Curried cottage pie

Curried cottage pie

Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 500g lean mince beef
• 1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 sticks celery, finely chopped
• 1 red pepper, de-seeded and diced
• 2 tbsp mild curry paste
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 400ml beef stock
• 410g can brown or green lentils, rinsed and drained

For the mash

• 750g floury potatoes, such as Desirée or King Edwards, peeled and cut into even-sized chunks
• 150ml hot semi-skimmed milk
• 25g polyunsaturated spread
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1tbsp sunflower or pumpkin seeds, optional

Method

• Preheat the oven to 190 C/170 C fan/Gas 5. Heat 1tbsp of oil in a large heavy based non-stick deep frying pan and brown the mince over a high heat for 1-2 minutes, then remove from the pan and set to one side. Stir in the curry paste
• Add the remaining oil to the pan and cook the onion over a medium heat, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the celery, garlic, and red pepper and cook for a further 2 minutes.
• Return the meat to the pan, add the flour, and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Stir in the thyme, stock, and seasoning to taste. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, adding more stock if necessary. Remove from heat and stir in the lentils.
• To make the mash, boil the potatoes in a large pan of salted water for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain well then return to the pan and dry off over a low heat for 1 minute. Add the milk and margarine and mash well. Season to taste.
• Spoon the meat mixture into an ovenproof dish, pile the potato over the top and sprinkle over seeds. Place the dish on a baking tray and cook for 20-25 minutes.

Our thanks to LearnDirect for permission to use this recipe.