Curried Lentils Cottage Pie

These pies boast enormous flavours and release enticing mouth-watering aromas as they bake. Instead of topping the spicy lentil pie filling with pastry or mash, I spoon over saag aloo (traditionally a potato and spinach side dish in Indian cooking), which crisps up beautifully in the oven. This is comfort food that will make you smile. Recipe adapted from Pub Kitchen by Tom Kerridge.

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Ingredients

onion 1 (chopped)
carrot 2 (chopped)
celery 3 (chopped)
red chillies 1 (chopped)
garlic cloves 2 (grated)
garam masala 1 tbsp
chopped tomatoes 400 g
coconut milk 400 ml
puy lentils 500 g
potato 800 g (chopped)
tomato purée 2 tbsp
butter 30 g
cumin seeds 1 tsp
black mustard seeds 1 tsp
ground turmeric ½ tsp
spinach 100 g

Method

Prep the ingredients

Finely chop the onion, carrot and celery. Deseed and finely chop the red chilli. Peel and finely grate the garlic cloves.

Make the pie filling

Heat a dash of oil in a large non-stick saucepan, add the onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, garlic and red chilli and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Add the garam masala, stir and cook for 1 minute, then add the tomato purée, stir and cook for another minute or so.
Tip in the chopped tomatoes and coconut milk and bring to a simmer, then add the puy lentils and stir well. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 15 minutes until slightly thickened.

Make the Saag Aloo Topping

For the saag aloo topping, peel and chop the potatoes. Put the potatoes into a saucepan, cover with water and season with salt. Bring to the boil, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes or until tender.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/Gas 6 with the grill element on.
Drain the potatoes in a colander. Put the empty pan back over a high heat and add the butter and oil. Once the butter is melted, add the cumin seeds, black mustard seeds and turmeric and stir well.
Add the potatoes back into the pan, and stir until well coated. Toss in the spinach and stir until it is wilted.

Top the pie with the Saag Aloo topping & bake

Divide the lentil filling between 4 deep individual pie dishes and top with the saag aloo, spreading it out evenly.
Stand the pie dishes on a large baking sheet, place on the middle shelf of the oven and cook for 15 minutes or until the topping is crispy and golden brown. Serve hot from the oven.

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