A vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie infused with the most fragrant Indian spices, along with black lentils, veggies, gravy and topped with curried mashed potatoes. (Feel free to use leftover mashed potatoes!) Truly one of the most delicious vegetarian dinner recipes on the blog! Includes a 45-second video!
The more grateful I am, the more beauty I see.– Mary Davis
Since we’ve been back from India, this Indian-spiced, Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie has been on repeat around here. I’ve been making it on Sunday and we’ve been warming up it during the week. So flavorful and cozy!
It takes about one hour from start to finish if you multitask. But perhaps for the first go around, plan on an hour of hands-on time before baking in the oven.
How to make Indian Shepherds Pie| 45-second video
What I like about this recipe is you can make it with leftover mashed potatoes (spicing them up with curry powder) and you can make it in stages, cooking the lentils ahead, or even the lentil stew ahead, then assembling the day of.
This is best made with ghee, because ghee adds such amazing flavor. But of course, it can be “veganized” with vegan butter. 🙂 As you wish.
But to reiterate, ghee brings it OVER the TOP!!!
How to Make Vegetarian Shepherds Pie:
- Boil the potatoes for the mashed potato topping.
- Make the fragrant, Indian-spiced lentil stew. (This is faster if you cook the lentils ahead.)
- Make the flavorful gravy.
- Mash the potatoes and add the curry spices.
- Assemble the Shepherds Pie, spooning the potatoes over the stew.
- Bake for 20 minutes, uncovered in a 350F oven.
MASHED POTATOES: I’ve been using Yukon gold potatoes in my mashed potato recipes- because if you’ve been here a while, you’ll know I prefer to leave the skins on my potatoes, not only for simplicity and ease (of not having to peel them!) but also because they are quite nutritious.
So slice them into 1-inch slices, and boil in salted water.
INDIAN-SPICED LENTIL STEW-make this while the potatoes are simmering.
Brown the onions in ghee, add garlic, celery, carrots and fragrant garam masala spice.
I also like to add fenugreek leaves, which give this a truly authentic flavor.
Add the cooked lentils – and here I really love using little black lentils, sometimes called beluga lentils or black caviar lentils. Not only are they “cute” they cook in 20 minutes.
But feel free to use any cooked lentil- just not split lentils!
It really helps make this whole thing faster if you precook the lentils ahead of time.
Then I make a very quick, Indian-spiced “gravy” with some toasted Indian spices, to give this a little boost of flavor.
Toast fennel seeds and cumin seeds in a little ghee. Black Mustard seeds would be nice here too.
Add a little flour- and gluten-free flour works well here too!
Whisk in hot veggie broth, and heat until it thickens into a flavorful gravy.
Pour this into the lentils stew along with a cup of peas. Today I’m using frozen peas. You could also add green beans or chopped spinach.
Then taste the Indian lentil stew and adjust the salt and spice level to your liking.
By this point, the potatoes will be very tender and ready to mash.
Drain and mash them right in the pot you cooked them in. Mash them with ghee, yogurt and a little curry powder, then season with salt and pepper.
Spoon the fluffy flavorful curry mashed potatoes over the lentil stew.
Spread them out with a back of a spoon, or spatula, like frosting a cake.
Then bake in 350 F oven, uncovered until the stew is bubbling on the sides, and the potatoes are golden- about 20 minutes.
Inhale. It will smell amazing…
So several steps here, but if you work quickly (multi-task) or work in stages (cooking the lentils ahead, or making the stew ahead, or making the gravy ahead) it will all come together more easily!
I can’t wait for you to try this recipe for Indian-spiced, Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie friends! Let me know what you think in the comments below!
Have a beautiful Thanksgiving Week!
xoxo
More Indian Recipes you may enjoy
- 35 Must-Try Indian Recipes to Make at Home
- Chicken Korma
- Instant Pot Mulligatawny (Curried Indian Soup)
- Aloo Gobi (Indian-Spiced Potatoes & Cauliflower)
- Indian Coconut Lentil Curry
- Vegan Tikka Masala (Stovetop or Instant Pot)
- Emerald Dal
- Golden Cauliflower Dal w/ Red Lentils, Coconut and Spinach
Indian Vegetarian Shepherds Pie
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 45
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 8
- Category: main, vegetarian,
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Indian
Description
Indian-Spiced, Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie with lentils, veggies and fragrant Garam Masala, topped with curry mashed potatoes. Truly one of the most delicious vegetarian dinner recipes on the blog!
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 lbs potatoes (Yukon gold, red, or any thin-skinned) ( OR use 5 cups leftover mashed potatoes, with curry powder)
- 4 tablespoons, ghee, butter, vegan butter ( ghee tastes the BEST)
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt (or sour cream)
- 1/2 cup milk(or nut milk), half and half or heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1–2 teaspoons yellow curry powder, more to taste
Filling
- 2 1/2 cups cooked lentils ( 3/4 cup -1 cup dry)
- 2 tablespoons ghee, or olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, rough chopped
- 2 cups diced carrot, (2-3 carrots)
- 2 cups diced celery ( 2-3 ribs)
- 2 teaspoons garam masala, more to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried fenugreek leaves
- 1 cup veggie broth
- 1 cup frozen peas ( or corn, or green beans- or use fresh)
Gravy:
- 2 tablespoon ghee or olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 3 tablespoons flour (or gf flour)
- 1 1/4 cups warm veggie broth
optional garnish: scallions, chives, or cilantro
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F
Cook Potatoes: Cut potatoes in one-inch slices ( if small, just in half) and place in a large pot. Cover with one-inch salted water. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer until very tender about 20-25 minutes.
Cook lentils: Set lentils to cook in salted water (unless cooked already – and you could absolutely do this ahead) about 20-25 minutes (see notes) simmer until tender, but not falling apart, al dente.
Make the filling: In a large 10-12 inch ovenproof skillet (or wide, shallow dutch oven) -heat the ghee over medium high heat and saute the onion 2-3 minutes, lower heat to med, add garlic, saute 2 mintues, add carrots, celery, cook 5-7 mintues. Add salt, cumin, coriander, fenugreek leaves and garam masala.
Add broth. Bring to a simmer, cover and simmer on med low, until carrots are cooked through about 7-8 minutes.
While this is simmering, MAKE THE GRAVY: Over medium heat, in a little pot, simmer the whole seeds ( cumin seeds and fennel seeds) in ghee or oil until fragrant and golden. Add flour, whisking, stirring and toasting the flour one minute. Gradually whisk in the warm veggie broth. Cook until slightly thickened. Add this gravy to the filling, along with the peas and drained lentils. Mix to combine.
Taste the filling and adjust salt and pepper. Add more garam masala if you like. The filling should have thick stew-like, saucy consistency. If too dry, add a splash of broth or water. If too watery, simmer off some of that liquid. If the filling is too watery, the mashed potatoes will sink.
Mash the potatoes: Drain the potatoes (saving some hot potato water) return to the same pot and mash with the 3-4 tablespoons ghee and yogurt. If potatoes seem dry or too stiff, add a little warm potato water to loosen. If you want extra richness a little milk, nut milk, half and half, or whipping cream is nice. I add about ½ cup. (Adding more yogurt will make these too tangy.) Season with salt, pepper and curry powder. Mash and whip until relatively smooth and light and fluffy. Taste and adjust salt.
ASSEMBLE: Place 8 big dollops over the lentils stew and fill in the spaces with smaller spoonfuls, carefully spreading out, maybe making a pattern with the back of the spoon, like frosting a cake.
Place in the oven until golden and bubbling, about 20-25 minutes. Feel free to brown the top under a broiler.
Garnish with scallions, chives or cilantro.
Notes
LENTILS: Cook lentils ahead of time if possible to save time. Or cook in a medium pot, with ample salted water, like you would pasta, about 20-22 minute, or al dente, then drain. Smaller lentils cook fastest. I love tiny black “caviar” lentils for this recipe or little French Green ones. Don’t use split lentils.
For speed, I use thin-skinned Yukon Gold potatoes and opt not to peel them. Any thin skin potato should work here. The skins are good for you and they don’t bother me. But do as you please. If using russets, absolutely peel them.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: (using ghee & heavy cream)
- Calories: 383
- Sugar: 8.7 g
- Sodium: 850 mg
- Fat: 15.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 9.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 49.6 g
- Fiber: 11.3 g
- Protein: 12.2 g
- Cholesterol: 41.3 mg
I have been wanting to try your Indian shepherd’s pie for a while. I love Indian curry and English shepher’s pie. Had vegetarian friends to visit and decided this was the perfect opportunity to try it out.
I added chilli flakes for a bit more heat and used gluten free flour and frozen peas. The combination was “sensational”. (My guests’ description of the meal)!
This will be a new staple in my repertoire, especially with winter on its way in SA.
Thank you for yet another inspirational and foolproof recipe, Sylvia.
Great to hear this Brenda!
Love this recipe so much. I eat with pickled beetroot on the side and can have it for lunch all week and not get bored. SO tasty. Thank you!
Sounds yummy Laura!
Made this tonight and it turned out so good.
Really yummy! The spices were perfect in this and worked great with lentils.
Wonderful! Thanks so much for letting us know.
Would a dense sweet potato be a good replacement for regular potatoes?
I bet that would be delicious!
Hi Sylvia,
I’m not much of a cook but I love the sound of the dish. What are the best dried lentils to use? I can usually only find red ones. Should I be looking for green or brown? Thank you!
Hi Lauri, any small whole lentil will work here! Do not use split lentils as they will just fall apart.
Wow! This is fabulous! Used green lentils & chicken stock. But stuck to the recipe. It was well worth all the dirty dishes! Will definitely do it again…SOON!!
Glad you enjoyed!
I made this last weekend for the second time, and it was more wonderful and delicious than I remembered! So flavorful and amazing flavors and textures. I prepared the potatoes and lentils the day before, and the the rest of the prep the next day. All went smoothly and it was a huge hit! Thank you again, Sylvia. Your recipes are all my favorites!
Love the prepping ahead Carole. Really appreciate hearing this!
So delicious! So tasty. Everyone who tastes it wants the recipe. Leftovers, if there are any, are even better. It is wonderful to have a recipe one can make in stages. This one is a keeper.
Thanks so much Anna!
Excellent!
this is a fantastic recipe, great for a dinner party. I added blue lake string beans to the veggies. Love all the flavors!
So glad you enjoyed Holly!
Did this use to include pickled mustard seeds?
Hi Tj, no not pickled, but you could include some black mustard seeds if you like? ½ teaspoon.
I could eat this everyday. So satisfying and comforting.
Thanks so much Corey- so happy you enjoyed!
This is absolutely delicious! I made it last weekend and just made again. Added some extra veggies and used coconut oil to make the gravy, which worked well. I have never tried a recipe on this site that I didn’t like!
So nice to hear Lexi! So happy you are enjoying!
Delicious!!!! I split up the tasks to make this more manageable. Potatoes and lentils before Rocco’s walk (my dog), and veggies, gravy, assemble afterwards. It worked out perfectly. I substituted mushrooms in for the celery, because well, now you know I don’t like celery! Lol. It was a worthy substitution 🙂 will definitely make this again, thank you!! 😘
Love it Angeli- a perfect way to tackle it!
A great fan of your simple recipes. Add recipes for Diabetics.
Thanks Sudhir- Perhaps check the Low-Carb category? That might be a good fit.
I made this last night. My husband and I both had 2 helpings. So delicious. The seasoning was perfect even though I didn’t have fenugreek leaves. Thanks Sylvia!
Great to hear Toni! I can’t wait for you to try it with the fenugreek- it truly elevates!
Great dish! Easily doubled. I added some sauteed quartered mushrooms to add another texture, and upped the spices a little to my liking. I took this to our monthly neighborhood friends potluck, and it was a big hit! I introduced them to your blog as they were scooping up leftovers to take home.
Thanks so much Joseph, happy to hear it was a success!
Absolutely one of my favourite vegetarian meals. Amazing flavours! Thank you
Awesome Maria! Thanks so much!
Just to let anyone know, I actually froze some of this, as there are only two of us, and wanted to have it again later. It worked just fine, I reheated in the oven at 350 till very warm–I had it covered some of the time. Was just as good. I was afraid the potatoes would not be right, but they were fine.
Thanks Frances! I will note the recipe!
I can’t see on any of your recipes the size of the serving—is this for one cup?
Hi Sharon- sorry about that and that sounds about right- 1/8 of the Pie.
What is veggi broth in Indian shepherd pie will cambells thick veg condensed soup do?
No not soup- broth or stock. You can use veggie boullion cubes to make broth?
Excellent! Trying to eat more vegetarian & vegan and this has potential to go both ways. “Meat & potatoes” husband happily ate 2 helpings. Fenugreek leaves are hard to find in my area but found out that celery leaves are a good substitute and they meld right in. Opted for green beans over peas. Loved the curry in the potatoes too.
Perfect Angela!
AMAZING! I’ve already made this twice and served it one of those times at a vegetarian Thanksgiving to glowing reviews from guests. The addition of Indian spices is such a wonderful surprise and makes for a complex flavor. Thanks for this wonderful website – such a great resource for delicious recipes, esp plant-based!
thanks so much Amanda!
Ahhh, so delicious! I am just learning the glory of cooking with ghee, thank you Sylvia! I used precooked lentils from TJs and worked wonderfully. This is the 3rd time I have made this, always to RAVE reviews!
Yay Karen. I know- ghee is heavenly. 😉