Ingredients:

500g rare roast beef, diced small, or steak mince

3 onions, peeled and chopped

4 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1  heaped tbsp fresh ginger root, peeled and finely grated

4 cloves

1-2 large black cardamoms (optional), lightly bashed to crack the pods

4 green cardamoms, lightly bashed

2 bay leaves

1 blade of mace

1 tspn ground coriander

1 tspn cumin seeds

2 tspn chilli powder, preferably Kashmiri

1/4 tspn ground turmeric

100 ml full-fat yoghurt

500 ml water

2 tbsp oil

For the topping:

About 700g potatoes, boiled and mashed with a big knob of butter, 1/2 tspn ground turmeric and salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6.

Heat the oil in a deep frying pan and fry the onions until golden brown, stirring occasionally.  Add the cloves, cardamoms, bay leaves and mace and fry for a minute. Now add the garlic and ginger and remaining spices with a splash of water and cook for a couple of minutes more, stirring.

Add the meat and sauté for five minutes. On a low heat, add the yoghurt and continue to cook for a couple of minutes before pouring in the water and stirring well to mix. Bring to a boil, reduce to a steady simmer and cook for about 20 minutes until the sauce has reduced and the flavours have blended.

Check the seasoning, fish out the bay leaves and the larger spices if you can find them and spoon the filling into a pie dish. If you’re making this ahead, you can refrigerate it overnight, covered, once it has cooled.

To finish, top with the turmeric mash, rough up with a fork and dot with butter.

Cook in the oven for about 20-30 minutes or until the filling is hot and the topping nicely browned.

Try it with a green salad or an Indian veggie dish of your choice. A fruity, spicy relish is good on the side. I liked it with The Bhajiman’s Date and Lime Chutney (disclaimer: Don is a friend of mine and the chutney was a gift).