Kitchen Greatest Hits: Spiced Shepherd’s Pie (Kheema Purr Batata)

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Spiced Shepherd’s Pie (Kheema Purr Batata)

This week's recipe is a seasonal twist on Shepherd's Pie, in light on Burns Night on 25th January. Nigel has included an option with Haggis and a vegetarian version of this dish. This meal has more flavour than a traditional Shepherd's Pie, and you can find recipes for the garam masala spice mix and ginger and garlic paste along with the main recipe.

The recipe comes from the book Simple Spice: 120 easy Indian recipes with just 10 spices, written by chef Cyrus Todiwala and published by Mitchell Beazley.

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

Red Chilli Powder 1 tsp

Garam Masala ½ tsp (see recipe below, or use shop bought)

Ground Turmeric ½ tsp

Ground Coriander 2 tsp

Ground Cumin 1 tsp

Water 200ml (7fl oz)

Sunflower Oil 3 tbsp

Ginger and Garlic Paste 2 tbsp (see recipe below)

Fresh Green Chillies 4-5, chopped

2 Onions, chopped

Lean Minced Lamb, Mutton or Goat 500g (1lb 2oz) (Nigel substituted 200g of Macsween’s Haggis for 200g of the lamb)

Lime Juice from ½ lime

Chopped Fresh Coriander 1 heaped tbsp

Salt

For The Topping

Floury Potatoes 400g (14oz), roughly cubed

Butter 15-30g (½ - 1oz)

Cumin Seeds ½ tsp

Fresh Green Chilli 1 finger-type, finely chopped

Freshly Ground Black Pepper ½ tsp

2-3 egg yolks (optional)

For the Ginger and Garlic Paste (Adrak Aur Lehsum Masala) - makes 250g (8oz)

Garlic 115g (4oz) roughly chopped

Fresh Root Ginger 115g (4oz) peeled & roughly chopped

Oil (any except olive oil) about 2 tbsp, plus extra for preserving

For the Garam Masala

Green Cardamom Pods 6-8, crushed & seeds extracted for use

Cinnamon Stick 2 x 7.5cm (3in) pieces

Cloves 5-6

Cumin Seeds 1 tbsp

Coriander Seeds 2 tbsp

Black Peppercorns 1 tsp

Method

Ginger and Garlic Paste

Put the garlic and ginger into a blender, add the oil and add a dash of water and whizz to a purée. If too thick, add more water and a little more oil until you get a smooth consistency.

Transfer the paste to a container, cover with a layer of oil to preserve, seal tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. Use as needed, always using a dry spoon and keeping the rim of the container clean. If the paste begins to dry out, pour some oil over the top before resealing.

Garam Masala

Preheat the oven to 130C/260F/Gas Mark ¾. Place all the spices on a baking tray and place on the middle shelf of the oven for 10-12 minutes. After this time, turn off the oven, leaving the tray for another 20 minutes. Remove the spices from the oven and allow to cool.

Transfer the spice mixture to a grinder or mortar and whizz or pound to a fine powder. If using a grinder and it gets too hot, the powder will stick to the edges of the bowl, so every now and again loosen the coarse pieces of spice from the sides, then grind some more. Transfer the powder to a sterilised small airtight jar and store in the refrigerator.

Spiced Shepherd's Pie

Combine the dried spices in a small bowl and mix with the measured water. Cover and set aside.

Heat a flameproof casserole dish & add the oil. When a haze forms, add the Ginger and Garlic Paste and green chillies. Sauté, stirring well to prevent sticking. Once the paste becomes pale and aromatic, add the onions and continue to sauté over a low heat until they are reduced almost to a pulp. You might need to add a little water now and then to deglaze the bottom of the pan.

Stir the soaked spices, adding a little more water to the bowl if they are stuck to the sides, then add to the onions. Sauté until the oil emerges, adding a little water again if the mixture shows signs of sticking.

Turn off the heat and add the minced meat, breaking it up with a spatula and combining it thoroughly. I sometimes add a little water to help this process along. Return the pan to the heat and cook gently, stirring regularly, for 20-25 minutes, until the minced meat is cooked. Add salt to taste, then stir in the lime juice and fresh coriander.

While the meat is simmering, preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas Mark 3. Bring a large pan of water to the boil. When boiling, add some salt and the potatoes, & cook for about 8-10 minutes, until tender.

Drain well, then return the potatoes to the pan and place them over a low heat, stirring with a wooden spatula from the bottom up until they look dry, slightly crushed and fluffy. Mash well.

Put the butter and cumin seeds on a board and chop them together. Add to the potato along with the green chilli and black pepper, and beat again until creamy. (For extra richness, you can add more butter or the egg yolks, if you wish).

Tip the meat mixture into a deep pie dish and spoon the mashed potato on top. Spread it out using the back of a fork to give the topping character. Place in the oven for 12-15 minutes, turning the dish from time to time so that the top browns evenly. Serve immediately.

Notes

Chopped tomatoes can be added to the minced meat if you wish (3-4 should be enough).

To give them meat a lovely sheen, add 3 tablespoons tomato ketchup and cook until it is absorbed.

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