As with most of the good cooking in my life, this totally happened by accident. I mean, I wasn’t trying to do something else and then suddenly slipped and made a chicken tikka shepherd’s pie or anything. I just mean that this dish is so good that it deserves a carefully thought-out and intentional execution, and I created it out of leftovers when I needed dinner and was thinking of other things.
I had the last of a rotisserie chicken to use up. I had the last of some chicken tikka spice blend kicking around the bottom of my spice drawer. I needed a dish that would stretch for several meals. And I was completely absorbed by thoughts about stuff that has nothing to do with dinner and everything to do with our upcoming move.
Before I had this blog to document my cooking adventures, this is exactly the kind of dish I would make to great acclaim from A and then promptly forget how I made it and never make it again. Reason number 743 why a food blog is such a good idea for me.
Also: this is maybe the best idea I’ve ever had for using up Thanksgiving leftovers (if I can even claim the recipe as an idea – it’s looking to me less and less like rational thought and more and more like guidance from the kitchen fairies) – you’ve got your root veggies, your turkey. It all works.
However, if you don’t have leftovers that need using, and are inspired by the curry pot pie scenario, consider something like this. I haven’t made the naan crust thing yet, but it’s definitely on my list. And now I’m wondering where else I can take my shepherd’s pie? To Morocco with a mashed chickpea crust over a tagine? To Italy with a polenta crust? The mind boggles.
- 1 lb 8 oz root veggies - I used potatoes & sweet potatoes - cut into small pieces
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, chopped fine
- 2 small carrots, sliced thin
- 1 stalk of celery, diced
- ½ of a large red bell pepper, cut into bite sized pieces
- about 2 cups of broccoli florets (5-6 oz)
- 2 cups of cooked chicken, chopped into bite-size pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or ghee
- 1 can of coconut milk
- about a tablespoon of lime juice
- 2 tablespoons of curry powder - I used a tikka masala blend
- Salt and Pepper
- First, start your root veggie mash. Add the roots to a medium pot of boiling water and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until tender and mashable. (Start the filling during this time.) Drain, then mash the roots with a couple of spoonfuls of coconut milk from the can, a swig of oil or ghee, and plenty of salt and pepper. Set aside for later.
- For the filling: add 2 tablespoons of oil or ghee to a medium ovenproof skillet or pot, and heat over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, celery, and spices, and stir to coat. Cook everything for 3-4 minutes, until the veggies soften and the mixture is fragrant.
- Add the pepper, broccoli, chicken, and salt and pepper. Stir to combine, then add the rest of the coconut milk, and stir again, scraping up any bits that have stuck to the pan. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, then add the lime juice and stir again.
- Spread the mashed roots on top of the curry mixture, spreading to the edges of the pan with the tines of a fork. This creates a rough texture on the surface for maximum crispy edges later on.
- Broil for about 10 minutes, watching like a hawk so the top doesn't burn.