Moroccan Shepherd's Pie

Moroccan Shepherd’s Pie

If you love mashed potato than the recipe for the mash will fool anyone into thinking it is actual mashed potato. For an extra creamy version add a couple of tablespoons of grated parmesan. The meat filling is also quite unusual, incredibly tasty with the sweet zest of pomegranate. As a substitute for pomegranate you can use cranberry juice.

Moroccan Shepherd's Pie

Pre-heat oven to 175°C/350°F

Mash

1 cup lima bean, soaked overnight

2 tsp vegetable oil

1  small cauliflower head – cut into florets

¼ cup cashews

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp ground black pepper

¼ tsp nutmeg

Meat Filling

½ cup diced carrot

2 Tbs vegetable oil

1 kg/2 lb minced lamb

½ tsp salt

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp ground black pepper

¼ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp dried thyme

2 tsp currants

¼ cup pomegranate juice

½ tsp minced garlic

½ cup baby peas

1 cup chicken stock

2 tsp tomato paste

Cook the soaked lima beans in 4 cups of water with the vegetable oil for 2 hours (top up the water if needed) in a covered pot or for 20 minutes in a pressure cooker. Drain and set aside.

Cook the cauliflower with 4 cups of water for 10 minutes covered, drain and combine with the lima beans.

Add all the other ingredients except for the nutmeg and process until creamy in an electric food processor. Set aside.

Then chop the carrots and sauté for 5 minutes with the oil in a deep pan.

Combine all the ingredients for the meat part of the pie, except for the peas, stock and tomato paste and add to the carrots, stirring and sautéing until the meat is browned.

Add the peas, chicken stock and tomato paste and keep cooking until the stock is reduced by half.

Place the meat into the bottom of a baking dish and top with the mash and sprinkle with nutmeg.

Bake on 180°C/350°F for 40 minutes. Let sit for about 10 minutes before serving.