Indian spiced shepherd’s pie

It has been a while since my last post from BBC’s GoodFood magazine. This one is one of my all-time favorites, it is not unlike layered potatoes, which is a real Hungarian comfort food, and comes with tasty Indian spices. Easy to make, perfect for lunchboxes, all together a really nice dish to feature.

What you will need:

• 500g pack minced meat (turkey or beef)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 tablespoons garam masala
• 200 ml hot stock (beef or chicken)
• 300 g frozen peas
• 800 g potatoes, diced
• 1 tablespoon turmeric
• salt and pepper to taste
• small bunch of coriander, minced
• juice half lemon

How to make it:

1. In a large frying pan, cook the meat, onion and carrots, stirring often, until the meat is browned and vegetables start to soften
2. Add the garam masala and some salt and pepper and cook for a further 2 minutes until fragrant
3. Pour in the stock, bring it to a boil, tip in the peas and cook for a further 2 minutes until the peas are cooked and the liquid has evaporated
4. Time to cook the potatoes. Using a large pan, and salted water, cook them until tender
5. Drain the potatoes, return them to the pan, and stir in the turmeric and the coriander
6. Heat the oven to 200 °C
7. Transfer the mince to a casserole dish, and top with turmeric potatoes
8. Squeeze over the lemon juice, then bake for 30-35 minutes until the potatoes are golden

The fact, that most of its ingredients are items that can be found in any kitchen, and its easy and fast preparation make this an ideal food to be cooked “in a pinch”, and the exotic spices guarantee that you will serve something that people don’t eat every day.