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My Dahling Shepard's Pie

'comforting and flavorsome'


OK this one came to me in a flash of inspiration I wanted to add some interest to a vegetarian Shepard's (or cottage, when you're vegetarian it doesn't matter) pie because my mom wasn't feeling up to much and I wanted to make something nice and comfort foody.  I also like Indian flavors and felt that a lentil base would work well as a mince substitute. What you end up with is a comforting dish that manages to simultaneously taste like a cottage pie and a curry. It's a bit of a trip but it has become one of my new favorite recipes that I'm sure to be making for many years.

The Base
Lentils (red and green, or just green)
Onion (diced reasonably finely)
Carrot (diced reasonably finely)
Cellary (diced reasonably finely)
Other root veg (whatever you would usually put in a Shepard's pie)
Chili (enough to make it as hot as you like it, but not too spicy we're going for comfort food)
Garlic (half a bulb)
Ginger (about a thumb and a half)
Tinned tomato  (a tin)
Tomato puree (A good squeeze)
Dry Spices (cumin two teaspoons, coriander, fennel seed, and cardamom a teaspoon. a cinnamon stick  )
Vegetable stock (about a pint)
Salt and pepper (to taste)


  1. Take your chili ginger and garlic and tomato puree and some of the juice from your tinned tomatoes and blend into a smooth paste. 
  2. Sautee your carrot onion and celery in some oil or butter for approximately twenty minutes, this seemed a long time but I've found that really cooking out a mirepoix for a long time really does deepen the flavors in the final product. no one likes crunching on raw celery in what should have been a nice stew or worst of all pasta sauce. 
  3. When your vegetables are well sweated down add you dry spices and cook on low for a few minutes before adding your lentils followed quickly by your paste and then your tin of tomatoes. 
  4. add a stock cube and enough water to cover the pan by about a centimeter. 
  5. Simmer this mixture adding water as needed until the lentils are tender. 
  6. take off the heat and allow to relax a little.


Potato topping 
Potatoes (chopped as you would for making mash)
Coriander(chopped roughly)
Flaked chillies (half a teaspoon)
Ground cumin (one teaspoon)
Ground corriander (half a teaspoon)
Cheddar (about 250 grammes)
Butter (A tablespoon)
Salt and white pepper (to taste)


  1. Boil your potatoes until tender then mash them with the butter. 
  2. Stir in the rest of the ingredients reserving a third of the cheese and some of the coriander. season to taste.
  3. Top the lentil mix with the potatoes. Please  Don't smooth it out too much that feels weird.
  4. Top it with the remaining cheese and bake the whole lot in the oven at about 200 degrees untill the top is crisp and brown.  
  5. Serve. 

I don't eat fish and had this on it's own as a complete meal but my mom informs me that it is best served with cod glazed in mango chutney, I tend to trust mom in these matters.

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