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This deeply seasoned vegetable pot pie has this amazing creamy white masala sauce that is flavored with from garam masala and other Indian spices! Topped with crispy, puff pastry rounds, this is a total comfort food casserole. (soy-free with nut-free and gluten-free options) originally published May 23 2017
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This veggie pot pie has all things I love: creamy, spiced sauce; loads of veggies and greens; and it’s topped with crisp, flaky biscuity puff pastry.
It is so easy to put together. The sauce comes together really quickly in a blender. Then, chop your veggies or use frozen vegetables for an even easier pot pie. Top with your favorite made-ahead biscuit dough or puff pastry sheets cut into rounds.
The hardest part about making this veggie pot pie is waiting to devour it as it bakes. It makes the house smell so amazing!
The masala cream is a simple blender sauce with cashews, non dairy milk, and spices, and it’s super versatile. You can use it to make a white sauce curry, bring to a boil to thicken, and add roasted veggies, baked tofu, baked veggie balls, chickpeas, cooked soy curls, etc.
You can also make this casserole into individual portions in small ramekins with a biscuit on each. Just bake for less time.
No matter how you make this, it’s an easy, crowd pleasing, fun pot pie casserole.
Wishing you all an amazing holiday season! If you’re looking for gifts for family and friends, do consider getting one of cookbooks!(some deals right now on some retailers).
Why You’ll Love Masala Veggie Pot Pie
- easy blender sauce is full of flavor!
- everything cooks in one baking dish
- creamy sauce, tender veggies, and crisp, puff pastry crust
- soy-free and nut-free with a gluten-free option
More Cozy Casseroles
Masala Vegetable Pot Pie
Ingredients
For the Masala Sauce
- 1 3/4 cups non dairy milk , such as unsweetened plain almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk or cashew milk . Use 2 cups for more sauce
- 1 tablespoon flour, unbleached all purpose or use rice flour for gluten-free
- 2 tablespoons cashews , or use 1 tablespoons flour
- 3 cloves of garlic , or 3/4 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 inch ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 hot green Chile such as serrano, or use cayenne to preference
- 1 teaspoon garam masala , or 1/2 tsp each ground cumin and ground coriander, a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon each of ground cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ground mustard and cayenne
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar , or maple syrup, omit if using sweetened milk or coconut milk
- 2 teaspoon oil, optional
For the Pot Pie
- 1 1/2 cup baby greens, or frozen spinach
- 2 cups veggies, such as cauliflower, green beans, carrot, peas, zucchini, broccoli
- salt and black pepper
- 1 sheet puff pastry, rolled out and then cut into 2.5" circles with a biscuit cutter or cookie cutter, or use vegan biscuit dough
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup, optional
- 1 tablespoon non-dairy milk, optional
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 425° F (220º C).
- In a blender, add all the masala sauce ingredients. Blend well. Taste and adjust salt and spice, if needed. Do not add too much, as the spices and flavors get stronger while baking.
- Add all of the baby greens and veggies to your baking dish, then pour on the sauce, and mix well to combine. Cover the dish loosely with parchment paper or foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil or parchment carefully. Meanwhile, roll out your puff pastry, if using, so it's about 2" wider than it originally was. Cut it into circles or whatever shapes you like.
- If using puff pastry, arrange the puff pastry cutouts over the top of the casserole. Then quickly Mix the maple syrup and non-dairy milk, and brush it onto the tops of the puff pastry(optional). Immediately Put dish back in the oven, Bake for 17 to 19 minutes until golden. If using biscuit dough that is not already in biscuit shape, pat down into 3/4 inch thick rectangle, use cookie cutter to cut biscuits, place biscuit dough in the casserole over the veggies. Put the dish back in the oven for 18 minutes or until golden. Cool for a few minutes, add a dash of cayenne and serve.
Video
Notes
To make this gluten-free, use the rice flour option and either omit the biscuits or use gluten-free biscuits such as my jalapeno cheddar biscuits. To bake it without biscuit topping, bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil, let cool for 5 minutes, and serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- non-dairy milk – This is the base for your sauce. You’re also going to use a little non-dairy milk as part of your pastry wash along with a little bit of maple syrup. Choose nut-free and/or soy-free, if needed.
- flour – All-purpose or rice flour help the sauce thicken.
- aromatics – Onion, garlic, and ginger give this veggie pot pie so much umami!
- ground spices – Onion powder, garam masala, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ground mustard and cayenne all flavor the sauce.
- green chili – Adds some good heat!
- baby greens – Use fresh or frozen.
- veggies – Fresh or frozen is also fine here! Choose veggies like auliflower, green beans, carrot, peas, zucchini, or broccoli.
- puff pastry sheet – Or biscuit dough. This is your topping. For gluten-free, you can omit this or use a gluten-free biscuit like my jalapeno cheddar biscuits.
💡 Tips
- Rolling out the puff pastry helps it puff more and cook more evenly.
- When adjusting the flavor of the sauce, keep in mind that the flavor will deepen as it bakes.
- Save time by thawing and cutting your puff pastry while the veggies and sauce bake. But don’t let the pastry get too warm. Layer and bake immediately.
How to Make Masala Vegetable Pot Pie
Pre-heat the oven to 425° F (220º C).
In a blender, add all the masala sauce ingredients. Blend well. Taste and adjust salt and spice, if needed. Do not add too much, as the spices and flavors get stronger while baking.
Add all of the baby greens and veggies to your baking dish, then pour on the sauce, and mix well to combine. Cover the dish loosely with parchment paper or foil and bake for 25 minutes.
Remove the foil or parchment carefully. Meanwhile, roll out your puff pastry, if using, so it’s about 2″ larger than what it originally was. Cut it into circles or whatever shapes you like.
If using puff pastry, arrange the puff pastry cutouts over the top of the casserole. Optionally Mix the maple syrup and non-dairy milk, and brush it onto the tops of the puff pastry(do this step quickly so that the pastry doesn’t get too warm) Immediately Put dish back in the oven, Bake for 17 to 19 minutes until golden. If using biscuit dough, place the dough in the casserole over the veggies. Mix the maple syrup and non-dairy milk, and brush it onto the tops of the biscuit dough. Put the dish back in the oven for 18 minutes or until golden.
Cool for a few minutes, add a dash of cayenne and serve.
What to Serve with Veggie Pot Pie
This is great as an entree on its own or part of a larger spread. Masala pot pie goes really well with garlic bread to sop up the sauce. It’s also delicious with biryani, like my Lucknowi biryani.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make this nut-free, use the flour option instead of the cashews, and make sure that your non-dairy milk is nut-free. For soy-free, choose soy-free non-dairy milk and soy-free puff pastry or biscuit dough. To make this gluten-free, use the rice flour to thicken and either omit the biscuits or use gluten-free biscuits. To bake it without biscuit topping, bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil, let cool for 5 minutes, and serve.
You can! To make it on the stove, pour the sauce from step 2 into a large skillet. Add all the greens and veggies. cover and cook at medium heat for 20-25 minutes or until the veggies are tender. Serve with biscuits on the side or just as-is without the biscuits.
i’m planning to make this tonight! a co-worker just gave me a huge bag of baby lettuce from her garden. i’ve never baked lettuce before. do you think it would taste okay?
Lettuce doesnt work well when baked or cooked in sauces unfortunately. you can try saute a small bit on the skillet with oil and garlic and see if you like it. That way atleast you dont have to throw the whole casserole. 🙂
oh bummer, but thank you for the heads up! that would have been sad if the whole thing got ruined. 🙂
What size baking dish do you recommend?
1.5 quart, 9 by 7 inch or 8 by 8 inch baking dish.
An hour to make these pies would probably be absolutely worth it! I love this twist on dumplings since it marries two different cuisines together!
The pie actually takes like 20 mins to put together and the rest is bake time.
Very tasty! Thanks!
Looks so yummy!
Izzy | Pinch of delight
Richa; I bet a mashed potato crust would also be great in lieu of GF dumplings. In the past, I combine mashed potatoes, cashew cream sauce, nutritional yeast, garlic, and other seasonings. I then spread the mashed potatoes over the veggies. Yum…
Looks yummy ! Sure going to try !
Could this recipe be doubled and cooked in a slow cooker? Then baking the biscuits separately and added at the end.
Sure. I dont know if it would need any other adjustments for the slow cooker. Perhaps lesser water.
I’m thinking of making this with garbanzo flour dumplings. Would you suggest the same timing as with wheat flour biscuits?
Yes, they should work in that much time. dumplings are not as thick as biscuits, so they should cook through. if they feel a bit doughy or soft, bake for another 5 or so mins
Chickpea dumplings? Please share the recipe!
ttry these https://www.veganricha.com/2016/11/lentil-rice-casserole-chickpea-dumplings.html
I use this recipe https://www.vegetarianventures.com/chickpea-dumplings-in-curry-tomato-sauce/
Pot pie was always one of my favorite meals as a kid- this looks amazing! I love the use of puff pastries on top rather than a whole crust- definitely makes the process simpler. Thank you for sharing!!
I love the cut out pastry. It makes easier to serve. The whole sheet ends up being too much pastry for me. I like more the veggies and sauce.