Light blue oval cast iron pot filled with vegetarian curry and topped with a potato and cauliflower mixture. Pot is sitting on a silver stovetop.

Indian style shepard's pie

This Indian-Inspired Shepherd’s Pie with Spiced Potato, Cauliflower, and Spinach is a vegetarian take on shepherd’s pie and is a family favourite with a rich Indian style tomato and bean base topped with a spiced potato and cauliflower layer. Full of comforting flavours, it’s an easy midweek meal that will warm you up on cooler nights.

Ingredients

Tomato base:

  • 2 tbsp ghee or coconut oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp minced garlic
  • 5cm piece of ginger, grated
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • ½ tsp chili powder (optional)
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 x 400g butter beans
  • 1 x 400g black beans
  • 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • ½ cup water

Potato topping:

  • 2 tbsp ghee or coconut oil
  • 1kg potatoes, diced into small chunks
  • ½ large cauliflower, diced into small florets
  • 50g ghee or unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 200g baby spinach
  • Salt, to taste

Instructions

  1. Prepare the tomato base: Heat ghee or coconut oil in a large pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the onions and sauté them for about 10 minutes until they soften and become sweet. Then add the garlic and ginger allowing and cook for another 5 minutes. Once aromatic, stir in the spices: turmeric, chili powder, garam masala, and cumin seeds. Let the spices cook for a minute or two until fragrant. Add the beans, chopped tomatoes, and 1 cup of water or veggie stock. Simmer for around 25 minutes until the mixture thickens.
  2. Prep the veggies for the topping: preheat the oven to 200°C. In a large pot, boil the diced potatoes in salted water for 15 minutes until almost tender. Add the cauliflower florets and continue cooking for an additional 6 minutes until both vegetables are cooked through. Drain well.
  3. Cook topping mixture: return the empty pan to the heat and add ghee. Once melted, add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and turmeric. Cook for 1 minute, then add potatoes, cauliflower, and spinach. Stir until the spinach wilts, lightly crush the potatoes with the back of a spoon, and fold in the remaining spinach.
  4. Assemble and bake: spoon the potato and cauli mix onto the pot with the tomato and bean base. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the top is toasted and crunchy.

Pro Tip:
For a vegan version, swap the ghee for coconut oil or a plant-based alternative.

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