MUSHROOMS CHICKEN AND CARROT PIES

These pies are a great way to finish the leftovers of chicken roast or roast vegetables. I have used chicken breast finely chopped with carrots sand mushrooms. They make a great on the go lunch or easy weekend meals. For the vegetarian's, chicken can be substituted with grated paneer or tofu or more of mushrooms with leeks etc. 

Makes 2 big or 4 small pies

Time; 40-50 minutes

1 big boneless chicken chopped finely / leftover cooked chicken meat

2 puff pastry sheets 

1 tbs olive oil

1 small onion chopped

1 green chilli chopped

1 medium carrot chopped

1/2 cup button mushrooms chopped

2 garlic cloves minced

Salt and pepper

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1 egg beaten with water for egg wash

Method

First, prepare the filling by cooking the onions, garlic and carrots. Then add the chopped mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the pan and then cook the chicken till well browned and season it again. Tip it in the plate with the mushroom mix. Fold in the chopped chillies and let it cool completely. While the mix is being cooled, preheat the oven at 200-220'C temperature. 

Now open the puff pastry sheets, roll it thin to a chapatti's thickness. Cut 2 rounds of 5-6 diameters and 2 rounds of 4 diameters. Arrange the big rounds of puff pastry on a greaseproof paper. Brush it with egg wash and spoon the chicken and mushroom mix in the middle.

 

Take the small rounds and cover the puff pastry with it. Tug the small size pastry well on the larger one. Then fold the larger pastry on the smaller one as seen in the picture below. Brush the whole top with the egg wash.

 

Bake them in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes till well browned and the bottoms are cooked too. Remove and cool slightly before serving.

Serve with fruit chutney or simply tomato ketchup. These pies can be assembled in advance and frozen before baking. All you need is to remove from the freezer and thaw it and bake at 200'C. They'll just taste fresh and crisp.