Shepard's Pie

Shepherd's pie is a meat pie with a crust of mashed potatoes. In early cookery books, the dish was a means of using leftover roasted meat of any kind, and the pie dish was lined with mashed potato as well as having a mashed potato crust on top... and at the same time its a complete meal

Recipe Adapted from: Fauzias.Kitchen.Fun

500gm beef mince

750gm white potatoes (about 10-12 medium sized)

2 tsp ginger/garlic

3 medium sized grated or chopped onions

3 medium carrots, diced/cubed into small pieces

half cup green peas

4 tbsp sweet corn

salt to taste

mozarella or cheddar cheese, grated

3 tbsp tomato paste

4 tbsp butter (half for mince and half for potatoes)

2 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp coriander powder

2 tbsp coriander leaves

1 chopped green chilli

1 tbsp white flour

2 tbsp milk

Mince Ingredients:

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp paprika powder (or chilli powder if you do not have paprika)

1 tsp cumin powder

2 tbsp of chopped coriander leaves

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Mix all mince ingredients together and set it aside.

Heat the oil and 2 tbsp. of butter in a pan. Add the onions and fry until translucent, then add your ginger and garlic. Fry together until they release their aroma

Then add the diced carrots and fry them for about 3 minutes... Now add the peas and fry them for another 3 minutes or so. Now add your mince and chopped green chilies and stir fry until the mince starts to brown and has a good color. Add the sweet corn followed by the tomato paste and sprinkle 1/2 tsp. cumin powder and 1/2 tsp coriander powder..Let this cook for about 5 minutes, then sprinkle the white flour so that it absorbs any extra moisture in the mixture.

Cook for a few more minutes until you find that the mixture has thickened nicely, then add your coriander leaves and switch off.

Peel and cube the potatoes, then boil them in some salted water until soft. Drain and add 2 tbsp. butter and 2 tbsp. milk, then mash them whilst they are hot. Adjust salt accordingly.

Take a pyrex or baking dish, butter it nicely and pour your mince mixture first. Flatten it and make sure the layer is even.

Then add your mashed potato on top. Be careful not to squish the mashed potatoes down, this will displace the mixture underneath and make the pie look untidy. Just try and gently place your mashed potatoes all over and you can use a fork to push and adjust it.

Now add your cheese of choice. I did a mozzarella and cheddar combination, but you can use whichever you like. You can also sprinkle some chopped coriander on top, but that too is optional. Some like to add dabs of butter on top of the pie, so if you like some extra buttery taste, go for it!

Bake the pie in a pre-heated oven at 180 C/350 F for 25-30 minutes or until it's nice and golden on top. Serve with some salad or even as it is... i served it with garlic bread... as I say complete meal... enjoy!