THE INDIAN SHEPHERD’S PIE

Shepherd's pie was a favorite of the English, if Enid Blyton were to be believed. Most of the stories I read when I was knee-high brought in visions of a dish that had me drooling even as I read about it. When I scoured the net to find a suitable recipe for the pie, I was however a tad bit disappointed. My taste buds have undying loyalty to all things spicy and the dish seemed quite bland, probably since it was tuned to English tastes. So I put on my thinking cap and came up with a recipe that I think and Indian shepherd may be able to appreciate a bit more :) I normally dislike potatoes but mashed potatoes oozing butter laid on a bed of yummy mincemeat was just too good to resist!

What Goes In:

Minced Lamb – 450g

Vegetable Oil – 2 tbsp

Bay leaves – 2

Onion (finely chopped) – 1

Green Chillies (finely chopped) – 2

Carrots (peeled and sliced) – 2-3

Frozen Green Peas – ¼ cup

Salt – ¼ tsp

Cumin (ground) – 1 tsp

Maida – 25g

Lamb / Chicken Stock – 300ml

Tomato Puree – 1 tbsp

Potatoes – 700g

Butter – 25g

Milk – 4-5 tbsp

Cheddar Cheese (grated) – 50g

Chilly Powder – 1½ tsp

Pepper Powder – 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp

Coriander Powder – 2 tsp

Garam Masala – 1 tsp

Ginger-garlic Paste – 1 tsp

The “How To”:

1.       Heat oil in a pan; add bay leaves and onions and sauté till the onions turn transparent.

2.       Add the green chillies and the ginger-garlic paste and sauté till the raw smell of the paste disappears.

3.       Now, add the chilly powder, pepper powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder and sauté for 1 minute.

4.       Into the above mix, add the carrots, green peas and minced lamb and fry for 7-8 minutes till the mince turns brown. Combine the salt, cumin powder and flour (mixed in a little water) with the mince and stir for 1 minute. Blend in the stock and tomato puree. Cook covered till the mix thickens and the meat is cooked through.

5.       Peel and boil the potatoes and a little salt in boiling water for around 20 minutes or till they turn soft. Drain the excess water and mash the potatoes with the butter and milk (if you are using salted butter, you are not required to add salt while boiling the potatoes).

6.       Preheat the oven at 200 degrees Celsius.

7.       When the lamb mixture is cooked, tip it into an oven-proof dish. Spread the mashed potatoes on top. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top of the potatoes and dot with butter.

8.       Bake for 15-20 minutes till the crust turns golden brown.

Tip 1: Can be served as a meal in itself with garlic bread.

Tip 2: Stock can be made by dissolving stock cubes (easily available in supermarkets) in lukewarm water.