A popover is an American
version of Yorkshire pudding and similar batter puddings made in England since
the 17th century. It is light, hollow
roll made from eggs, typically baked in muffin tins or dedicated popover pans,
which have straight-walled sides rather than angled. Popovers may be served
either as a sweet—topped with fruit and whipped cream for breakfast or with
afternoon tea— or with meats at lunch and dinner.
The other option was the pot pie, which is a pie with a flaky crust, usually puff pasty. This, just like popovers, can be savory or sweet, though savory is a more common one, with vegetable and meat filling. I was really tempted by the Chocolate Caramel Banana Pot Pie, but I had to keep aside my sweet tooth, as I was already having too much of sweet, and settle for a savory pot pie. The suggested recipe was this vegeterian pot pie, but with permission, I played around with the flavors used for my recipe. I referred to many of the recipes I had in my cut-outs and found that as long as anything is cooked in a white sauce and is topped with flaky pastry, it is fine for a pot pie! So there you go, I kept it nice and simple and made it for dinner. B and I carried the leftovers for lunch the next day and devoured them as well!
Easy Chicken and Vegetable Pot Pie
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
300 gm boneless chicken, cut into tiny bites
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
25 gm butter
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 small onion, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
450 ml low fat milk
3/4 cup frozen mixed vegetables
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp garam masala powder
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
8 puff pastry squares
1 egg, slightly beaten
Method:
Cook the chicken in a pressure cooker with the turmeric and red chilli powders along with some salt till done. Reserve the stock aside - I got around 100 ml.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
Heat butter in a pan. Saute the garlic till a nice aroma comes. Add the onions and saute till transparent. Add the flour and saute for a couple of minutes. Add the milk and whisk till there are no lumps. Cook till the mixture starts thickening. Add the chicken stock and mix well. Add the frozen vegetables and cook for around 5 minutes. Add the cooked chicken, adjust the salt and pepper. Finally add the garam masala powder and coriander leaves and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Switch off and transfer this chicken mixture to a baking tray. Line the puff pastry squares on the top. Brush with the egg on top. Bake for 30 minutes till the top is browned. Serve warm!
Notes:
1. Instead of using cooking the chicken, you can use leftover chicken and make it even more easier.
2. The spice levels were very mild. You may add chopped green chillies for more spice.