Curried Chicken Pie with a Low Fat Crust

There is some comfort in the suffocating balminess of the weather. It reminds me of home - of tired bodies clung to each other in the subway, of an endless stream of people living their own separate lives. So connected, yet disconnected.

And yet, when the weather changes, rustling up decaying leaves and creating ripples in an otherwise stolid lake, it takes me back to the monsoons of India. Here I am, in a country so vastly different than my own, but when I start piecing together all the little things that make me happy, it ends up providing the same comfort as home.

Curried Chicken Pie with a Low Fat Crust

To make the pie crust - 

3/4 cups rolled oats, not quick cooking

1/8 cup flax seeds or flax seed meal

1/4 cup quinoa or quinoa flour

1/4 cup hot water

1 large egg

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

For the curried chicken filling -

3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

3 medium sized bell peppers - I used red, yellow, and orange.

1/2 cup chopped mushrooms, any kind

1 large red or yellow onion, sliced

1 large Roma tomato, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Thai green chilli or Serrano pepper, or 1 tsp paprika

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

4 tbsp ricotta cheese

1 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp salt, adjust according to taste

1 tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese

3 tbsp light olive oil or canola oil

To make the pie crust, grind flax seeds and quinoa in a spice grinder, till they resemble a coarse meal. Combine all the ingredients for the crust. They should make a sticky dough. 

Grease a 9-inch pie pan and press the pie dough so it covers the pan uniformly. Keep in the refrigerator until needed.

Preheat oven to 375F. Bake the pie crust for 15 minutes. 

To make the chicken filling, heat oil in a large pan {medium heat}. Add minced garlic, green chilli/Serrano pepper, and sliced onion. Let cook till the onion is translucent. Add the chopped tomato. Cook for 5-7 minutes, till the tomato is softened.

Add the bell peppers, and cook for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and shredded chicken. Cook for 3-4 minutes, and all the spices, including soy sauce and vinegar. Let this cook for 2-3 minutes, and add the ricotta cheese. 

Turn off the heat and mix in the cheese thoroughly. 

Add the filling to the baked pie crust. Top with shredded Parmesan cheese. Bake for 18 minutes till the cheese is golden.

Serve hot with a salad of your choice.