Round pie with square puff pastry

My Quay Lo often said he is a square peg in a round hole living in Malaysia. However, he said he learned a lot about the Asian culture over the years. For example, he loves Chinese, Malay and Indian food. He used to eat our local spicy fare,, sometimes even exceeding my own threshold for the heat,, but now, though he still loves it, his system is not so tolerant as it once was. He has also observed how, in our culture, a hundred conversations can go on at the same time in a gathering, and that we don't mean to be rude or exclude him. Now, when he wants to be  heard, he just speaks the loudest. He observes that it isn't often that he feels the need to be the loudest and still believes that it is far better to simply remain silent and listen. Though he has learned to use some common phrases in Cantonese, like, “Hai Lor” (Right) or “MM goy lay ah” (Thank you), even those he uses only based on the situation.

I remember once we were in a taxi in Singapore and the driver was a Chinese old uncle and spoke very little English. 
Listen to the conversation between my Quay Lo and him:

Old Uncle: “Today, hot ar?”

My Quay Lo : “Hai Lor.” (Right).

Old Uncle was so impressed and asked : You speak Chinese?”

My Quay Lo: “Siu, siu, ngor kay tai tai kow ngor.”  (A little, my wife taught me).

Old uncle was even more impressed and started to speak to him in Cantonese, the whole trip from then on, and my Quay Lo kept saying “Hai Lor, Hai Lor." (Right, Right). When we reached our destination and alighted from the taxi,  he thanked the old uncle in Cantonese, “MM koi lay ar.” (Thank you.) That put a big smile on the old man’s face. As we walked away,  I asked him if he knew what the old uncle was talking about. "Some of it" he replied, "but mostly I had no idea".  So tell me, do you think he is a square peg in a round hole, living here? I don't think so, he fit right in. He is just like my pie, he fits in although not uniformly.  He managed to make the old uncle think that he had a nice conversation with a friendly Quay Lo. Which of course, he had. Maybe it even made the uncle's day.  I guess as long as one accepts their own shape, one will always find a way to fit in. Just don’t let your shape box you in. I did not let the shape of my puff pastry box me in, I went ahead and made the pie anyway.

My Quay Lo said this pie looked like it had been repaired but then I still made a round pie with square puff pastries and, as he testified,  a very delicious one! A little stretch here, and a tuck there, and it seemed to work. Isn't it true that in life we all occasionally have to do that? If we don't have the right shape, no big deal. As my Quay Lo says, humans are the most adaptable creatures on earth. That is a very good principle for the kitchen I think. Quay Lo loves savory pastries. I made this one with a touch of Asian spices and he raved about it. Sometimes the little stretches and tucks we do in life are not as apparent as the patchwork pie pastry, but are more subtle and meaningful like the spices in this pie.

Chicken pot pie

Adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

300gm skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, diced

1/2  cup carrots, diced

½ cup frozen green peas

1 tbs butter

½ cup water

1/2 cup onion, chopped

¼  tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp mustard seeds (pre toast in a dry hot pan for 2 minutes, tossing frequently)

1 tbs garam masala
1/4 tsp ground red chili

1 can creamy chicken soup

2 (9 inch) unbaked puff pastry (I did not have the round puff pastry so I used 9 inch square ones)

Optional: Use 1/4 cup dry white wine instead of water for more flavor or add one tsp fresh lemon

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C.)

Marinate chicken with a dry rub of the garam masala, ground red chili, salt and pepper for 1 hour or more. In a saucepan, add butter. Sauté onions till translucent and soft. Add mustard seed, chicken, carrots, and peas and stir fry till chicken meat becomes somewhat opaque. Add the creamy chicken soup and water and stir in. Bring back to a simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, set aside. Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

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