Royal Thai Curry Chicken Pie

Happy first day of winter!

I can't believe we're here already.  It's the first day of the winter solstice and Christmas is right around the corner.  Even though I live in Southern California, it can get cold at night and there's nothing that I love more than a nice curry.  Hence, my inspiration for this gorgeous comfort dish using the easy and delicious meals from Kevin’s Natural Foods for the #kevinsrecipechallenge. 

SO… here’s my take twist on two ultimate comfort dishes - chicken pot pie meets shepherd’s pie – made healthy for your fit lifestyle

And I'm calling it Chef Mareya’s Royal Thai Curry Chicken Pie.

I love taking traditional recipes and turning them on their head, but keeping them gluten-free, dairy-free and super delish. So I replaced the crust with a blanket of this gorgeous-colored purple sweet potato mash and an edging of crispy eggplant to look like a ‘pie’.  I always pick purple when I can, because those foods are rich in anthocyanins, that special class of antioxidants that is so healing.  Purple sweet potatoes are beautiful, so tasty and don’t need much because they’re full of flavor.  I just used a little ghee and oat milk, pink salt and pepper and they came out perfectly creamy.

I’m always partial to Thai flavors for their fragrant earthiness – and because I’m obsessed with coconut milk everything. So, I featured the Thai Style Coconut Chicken in this recipe.  It is cooked sous vide – so the chicken is super tender and moist – and the sauce is on the side in its own separate pouch to keep the texture and consistency intact.  

I just made a curry by adding onion, garlic, carrots, eggplant and a cup of chicken broth and let those stew with the Kevin’s sauce for about 15 minutes.  Once it reduced, I added it to my dish and covered it with a blanket of purple sweet potato mash and a sprinkle of furikake for color.  Let those cook for 20 minutes in the oven and you have a nurturing, super umami-licious dish that everyone can dig into.  This makes a great, clean family meal, especially around the holidays.  And that PURPLE! So royal!! And so fitting for this time of year.

Check out Kevin’s meals below – you can keep them refrigerated for up to 30 days or freeze them – and perfect for your meal prep rotation.  Here’s to your fit and happy life!

Chef Mareya’s Royal Thai Curry Chicken Pie

 Ingredients: 

• 4 medium purple sweet potatoes
• ¾  cup oat milk
• 2 tablespoons ghee
• pink salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/3 cup yellow onion, chopped
• 1 cup carrots, chopped into ¼” dice
• 1 ½ cups eggplant, chopped into ½” cubes
• 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 2 packages Kevin’s Natural Foods Thai Coconut Chicken with sauce
• Optional: Furikake spice for top of potatoes; slices of air-fried or baked eggplant cut in half for the crust

 Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 400F.

2) Cook purple sweet potatoes in the microwave (or roast) until soft, about 5 minutes. Mash with a potato masher and fold in oat milk and ghee until smooth; season with pink salt and pepper to taste.

3) In a dutch oven or pan, heat coconut oil over medium heat and saute garlic and onion until fragrant, about 3 minutes.

4) Add carrots and cook for 5 minutes.

5) Add eggplant and cook another 2 minutes.

6) Add chicken broth and sauce from Kevin’s Naturals Thai Chicken packet. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring intermittently.  Stir in sous vide chicken, draining any excess liquid from the packet first, and incorporate evenly through mixture.  After 2 minutes, remove from heat.

7) Transfer chicken mixture to an oiled baking dish. Top with cooked purple sweet potato mash and an optional dash of furikake and crispy eggplant half-moons to look like a crust. 

8) Cook for 20 minutes until nice and bubbly. Serve hot and enjoy!