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Spiced cottage pie

Spiced cottage pie in a baking dish

Spiced cottage pie

Name: Spiced cottage pie
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 45 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 100ml vegetable oil; 2 large onions thinly sliced; 4 garlic cloves crushed; 4cm piece of ginger peeled and grated; 2 tbsp medium curry powder; 5 bay leaves; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 2 tsp black mustard seeds; 1 small cinnamon stick; 1 star anise; 3 cardamom pods; 1 tsp chilli flakes; 2 tbsp tomato purée; 1kg beef mince; 2 medium carrots cut into 1cm cubes; 1 litre beef stock; 130g frozen peas; 2 limes juiced; 1kg potatoes peeled and quartered; 80ml vegetable oil; 1 medium white onion thinly sliced; 50g unsalted butter; 1 tbsp chilli flakes; ½ red onion finely chopped; 10g coriander roughly chopped; 1 chilli deseeded and roughly chopped

Ismail Hossain

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Serves 6 - 8

More effort

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 1 hr and 45 mins

A star rating of 4.5 out of 5.6 ratingsRate

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Give dinner a twist with this warmly spiced version of a cottage pie, finished with a chilli-spiked mash and fresh red onion, coriander and more chilli

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Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

100ml vegetable oil
2 large onions

thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves

crushed
4cm piece of ginger

peeled and grated
2 tbsp medium curry powder
5 bay leaves
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp black mustard seeds
1 small cinnamon stick
1 star anise
3 cardamom pods
1 tsp chilli flakes
2 tbsp tomato purée
1kg beef mince
2 medium carrots

cut into 1cm cubes
1 litre beef stock
130g frozen peas
2 limes

juiced

For the spiced mash

1kg potatoes

peeled and quartered
80ml vegetable oil
1 medium white onion

thinly sliced
50g unsalted butter
1 tbsp chilli flakes

To garnish

½ red onion

finely chopped
10g coriander

roughly chopped
1 chilli

deseeded and roughly chopped

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Nutrition: Per serving (8)

kcal688
fat49g
saturates14g
carbs27g
sugars9g
fibre7g

high
protein31g
salt0.43g

Method

step 1

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat and fry the sliced onions until golden, about 5-6 mins. Stir in the garlic and ginger, and cook for 5 mins more, stirring often to prevent catching. Add all the spices and continue cooking for 10 mins, adding a splash of water if it starts to stick.
step 2

Stir in the tomato purée and beef mince. Turn up the heat to high and cook until the meat is browned and the oil begins to separate from the mixture, about 15 mins. Add the carrots and beef stock. Stir well and simmer, uncovered, for 30-40 mins, or until the mixture thickens.
step 3

Meanwhile, to make the spiced mash, tip the potatoes into a saucepan, cover with cold water and salt well. Bring to the boil and cook for 8-10 mins until tender but still holding their shape. Drain well and leave to steam-dry for a few minutes. Mash the potatoes until smooth. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a high heat and fry the sliced onion until deep golden brown. Remove from heat, stir in the butter and chilli flakes until melted, then mix into the mash. Season with salt.
step 4

Season the beef to taste, then stir in the peas and simmer for a further 10 mins. Remove from heat and discard the bay and cinnamon stick. Stir in half the lime juice, adding the rest if needed. Transfer the spiced beef mixture to a deep ovenproof baking dish (about 25 x 18cm), and set aside to cool slightly.
step 5

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Spoon or pipe the spiced mash over the filling, spreading it evenly to cover. Bake for 20-25 mins until the topping is golden. Top with the red onion, coriander and chopped chilli. Serve hot.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, August 2025

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A star rating of 4.5 out of 5.6 ratings

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