Vegan “Chicken” Tikka Masala Pot Pie

This vegan "Chicken" Tikka Masala Pot Pie is stuffed with chewy and juicy bits of vegan
chicken and green peppers in a delicious, rich and healthy tikka masala sauce. On top goes a flaky, golden pie crust. What's not to love?

Vegan “Chicken” Tikka Masala Pot Pie

Ingredients

For the pastry crust:

• 3/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp vegan butter (very cold, cut into cubes)
• Ice cold water

For the vegan "chicken" tikka cubes:

• 8 oz vegan chick'n pieces (I used Tofurkey's lightly seasoned chick'n)
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp turmeric (divided)
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste (divided)
• 2 tbsp raw cashews (blended with 1/4 cup water into a very smooth paste)
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• Juice of 1 lemon

For the tikka masala curry sauce:

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 large onion (finely chopped)
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2 tomatoes (finely chopped)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 2 tsp garam masala powder (use more or less per your taste)
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 2-3 cups vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup raw cashews (blended with 1/2 cup water into a very smooth paste)
• Salt to taste
• 1 large green bell pepper (cut into 1-inch cubes)
• 2 medium shallots (cut into 1-inch cubes and petals separated)

Instructions

Make the pastry crust:

• Whisk the flour and the salt in a bowl. Add the cold butter cubes to the bowl and cut it into the flour, using a fork or a pastry cutter, until you have a coarse, grainy mix with some pea-sized pieces of butter.
• Drizzle in the ice-cold water, a little at a time, stirring frequently until the dough comes together. Try not to make the dough wet — stop adding water as soon as you can pull the dough together in a ball.
• Wrap the dough tightly in cling wrap, shaping into a disc with your hands as you wrap it. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Make the "chicken" tikka pieces:

• Place all of the ingredients in a bowl, and toss to mix. Spread the faux chicken pieces on a baking sheet and bake 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven or until chewy.

Make the tikka masala sauce:

• Heat oil in a saucepan and add the onions. Saute until they turn golden-brown, then add in the ginger-garlic paste. Stir-fry for a minutes, then add in the tomatoes and tomato paste.
• Cook the tomatoes, stirring frequently, until they become very pulpy and darken slightly. Add the powdered spices — the coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, paprika and turmeric. Mix well and cook for another couple of minutes.
• Add 2 cups of vegetable stock to the saucepan and mix well. Chop the "chicken" tikka pieces into smaller, bite-sized bits and add to the sauce. Bring everything to a boil.
• Add the cashew paste and salt to taste. Add the green peppers and shallots. If the sauce seems too thick at this point, add some vegetable stock. The sauce will thicken as it cooks in the oven, so don't make it too thick at this point. Once you have the desired consistency, turn off the heat.

Assemble and bake the pot pies:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Ladle out the tikka masala sauce into four ramekins. You can also make this in one large ramekin. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet.
• Roll out the pastry dough on a floured surface, and, using an empty ramekin as the guide, cut four circles of dough large enough to fit the mouth of the ramekins.
• Place each circle of dough on top of the tikka masala sauce in the ramekin. Cut a couple of vents into the top of the puff pastry using a sharp or serrated knife.
• Place the baking sheet with the ramekins in the preheated oven and bake 20 minutes. Turn the heat down to 350 degrees and continue baking 15-20 minutes or until the pastry is golden-brown and the sauce is bubbling down the sides or through the vents in the pastry.
• Remove the ramekins from the oven and let stand five minutes at least before serving.

https://holycowvegan.net/tikka-masala-pot-pie/