Masala Chicken Pot Pie

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Toss the frozen vegetables with vegetable oil and spread evenly onto a sheet pan. Place into oven and cook until golden brown, about 15 minutes. When done, remove from oven and set aside.

In a pan heat 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Season the chicken with a sprinkling of salt, pepper and Garam Masala and cook until just cooked through (depending on the size of the pieces, this may take about 5 minutes per side – juices should run clear when done). Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

In the remaining butter, heat the onion and celery until softened.

In another pan, pre-heat the broth and milk over medium heat.

Add 2 more tablespoons of butter to the celery mix and allow it to melt. Add the flour, remaining Garam Masala and turmeric. Mix well and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the pre-heated milk/broth mixture and cook until thickened.

While the sauce thickens, chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Once the sauce has thickened, add the parsley, salt and pepper to taste and mix well. Toss in the browned vegetables and chopped chicken and mix well.

Place the mixture into a 2-quart (or larger) casserole dish or divide evenly into into 4 oven-safe soup crocks. Top with circles (or other shapes) of puff pastry or other dough, or cover the dish(es) with pie dough. Sprinkle some Garam Masala onto the puff pastry or dough. Place into the oven and cook until puff pastry or dough has browned and the mixture is hot and bubbly, about 25 minutes.

*Niter Kibbeh is essentially Ghee flavored with aromatics and spices. There are recipes on the Internet for how to make it. It adds a unique depth of flavor to this dish.