Bombay spiced shepherd's pie with crispy smashed potato topper
A spiced twist on the British classic, slow-cooked lamb is seasoned with garam masala, ginger, green chilli and tomatoes. The lamb is then topped with crispy, garlicky Nanna Tate potatoes, and served with a dollop of coriander yogurt and pickled red onions.
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
For the Bombay-spiced shepherd’s pie base
- 600g of lamb shoulder, diced
- 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 red onion, diced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 celery stick, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, diced
- 1 knob of ginger, grated
- 2 green chillies, diced and seeds removed
- 2 tbsp of garam masala
- 1 tbsp of Doves Farm Organic Plain White Flour
- 1 tbsp of tomato paste
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tins of chopped tomatoes
- 250ml of beef stock, or lamb stock, plus more as needed
- 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
For the pickled red onions
- 5 tbsp of white vinegar
- 5 tbsp of water
- 5 tbsp of caster sugar
- 1 tbsp of sea salt
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 red onion, finely sliced
For the smashed potatoes
- 900g of potatoes, peeled
- 150g of salted butter
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp nigella seeds
- salt and pepper
For the garnish
- 1 handful of coriander, finely chopped
- 150g of natural yoghurt
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 handful of chives, finely chopped
Method
Preheat the oven to 150°C fan
Mix the diced lamb with the oil and a pinch of salt, then sear it off in a large pot until all of the pieces are browned all over. Remove and set aside
- 600g of lamb shoulder, diced
- 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook over a medium heat. After a few minutes, add in the garlic, ginger and chillies
- 1 red onion, diced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 celery stick, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, diced
- 1 knob of ginger, grated
- 2 green chillies, diced and seeds removed
Cook down the vegetables until everything is soft, about 15 minutes
Next, add in the garam masala and flour. Cook out over a low heat for a minute or so then stir in the tomato paste
- 2 tbsp of garam masala
- 1 tbsp of Doves Farm Organic Plain White Flour
- 1 tbsp of tomato paste
Mix in the spices and tomatoes, then add in the beef stock bit by bit, whisking after each addition initially so the flour doesn’t clump up
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tins of chopped tomatoes
- 250ml of beef stock, or lamb stock, plus more as needed
Add the lamb back to the pot then add in the rosemary, bay leaf and thyme. Season with salt and pepper to taste, depending on how salty your stock was
- 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
Cover the pot with a lid then place in the oven and slow cook for 5–6 hours, or until the lamb is extremely tender. Top up with extra stock as needed, if it starts to dry out
Next, make the pink pickled onions. Whisk together all of the ingredients for the pickle brine until the sugar is dissolved, then add in the sliced onions. Leave them to pickle in the fridge while the lamb cooks
- 5 tbsp of white vinegar
- 5 tbsp of water
- 5 tbsp of caster sugar
- 1 tbsp of sea salt
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 red onion, finely sliced
Boil the potatoes in salted water for around 15 minutes or until tender, then drain and return to the pan to steam
- 900g of potatoes, peeled
Meanwhile, melt the salted butter with the cumin, garlic and nigella seeds. Cook the mixture until the butter is lightly browned, then transfer to a heatproof bowl
- 150g of salted butter
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp nigella seeds
Preheat an oven to 180°C fan
Lay out the potatoes on a large baking tray lined with parchment paper. Use a potato masher to squish them down, making sure to keep them in one piece. Leave them to cool for another couple of minutes then drizzle with the melted butter
Season with salt and pepper then bake for 15 minutes. This is the first bake before they get placed over the lamb and baked again
Once the shepherd's pie base is ready and the lamb is tender, remove it from the oven and remove the herbs. Taste adjust the seasoning as needed
Transfer to a deep-sided baking dish. Layer the half-cooked smashed potatoes over the base, then drizzle with some more melted butter
Bake in the oven for around 25 minutes until the potatoes are crisp and cooked through
Mix together the coriander and yoghurt, and season with salt and pepper
- 1 handful of coriander, finely chopped
- 150g of natural yoghurt
- salt and pepper to taste
To serve, spoon a generous portion of the shepherd's pie into a serving bowl, then serve with a dollop of the coriander yoghurt, pink pickled onions and a sprinkle of finely chopped chives
- 1 handful of chives, finely chopped
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