This tasty alternative to a shepherd’s or cottage pie isn’t just for vegetarians and you can use almost any of your favourite vegetables but bear in mind that hard vegetables may need par-boiling first.
You must allow the filling and mash to cool before assembling the pie else it will all collapse together. This can be served as a main or as an alternative to plain mash as a comforting side dish.
Ingredients for 6
For the Mash
- 2.5kg Potatoes peeled, boiled and mashed. Season with salt and add milk, cream and butter as you wish to enrich it but keep the mash quite thick. Allow to cool and refrigerate overnight.
For the curry
- 300g Mushrooms thinly sliced
- 1 Courgette thinly sliced
- 2 Tins Chopped Tomatoes
- 1 TSP Cumin Powder
- ½ TSP Cinnamon Powder
- 1 TSP Cracked Black Pepper
- 4 TSP Grated Garlic
- 4 TBSP Tomato puree
- 1 Onion, 1 Red pepper, 1 Green pepper 1 Aubergine in thin slices
- 2 Cups of par-boiled Carrot, Turnip and Swede in 1cm cubes
- 8 TBSP Vegetable oil
- Boiling Water
Method
Heat a wok or frying pan and add the oil. Stir fry the vegetables in the oil until softened and stir in the spices and garlic until the aromas are released then add the tomato puree and chopped tomatoes and stir in well.
Pour over enough boiling water to almost but not quite cover the ingredients.
Bring up to a boil while stirring the tomato in well.
Lower the heat and gently simmer until the sauce thickens.
Stir occasionally.
Allow to cool and refrigerate overnight.
To assemble the pie lay the vegetable mix evenly in the bottom of a baking pan. Top with the potato by starting with the four corners then filling in the sides and then the middle.
Score the mash with a fork to create some peaks that will go extra crispy and bake in the oven at around 200ºC for around 60 minutes. Timing may need to be adjusted depending on the oven and the depth of the dish but this is a forgiving dish and you can up the heat or reduce it as needed and hold in the oven at 100ºC before serving.
©Gavin McArdell 2019
