Today, I am going to transport you to comfort food heaven. I said it.
I have a soft spot for comfort foods. They transport me to a place where I can only think about life’s small pleasures. One such pleasure is the humble Shepherd’s pie. What’s not to love about it? A hearty meat and vegetable filling that is as delicious as it is rich. Stewed to perfection in a pot with an array of root veggies that can only warm up your soul. Top that with fully pillows of mashed potatoes and bake till golden brown and delectable. Again, I ask, what’s not to love about it?
My take on this classic pie is a little heavier on the spices. My flavour profile stems from my deep rooted love for aromatics. I love south Asian spices and the depth it adds to meat. For me, beef that is stewed needs deeper flavour than what you would get in a traditional Shepherd’s pie. Also, since I have a Bangladeshi palette, I tend to be a little more heavy handed with seasoning. Garlic, Cumin and Coriander are just some of my staples when it comes to cooking meat. So this take is a far more aromatic take on the traditional meat pie. Along with a few more deshi flavours to really just throw you over the edge of perfect comfort food.
Anecdote Time
Growing up I was always more interested in the food that my friends ate. I loved watching the food network and watching my favorite chefs create amazing food that my mother didn’t particularly care for. You could find me fawning over a casserole or a roast chicken dinner, while my mother made bhajis and torkaries (curries). When I got older, I got busy in the kitchen and started cooking up new recipes and using my family as Guinea pigs. I loved cooking with a new flavour palette. My favorites were making pastas and baking up all kinds of meats with new ingredients that were leasing shelf space in our Bangladeshi pantry.
But of all the recipes I made, I could never stick to a recipe. I would always add a little dash of spice that the recipe DID NOT call for. I really tried to stay true to the authentic recipe, but I failed at that endeavor because I would find myself reaching for familiar spices and seasonings to heighten the flavour profile.
So today, I am going to share with you one such small endeavor in the form of this Deshi (Desi) style spicy (for some) Shepherd’s pie!
What makes it deshi is the fact that we use ingredients found in our traditional pantries and round out the already comfort inducing flavour of Shepherd’s pie. The coriander and cumin work so well with the beef. And let’s just touch on the fact that the moment you sub in ghee for the fats in this recipe, it is pure magic. Forget comfort, the aroma that will waft from the oven as you crack the door open will be a combination of crispy golden onions and golden delicious ghee, that will take you straight to mashed potato heaven! I promise!
Speaking of mash, you will notice that I used instant mashed potatoes. This is a personal preference because I just love the nostalgia that hits me the moment I reconstitute the dehydrated flakes. However, never fear, I definitely level these spuds up by adding a few extra ingredients, so don’t knock it before you try it.
I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does.
Deshi Style Shepherd's Pie
Ingredients
For the Filling
- 2 tbsp Ghee or Olive Oil but ghee is preferred.
- 1 med Onion diced
- 2 med Carrots diced
- 2 stalks Celery chopped
- 3 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 lb Ground Beef
- 2 cups Mushrooms quartered
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tbsp Cumin Powder
- 1 tbsp Coriander Powder
- 1 tbsp Red Chili Powder or to your taste
- 1/2 Stock Cube
- 3 tbsp Flour
- 1/2 cup Milk
- 1 cup Frozen Peas (optional)
- Salt and Pepper to taste
For the Topping
- 2 cups Milk
- 2 tbsp Ghee
- 1 packet Dehydrated Potato Flakes (instant mashed potatoes)
- 1/3 cup Parsley/Cilantro/Chives all of them work, which ever you like
- 1/3 cup Crispy Fried Onions (Beresta)
- 2 tbsp Parmesan Cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare instant potatoes according to package instructions. I omit the water margarine and and use milk as the liquid, and ghee as the fat. Set these aside.
- preheat oven to 350°C
- In a large skillet, add ghee and add onions, carrots and celery and cook till translucent.
- Add ground beef and brown well. Add garlic, mushrooms and all the spices, Worcestershire sauce and stock cube.
- After the liquid evaporates, sprinkle the flour in and cook out the raw flour. Add the milk. Cook till thickened.
- Add in the frozen peas and combine.
- In an 9" pan, pour out the filling and top with the mashed potatoes.
- Sprinkle your green herb of choice, parmesan and top with the fried onions (beresta)
- Bake at 350°C for 35 minutes or till the top turns golden.
- ENJOY!
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