Chicken Pot Pie

There can be nothing more comforting on a cold winter night than a hot "Chicken Pot Pie" baking in your oven. Its aromas filling up your entire house, tantalizing your appetite, constantly nagging you to indulge in satisfying your cravings for this delicious heart warming pleasure. To top it, to have it right out of the oven, digging into its hot soupy deliciousness is just an experience in itself.
I don't know, but there is something about the winter season that as the temperatures drops outside your craving for comfort food grows. With all the lovely fresh green vegetables flooding the market, its an absolute pleasure stirring up soups, simmering hot stews, baking breads, and rolling out hearty pies and casseroles - and for once no one is complaining!! (Try giving the same vegetables to the kids in the form of "Subji" and see how differently they react.)
This is the ultimate pot pie recipe - a creamy chicken stew loaded with onions, peas, mushrooms and carrots and baked under a beautifully rich golden cover. 
I cannot think of anything more comforting than this wholesome dish to drive away your winter woes!! 

Ingredients
Crust:
200 gms flour
1 tsp salt
100 gms butter
4 to 6 Tbsp cold water
Filling:
2 cup chicken broth
4 Tbsp butter
3 cups shredded cooked chicken
1/2 cup peas
1 carrot, diced
1 cup mushrooms, quartered
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp dried Rosemary

Method:
Heat oven to 200C. Combine flour and salt in a large bowl; cut in the butter with a fork until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Mix in enough cold water for the dough  to come together. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap in a plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Heat 1 Tbs butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms. Cook until well browned, about 3 to 4 minutes. Keep aside

In the same pan add the remaining vegetables and cook for 4-5 minutes till the carrots and peas are tender. Put the cooked vegetables in a bowl with chicken and mushrooms. Check for seasoning.

In a large saucepan, melt the remaining 3 Tbsp butter. Spoon in the flour and stir continuously for a minute till the flour browns. Add the chicken broth and whisk vigorously till the mixture is smooth. Stir in the dried Rosemary, cooked chicken and vegetables. Simmer on low heat for 5 to 8 minutes till thick. (If you feel that at this point your mixture is still liquidy, stir in 1-2 tbsp of instant chicken soup powder. Not only would it thicken the broth but also add to the flavor.) 

                           

Distribute the mixture evenly among four small ramekins for individual servings or a big ovenproof bowl. Take out the dough from the refrigerator and let it soften slightly at room temperature, about 20 minutes. Roll out your pie dough on a floured surface and cut 4 circles that are a little bigger than the tops of the baking dish you are using. Press down the sides to secure the top crust. Make little vents into the top crusts to help the steam to escape.

Brush the tops with beaten eggs to get a good glaze after baking. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the top crust is golden brown and the chicken mixture is bubbling. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.