Chicken Tikka Masala Pot-Pie

As winter sets in, you don't feel like eating cold dinners. Just the idea of something steaming in the kitchen makes your tummy rumble. We have very hectic lives, so we don't have the luxury of cooking fresh every day, but the days when I can, I try and make big batches, so that it goes a long way. As funny as the title seems, this pot pie really hits the spot! We eat all sort of pies and chicken pot pie is a favourite in our household :) So I decided to put a spin on the standard pot-pie and make it more interesting. I made some chicken tikka masala with carrots and green peas and made that as a stuffing for the pie. My husband enjoyed this thoroughly and it made almost 3 meals for one :) I have to accept I did not make the sauce from scratch. I just used a jar of tikka masala sauce. I am quite lucky our local does a home made sauce delivered by an Indian lady locally, but any good brand sauce should do. If you are up to it make the sauce fresh am sure it will taste even better :)
Here is what you need if you want to give this a go:

1. 400 gms of diced chicken. I keep the pieces chunky so that it doesn't break down while cooking
2. half a jar of Tikka Masala Sauce
3. half cup frozen green peas
4. 1 carrot
5. coriander
6. onion
7. garlic and ginger
8. Rapeseed Oil for cooking you can use any other flavourless oils if you like.
9. Short crust puff pastry - I got this ready made too, the ones in the store are absolutely fine. I just use half of it.
10. A teaspoon of chili flakes
11. Salt and Pepper to taste.

Lets get cooking:
Set the oven to 190 degrees fan

To cook the stuffing:

1. Make sure the chicken is completely defrosted if you are using frozen chicken. Fry the chicken in a bit of oil in a non stick pan until it turns brown and set it aside.
2. Add some more oil and fry onion, ginger, garlic and coriander. until the onions go brown.
3. Add the tikka masala sauce and green peas and cook everything for the time it says on the jar. I had to cook mine only for 5 mins.
4. Add the chicken in the sauce and let it cook for 10 mins. you are just trying to get the sauce in the chicken at this stage as the chicken will be cooked already.
5. When every thing cooks nicely turn off the heat and let it cool a little.
6. roll out the pastry one to go in you pot you are baking in and one to go on top.
7. Line the pastry in the pot and blind bake it for 15 mins. Once its nice and golden brown take it out and let it cool. 
8. Add all the cooked chicken tikka masala and put the other bit of pastry on top. Make a little cross on the top for the steam to escape and bake it in the oven for about 25 mins. Make sure you brush the top pastry with an egg or milk to give it a nice gloss and golden crust.

That's all in less than an hour you have a stunning pot pie enjoy it with a glass of wine :)

Bon apetit !!!