Spring is afoot. The grass is poking out of the clay soil around the house, and little buds have been developing on the trees, disproving their grey + dead wintery appearance. With the start of color peeking just around the corner (so long, dark muddy browns of February!), I wanted to make something vibrant and full of flavor to welcome the start of spring. But let’s face it—it’s also still pretty darn cold out there and comfort food is desperately needed, and so this chicken curry pot pie was the perfect solution. There is curry powder and turmeric in both the crust and the filling, for lots of savory goodness and a beautiful golden hue. And if you want to make a veggie version, just swap the chicken for (2) 14-ounce cans of chickpeas, drained, and 3/4 cup frozen shelled peas.
As for the filling itself, it has a mix of chicken thighs, onion, garlic, carrots, chopped up fennel bulb, potato, and thyme inside. It’s super savory and *incredibly* comforting, I’m slightly embarrassed to say that Jeremy and I finished the chicken curry pot pie in two days between the two of us (impulse control is not our strong suit, it seems). But it just tasted so good and really hit the spot during the rainy and cold March days we’ve been having. We’ve been doing a LOT of yard work out in the rain to try and get the garden infrastructure in place. I’ve been gathering and hauling rocks for some stone raised beds I plan on making, and we’re doing soil remediation with the clay soil to get it ready to seed with native wildflowers. So we’ve definitely been in sore need of some pie fuel.
As for the fancy decorations, I just cut those out of the dough with a small knife with a couple stencils I made. It helps if you have a really daffodil to look at so you can see the shape of it. But basically I drew a small eye shape (about 3/4-inch long) on a piece of parchment paper and cut it out, and that was each petal, and I used it as a stencil to cut around with the knife. For the center of the daffodil, I just cut out a small rectangle and then made the two furthest edges touch each other and pressed the seam together to create a hollow cylinder. And the long leaves and stem I just cut out freehand. But you could easily use some floral cookie cutters to add some floral spring vibes to the pie in an easier fashion. Well my friend, I hope you are having a lovely start to spring and enjoy this flavor bomb of a chicken curry pot pie. I’ll be back again soon with another recipe, or maybe a homestead update! I’m still deciding 😀 And if you’re jonesing for another savory pastry, I’m steering you in the direction of this delightfully umami mushroom galette.
Chicken Curry Pot Pie
This deeply flavorful chicken curry pot pie is filled with savory chicken thighs, potatoes, garlic, turmeric, curry powder, fennel, thyme, and carrots. And the crust has some curry powder and turmeric in it, too, for an even tastier pastry. It can also be made gluten-free using a 1-to-1 gluten free baking mix such a Bob's Red Mill. I've found the GF mixes are a little more absorbent, so you may need to add another tablespoon or two of water to the pastry dough if using a GF flour mix.
Ingredients
Chicken Curry Filling
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs 1 inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 1/2 lb yukon gold potatoes ½ inch cubes
- 1/2 lb carrots ½ inch thick slices
- 1 fennel bulb chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 stalk celery sliced
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup flour or GF flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Curry Crust
- 1 egg cold
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 6 to 7 tablespoons ice water
- 3 cups all-purpose flour or 1-to-1 GF baking flour (if using GF, may need a tablespoon or two more water in crust)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 pinch cream of tartar
- 1 cup unsalted butter
Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon milk
Instructions
Curry Chicken Filling
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Heat the olive oil in a large wide pot over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned, about 8 - 10 minutes, stirring every minute or two. Add the onion, potatoes, carrots, fennel, garlic, and celery and stir to combine. Cook until the onions have softened and become translucent, about 15 minutes, stirring every couple minutes.
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Add the spices and stir to combine, cooking for another 5 minutes. Add the flour and stir to coat everything in the flour mixture, then add the broth and vinegar and stir to combine. Raise the heat to medium high to bring to a boil, then reduce back to medium and allow to boil until thickened, about 8 minutes, stirring every minute or so. Set aside and spread out in a large casserole pan to accelerate the cooling of the filling. Alternatively, you can keep the filling refrigerated overnight and assemble the pie the next day.
Curry Crust
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Grease a 9-inch pie pan and set it aside. Whisk the egg with vinegar and 3 tablespoons of ice water and set aside. Follow instructions below, depending on if you want to make the crust by hand, or if you want to use a food processor.
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MANUAL METHOD: Mix together the flour, sugar, curry powder, salt, turmeric, garlic powder, and cream of tartar in a large wide bowl. Using a box grater, grate the butter using the large hole setting of the grater above the bowl, stopping to stir with a fork and coat the butter bits in the flour mixture every 10 seconds or so. When all the butter is in, pinch the mixture together with your fingertips until it resembles the texture of damp sand. Add the water, a tablespoon at a time, mixing it with a fork, until the dough just holds together when you squeeze a fistful of it in your hand.
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FOOD PROCESSOR METHOD: In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, vinegar, and 3 tablespoons of the ice water. Set aside. Cut the butter into individual tablespoons and set aside. Place the flour, sugar, curry powder, salt, turmeric, garlic powder, and cream of tartar in the food processor and pulse a few times to mix together. Add the slices of butter and pulse until the butter is reduced to roughly pea-sized pieces. Run the machine while you add the egg mixture, letting it blend for 5 seconds after the liquid is added. Do NOT overmix. Add the remaining ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing as you add it, until the dough just holds together. It shouldn't be too wet and sticky, nor should it be super crumbly.
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Divide the dough into two equal portions, patting them into a rough circle shape about 1 inch thick. Cover one of them and place it in the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the other disc of dough until it is 1/8-inch thick and transfer it to the greased pie pan. Press the crust into the pan, trim off the excess leaving a 1-inch overhang (save the excess crust for decorations). Fold the 1-inch overhang under the edge of the crust all the way around. Cover and place the pan in the refrigerator.
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On a lightly floured surface, roll out the smaller quantity of dough until it is 1/8-inch thick. Take the pie pan out of the refrigerator and add the filling to the pie. Cover the pie with the rolled out dough and press the edges together, and use a knife or a pizza cutter to cut off the excess dough (saving it for the decorations)
Decorations (Optional)
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Combine the excess dough together in a ball (if it is dry, you can flick a few drops of water onto it to help it bind together). Roll out on a lightly floured surface, and cut out decorations to place on top if desired.
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To make the daffodils, I just cut those out of the dough with a small knife with a couple stencils I made. It helps if you have a really daffodil to look at so you can see the shape of it. But basically, I drew a small eye shape (about 3/4-inch long) on a piece of parchment paper and cut it out, and that was each petal, and I used it as a stencil to cut around with a small sharp paring knife. For the center of the daffodil, I just cut out a small rectangle and then made the two furthest edges touch each other and pressed the seam together to create a hollow cylinder. And the long leaves and stem you can cut out freehand.
Baking
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For the egg wash, whisk together the egg and milk. Lightly brush all exposed crust with the egg wash and place the whole pie in the freezer for 20 minutes to help the decorations firm up while you preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Place the pie in the center rack of the oven, and bake for 30 minutes before checking to see if foil is needed to prevent over-browning (the tips of the decorations can brown quickly). Cover the pie with foil if needed, then return it to the oven and bake for another 30 to 40 minutes, or until the crust is a deep gold color and the potatoes inside are tender. Remove and allow to cool for 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
Gosh, I wish I was your neighbor and we’d become friends Just love your designs and so much. You are so gifted. I really hope to make this wonderful Curry Pie soon.
This pie is so yummy. I will make it for my sons.
This pie is so yummy. I will make it for my sons. I love eating it while playing sprunki phase 4 which is awesome.