Several Sundays ago my friends and I were invited to participate in an annual pie party our friend Seth co-hosts every year. Upon receiving his invitation I became gitty with the many possible pies I could make. Pumpkin pie, Key Lime pie, chicken pot pie, the possibilities were endless! Since I am not a huge fan of sweet pies a savory, also known as a humble pie, was my obvious choice.
Now, since this was a competition I knew I could not make a "generic" chicken pot pie as much as I love that classic down-home taste. I had to do something exotic. But how do you make a pie exotic? I thought long and hard on what makes something exotic and after several pondering hours COLOR sprung into my brain. The thing is, when I think of exotic I imagine brightly colored, highly textured clothing and landscapes so why couldn't those same things be embodied in a pie. Thus commenced my pie research.
After a couple internet hours I found several recipes that kind of satisfied my exotic pie needs but not one truly fit the bill. As a result I set out to combine and conquer. Below you will find my colorful exotic creation recipe appropriately named THE MUMBAI PIE.
Crust: (this recipe makes 1 crust so double for two crusts)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour $
- 3 tablespoons ice water
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup vegetable shortening (I used butter because of the rules of the pie party)
- Cooking spray (to ease the slices from the pan)
To prepare crust, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Combine 1/4 cup flour, water, and vinegar in a small bowl, and stir with a whisk until well-blended to create a slurry. Set aside. Combine 3/4 cup flour and salt in a large bowl, and cut in shortening with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add slurry to flour mixture, and toss with a fork until moist. Press the mixture gently into a 4-inch circle on heavy-duty plastic wrap; cover with additional plastic wrap. Chill 15 minutes.
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil (any oil will work)
- 2 tablespoons curry powder (I added more for extra flavor)
- 2 cups diced baby golden potatoes
- 3/4 cup chopped onion
- 1 chopped red bell pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken, thighs and breasts cooked and shredded beforehand
- 1 1/2 cups fat-free, less sodium chicken broth
- 1 yellow squash
- 1 zucchini
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch (arrowroot was substituted)
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/2 cup (4 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
To prepare filling, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add curry; cook 2 minutes. Add potato, onion, bell pepper, garlic, and chicken; stir-fry 3 minutes. Add broth and next 5 ingredients (broth through black pepper); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until veggies are tender. Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Stir in cornstarch mixture and cream cheese; cook 1 minute or until cream cheese is melted.
Upon filling your exotic pie and placing the top crust, cut several slots into the top for steam to vent through. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly around the edges. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before serving. When serving allow yourself to be taken away to far off lands filled with bright colors, grand vistas, and amazing architecture. I know I did.
