Ginger Shepherd’s Pie
Cyrus Todiwala's Ginger Shepherd’s Pie! A spicy take on a traditional meal from Cyrus' new book that will have everyone coming back for more!
Ingredients
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 250ml (8 fl oz / 1 cup) warm water
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2-3 large floury potatoes
- 100ml (3 ½ fl oz / scant ½ cup) double (heavy) cream
- Butter – to taste
- 1 whole egg
- Salt, to taste
- 2 tbsp sunflower or rapeseed oil
- 2 x 5cm (2 in) pieces of cinnamon stick
- 2-3 whole dried red chillies, broken into pieces and deseeded
- 2 red onions, finely chopped
- 10cm (4 in) piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 500g (1lb 2oz) lean minced (ground) lamb
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 8-10 sprigs of coriander (cilantro), chopped
Method
- Blend the ground cumin and coriander with the warm water in a small jug and set aside
- Toast the cumin seeds gently in a dry frying pan for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Cool, then crush in a mortar with a pestle (or in a small bowl with the end of a rolling pin). Set aside
- Boil the potatoes in plenty of water until the skins crack, drain well, then peel whilst still hot by holding in paper towels or a clean cloth. Pass through a potato ricer into a bowl or mash thoroughly with a potato masher.
- Whisk the cream and egg together thoroughly and then beat into the potato until smooth. Add butter and mix together. Add the crushed cumin, green chilli, and chopped fresh coriander. Season to taste.
- Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole. When a haze forms, add the cinnamon and saute for a minute until it changes colour but does not blacken or burn, turn heat down to medium and add the red chilli pieces. Stir for a few seconds, then add the onions. Saute until the onions are soft and pale, 4-5 minutes, then add the ginger and garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes until both are pale golden brown.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the mince and prepared spice water.
- Break the mince up as much as you can so that you see no lumps and turn the heat up to a medium, but continue stirring and breaking up until all the meat is separate.
- Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring every now and again so no lumps form, until the mixture is nearly dry. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes until the tomato is pulpy. Season to taste and add the chopped coriander. Transfer to a flameproof serving dish.
- Preheat the grill (broiler). Spread out the meat evenly in the dish, then either spread the creamed potato on top and rough up with a fork or pipe it. Cook under the grill until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Alternatively, preheat the oven to 190C / 375F / gas 5 and bake for about 35 minutes. Rotate the dish to get an even colouring.
Ingredients
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 250ml (8 fl oz / 1 cup) warm water
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2-3 large floury potatoes
- 100ml (3 ½ fl oz / scant ½ cup) double (heavy) cream
- Butter – to taste
- 1 whole egg
- Salt, to taste
- 2 tbsp sunflower or rapeseed oil
- 2 x 5cm (2 in) pieces of cinnamon stick
- 2-3 whole dried red chillies, broken into pieces and deseeded
- 2 red onions, finely chopped
- 10cm (4 in) piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 500g (1lb 2oz) lean minced (ground) lamb
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 8-10 sprigs of coriander (cilantro), chopped
Method
- Blend the ground cumin and coriander with the warm water in a small jug and set aside
- Toast the cumin seeds gently in a dry frying pan for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Cool, then crush in a mortar with a pestle (or in a small bowl with the end of a rolling pin). Set aside
- Boil the potatoes in plenty of water until the skins crack, drain well, then peel whilst still hot by holding in paper towels or a clean cloth. Pass through a potato ricer into a bowl or mash thoroughly with a potato masher.
- Whisk the cream and egg together thoroughly and then beat into the potato until smooth. Add butter and mix together. Add the crushed cumin, green chilli, and chopped fresh coriander. Season to taste.
- Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole. When a haze forms, add the cinnamon and saute for a minute until it changes colour but does not blacken or burn, turn heat down to medium and add the red chilli pieces. Stir for a few seconds, then add the onions. Saute until the onions are soft and pale, 4-5 minutes, then add the ginger and garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes until both are pale golden brown.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the mince and prepared spice water.
- Break the mince up as much as you can so that you see no lumps and turn the heat up to a medium, but continue stirring and breaking up until all the meat is separate.
- Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring every now and again so no lumps form, until the mixture is nearly dry. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes until the tomato is pulpy. Season to taste and add the chopped coriander. Transfer to a flameproof serving dish.
- Preheat the grill (broiler). Spread out the meat evenly in the dish, then either spread the creamed potato on top and rough up with a fork or pipe it. Cook under the grill until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Alternatively, preheat the oven to 190C / 375F / gas 5 and bake for about 35 minutes. Rotate the dish to get an even colouring.
