This spiced variation on this Indian shepherd's pie that will excite your taste buds. The creamy mashed potato has cheese topping for perfect winter comfort food! You can make this spicy shepherd's pie ahead and reheat it in the oven before serving.
This Indian spiced shepherd's pie is made with layers of buttery mashed potatoes and ground meat cooked with vegetables, and topped with grated cheese. It's a truly mouthwatering and irresistible casserole!
For more comforting casseroles you will love dabba gosht, spinach lasagna, and creamy chicken crepes! Make sure to check out these!
Jump to:
While the name "Shepherd's Pie" is debated (with some calling it Cottage Pie for beef versions), the key difference truly lies in the meat: lamb for Shepherd's Pie and beef for Cottage Pie.
My recipe, however, earns its "Indian Shepherd's Pie" title by adding spices to elevate the flavor and create a spicier twist on the classic. The cooking method is close to the Indian style.
Why make this recipe?
Instead of the usual bland filling, I have added warming spices like ginger, red chili, soy sauce, and a whole crew of others. So this adds the extra kick of flavor to this spicy shepherd's pie.
I've added extra butter to the mashed potatoes and topped them off with a layer of grated cheese. This makes it extra rich and cheesy – you know you can never say no to extra cheese, right? It's what makes this dish lip-smacking good!
Ingredients
You will need mashed potatoes and ground meat sauce. Look below at the ingredients.
Do you crave fluffy clouds of mashed potatoes on your pie that collapse under the gentlest nudge of the fork? Check out these ingredients below to see how I achieve such mashed potatoes.
- Potatoes: I used Russet potatoes in this recipe, but Yukon Gold and red potatoes are also fantastic options!
- Butter: Opt for high-quality butter for the best flavor. Salted butter works well for me here, but be mindful of the seasoning as it can affect the overall saltiness of your dish.
- Cheese: cheddar cheese is a classic choice for creamy, cheesy mashed potatoes. Use sharp cheddar for a bolder taste or mild cheddar for a gentler flavor.
- Milk: Whole full-fat milk offers the best texture for creamy mashed potatoes. Other nondairy milk will work too.
Let's check the ingredients for the meat and veggie goodness!
- Ground Meat: I have tried this recipe with both ground lamb and ground beef. In this recipe, I have opted for more flavorful ground beef. Just remember the fattier the better.
- Tomatoes: I simply blended tomatoes for a juicy and saucy minced meat base. You can sub with canned tomato puree or tomato paste. Anything equivalent to 3 whole tomatoes.
- Onion
- Peas: Fresh or frozen peas both work fine.
- Corns: Canned or frozen corn are both great options, depending on your preference.
- Carrots
- Ginger & Garlic: Freshly minced is best and adds a burst of flavor.
- Soy Sauce: Soy sauce adds earthiness and umami to the gravy. Worcestershire sauce can be used too.
- Green Chili: Just to give an extra kick of heat to the dish. It is optional.
- Oil: Any neutral oil is fine.
- Cilantro: Cilantro is a staple at my place, parsley, rosemary or thyme would be great options too.
- Seasonings: red chili, cumin, oregano and thyme powder.
How to make this recipe?
Get your apron on and follow these steps for the Indian shepherd's pie!
- Heat oil in a pan and add chopped onions. Fry for a few minutes until the color changes to translucent.
- Add ginger, garlic, and seasonings to the onion mixture.
- Add the tomatoes and soy sauce to the pan. Stir at intervals until the liquid reduces and a little oil is visible on the side of the pan.
- Mix in all the vegetables and stir on high heat for 2-3 minutes.
- Now, add the ground beef to the pan. Cook until browned and cooked through.
- Once the meat is cooked and most of the water has dried, add cilantro.
- Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender. Peel the skin and mash them with a potato masher until smooth. Add butter, milk, and seasonings. Adjust salt to taste.
- Now, mix for 1 minute with a spatula to give mashed potatoes a creamy smooth texture. You can also do this in the food factory.
Note: You'll need a 1.5 lt casserole for this recipe in an oven. To make this in the air fryer, I divided the mixture into two smaller casseroles that would fit in my air fryer.
- Spread a layer of ground meat evenly in the bottom of an oven-proof casserole dish.
- Next, spread a generous layer of mashed potatoes on top of the meat.
- Sprinkle a layer of cheese on top. For an extra cheesy experience, add more cheese or skip it entirely if you prefer. You can bake or air fry this dish!
- Air-fryer instruction: If the ground meat and mashed potato are warm already, it will take just 8 minutes to air-fry this Indian shepherd's pie. Otherwise, for a cool dish air fry for 10-12 minutes.
- Oven Instruction: Bake at 350 F for 15 minutes until cheese melts and heated through. For a perfectly golden crust broil for a few extra minutes until the cheese topping gets a few golden marks.
Expert Tips
For optimal flavor, use good quality ground meat with 20% fat. Keep the meat gravy slightly saucy to prevent dryness.
Creamy, well-seasoned mashed potatoes are the powerhouse of flavor that takes this dish to the next level.
Shepherd's Pie without oven: The ground meat and mashed potatoes both are cooked, we are baking just to melt the cheese. If you want to skip the baking part just heat the dish in the microwave. Garnish with herbs and serve.
Storage: Freshly baked shepherd's pie will be kept for about 2 days in the fridge. Refrigerate covered with aluminum foil or plastic wrap.
While the groundmeat sauce can last for 3-4 days, it is starch in the mashed potato which can go bad quickly. So prepare mashed potato freshly, if you wish to store it longer.
I do not recommend freezing shepherd's pie as the veggies and mashed potatoes can release too much water upon freezing.
Variations
Like I always say make adjustments to this recipe as you like and make it yours.
- For us, 750 grams of potatoes work well. You might use 1000 grams (1kg) of potato if you want more potatoes than mince.
- Add or subtract veggies depending on the availability of ingredients and taste preferences.
- Adjust spice measure as needed for this spicy shepherd's pie.
FAQS
Yes, you can use store-bought mashed potatoes, but homemade ones will have a better flavor and texture.
350 F for the oven and 180 C for the air-fryer.
The cheese has melted and is somewhat bubbling which shows that the casserole is heated through.
There could be a few reasons why your shepherd's pie is dry. You may have overcooked the filling making it dry. Or the ground meat was lacking in fat. Adding extra fat like butter, oil, or bone broth to the filling can help.
Hungry for more? Try these!
If you try this Indian shepherd's pie recipe, I'd LOVE to hear your feedback in the comments. Your 5-ratings motivate me to do my best. Stay connected for more recipes and videos on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube.
📖 Recipe
Indian Shepherd's Pie Recipe
Ingredients
For Ground Meat
- 4 tablespoon oil
- 1 cup onions, finely chopped
Seasoning
- 1½ tablespoon soya sauce
- 1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped
- ½ tablespoons ginger, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoons red chilli flakes
- 1 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoons oregano powder
- ½ teaspoon thyme powder
Other
- 3 tomatoes, puréed
- ½ cup carrot, finely chopped
- ½ cup green pea, fresh or frozen
- ½ cup sweet corn, frozen or canned
- ½ kg ground meat, ground beef /ground lamb /ground turkey
- 2 tablespoons chopped chilies, optional
- 2 tablespoon cilantro , or any herb of choice
For mashed potato
750- 900
g potato, boiled in salted water- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup (100g) butter, , adjust salt if using salted
½
teaspoon garlic powder- ½ teaspoons Red chili flakes
- ½-1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ cup (100 g) cheddar cheese
Instructions
For ground meat sauce
- Heat oil in a pan and add chopped onions. Fry for a few minutes until the color changes to translucent.
- Add ginger, garlic, and seasonings to the onion mixture.
- Add the tomatoes and soy sauce to the pan. Stir at intervals until the liquid reduces and a little oil is visible on the side of the pan.
- Mix in all the vegetables and saute on medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
- Now, add the ground beef to the pan. Cook until browned and cooked through.
- Once the meat is cooked and most of the water has dried, add cilantro.
For Mashed Potato
- Peel the skin and mash them with a potato masher until smooth. Add butter, milk, and seasonings. Adjust salt to taste.
- Now, mix for 1 minute with a spatula to give mashed potatoes a creamy smooth texture. You can also do this in the food factory.
- In a 1.5 lt casserole, spread a layer of ground meat evenly in the bottom of an oven-proof dish.
- Next, spread a generous layer of mashed potatoes on top of the meat. Sprinkle a layer of cheese on top.
- Oven Instruction: Bake at 350 F for 15 minutes until cheese melts and heated through. For a perfectly golden crust broil for a few extra minutes until the cheese topping gets a few golden marks.
- Air-fryer instruction: Prepare 2 dishes that fit in the air fryer. If the ground meat and mashed potato are warm already, it will take just 8 minutes to air-fry. Otherwise, for a cool dish air fry for 10-12 minutes.
Sherry says
What do you think will happen if I mix mayonnaise with the beef and vegies? I like creamier dishes. Any opinions?
Recipe 52 says
I would recommend you to make layer of mayonaisse or cream over the mince.
That's the easiest way to do it.