Curried Vegetable Pot Pie

Thanks to an idea from Martha, I did indeed make curried vegetable pot pie for dinner on Friday.  It was really simple, or would have been, if I hadn’t decided that I wanted to toast and grind my own spices.  But that’s how I roll.  I did buy the puff pastry dough, however, because I’m not that crazy.  Plus, it gave me an excuse to wander the aisles at Picard (where I also picked up some completely non-local and non-seasonal frozen sour cherries and wild blueberries – all this drab winter produce is starting to get to me, I think). 

But back to the pot pie.  I cleaned and chopped leeks, carrots, apples, and potatoes and sautéed them in butter with my homemade curry seasoning,* plus ground turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, clove, and cayenne pepper.  Salt goes without saying, right?  Meanwhile, I whipped up a quick béchamel sauce and seasoned it with more of the homemade curry spice and turmeric.  There was a smashed garlic clove and a bay leaf in there, too.  Once the vegetables were nearly tender, I added a couple of handfuls of frozen peas and poured the curry béchamel over it all.  This colorful mixture was then transferred to a pie dish and draped with a round of puff pastry.  I cut a few vents in the top and into the oven it went.  When the puff pastry was nicely browned (and puffed, bien sûr)  dinner was served.

*I toasted fenugreek, coriander, cumin, and brown mustard seeds in a dry pan on the stove (the same one I later cooked the vegetables in).  When they cooled, I went at them with the mortar and pestle.  The smell was absolutely heavenly, and I don’t think I’ll ever buy premade curry powder again.

Originally published on Seasonal Market Menus.

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