Shepherd's pie

   Shepherd's pie has a meat filling and is  lined with the crust made of mashed potatoes.  This savoury pie was traditionally devoured whenever there was  left-over of grilled meat.  I can also say that it's a comfort food.   With so much humidity around, all you need is a piping hot shepherd's pie and a good book to mark a great day.

I got this recipe from my mom's Morphy Richards oven guidebook.  They have beautifully twisted it according to our Indian palette.  This dish is a layered dish.  The layers start with  thinly sliced potatoes, followed by vegetable mince, lamb mince and topped with mashed potatoes.  This, in turn, is brushed with melted butter and some crumbled cheese.  When these layers are baked, all you get is aromatic and a crispy potato crust top, followed by soft layers of vegetables and meat mince and ends with potato slices. I flavoured meat mince with dill and totally  this pie had such complementing flavours that I ended up devouring them as such.  Alternatively,  you can dig them with roti as well.  

  The round  casserole, I used here is 15 cm in diameter and 5 cm depth.  The filling measurements are made accordingly.  You may have to twist the measurements according to your casserole's size. 

So, let's get started. 

Preparation time:  15 minutes
Cooking time:  30 minutes 
Baking time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients required

For the bottom layer

• 80 grams of thinly sliced potatoes

For vegetable mince

• 2 tsp of oil
• 1 tbsp of finely chopped garlic
• 1 tbsp of finely chopped ginger
• 1/2 cup each of finely chopped onion, tomatoes, carrot and capsicum
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp chilly powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder

For meat mince layer

• 150 grams of lamb kheema
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp finely chopped Dill leaves
• 2 tbsp of tomato chilly sauce

For potato crust

• 150 grams of boiled potato
• 1/2 tsp of milk
• 1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp melted butter
• 1/2 cup of crumbled mozzarella cheese

Method

Pressure cook mutton kheema for one whistle, after a whistle simmer the flame for ten minutes.  Switch off the flame.  Keep it aside.  In a Kadai, add oil.  When it becomes hot, add ginger and garlic.

Saute them for few seconds.  Add onions and saute till they brown.  

Now, thrown in all vegetables along with the spices.  

Cover and simmer the flame for two minutes.  Switch off and keep aside.  

Alternatively, open the pressure cooker and collect the cooked kheema, use the pressure cooker to cook the potato for one whistle.  We need the potato for the top crust.  In a bowl, add kheema and stir in dill leaves and salt.  Mix and keep aside.  

Pre-heat the oven to 180-degree celsius.  Now, after the potato gets pressure cooked, slice/mash them with a help of a fork.  You can blend them in mixie if you like.  Add in milk and 1/2 tsp of  melted butter to mashed potatoes.  

Mix them thoroughly,  keep aside.  

In a casserole, line them with  thinly sliced potatoes.

This is followed by vegetable mince layer.  

And is topped with mutton mince.  

Pour in sauce and spread over the kheema.  

Now add our final layer of mashed potatoes.  Spread them evenly. 

Pour in 1/2 tsp of melted butter and spread crumbled cheese.  

Bake them for about 30 minutes.  Last 5 minutes, I switched the upper rod on, because I wanted the crust to brown.  

So, happy baking guys  :D  :D