on floured surface into two 9 1/2" circles (for two 9" pies).
For Final Pie
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Lightly butter two 9" pie dishes, divide the filling into both dishes (to desired amount) and spread evenly. Carefully place rolled pie dough on top of filling and press down edges to gently seal. Place two slits ('X') in center of pie dough to vent steam. Brush top with egg wash and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Place pies on baking sheets and then in oven and let bake for 45 minutes-1 hour until pie crust is golden brown (check in between, as needed). Remove pies from oven and let rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
- The ultimate fusion comfort food, Tandoori Chicken Pot Pie, is now ready to serve. After just one slice oozing with bubbling goodness, you will vouch for this recipe every time! Nosh Farma'aiye!