This comforting keema pie recipe is richly flavoured with Indian aromatics, spices and herbs all snuggled up under creamy, herby mashed potato. Think of it as a curried shepherd’s pie. Alternatively, make it with beef for a curried cottage pie.
Another potato-topped pie I adore is my steak and stilton pie. Vegetarians can get stuck into my cheesy vegetable pie.
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Keema pie topped with herby mashed potato is a delicious, hearty and delightfully different supper dish to bring to the table, especially in the cooler months of the year.
Inspired by the lamb keema served in Dishoom, the filling in this curried lamb mince pie headlines fresh coriander and mint. The result is a curried shepherd’s pie that is loaded with flavour and sure to impress anybody lucky enough to be served a portion.
Looking for something a little more typically curry house inspired? How about lamb balti or a vegetarian rogan josh curry?
What is keema?
Keema, pronounced “kee-mah”, is an Indian dish made with minced meat and various spices, aromatics and additional vegetables. There is, however, no definitive recipe for keema. It’s a dish that has quirks and kinks depending on geographical regions or just who is cooking it:
- In the UK, keema is commonly prepared as a minced lamb curry but it can also be made from minced beef, mutton, chicken or turkey.
- Aromatics typically include onion, garlic and ginger.
- Cumin, coriander and garam masala are usually included in keema curry, but this is not exhaustive. Turmeric and chilli powder sometimes feature too.
- Similarly, some recipes will include fresh green chilli and fresh herbs such as coriander or mint.
- Tomato, peas and spinach sometimes, but not always, form part of a keema recipe. Incidentally, when peas are included, it is known as keema matar.
Keema curry is quite a versatile dish and can be served as it is, with rice, Indian breads or potatoes to accompany it. It can also be used to create samosas or stuffed naan bread.
Why you’ll love this pie
- Different – this pie bridges a classic British cottage pie and Indian curry. The result is a curried shepherd’s pie.
- Comforting – the creamy herbed mashed potatoes make this the ultimate unique comfort food.
- Taste – although this lamb mince pie is curried, the spices are gentle and there are plenty of herbs to add extra interest.
- Family-friendly – as this lamb keema is not fiery hot and it comes nestled under that creamy mash, it’s a great introduction to Indian flavours for all of the family.
- Versatile – transform it into a curried cottage pie by replacing the lamb meat with beef. Alternatively, replace the potato with pastry. And of course, you can add it extra veggies – spinach is a great option.
If cosy but decidedly different pies are what you are craving right now then take a look at my recipes for Nottinghamshire pie, sausage pie, venison pie and Mediterranean lamb pie.
Ingredients notes
Meat: this keema pie recipe can be made with minced lamb or minced beef. I recommend seeking out meat with a fat content of around 10%.
Aromatics: the key ingredients here are onion, green chilli (medium-hot)garlic paste, ginger paste. You can purchase jars of the latter two for convenience or make your own.
Spices: I’ve used a combination of ground cumin, ground coriander, garam masala, bay leaves and Kashmiri chilli powder. Kashmiri chilli delivers a warming spice level but it’s relatively mild. It’s not always easy to spot in supermarkets but you can pick it up online. Of course, feel free to use mild chilli powder from the supermarket if that’s what you have to hand.
Herbs: fresh coriander and fresh mint make this keema pie filling sparkle. Don’t leave them out and I have to be honest, I do not recommend using dried herbs in their place.
Topping: I clean forgot to add the toppings into the first image (sorry). However, that’s probably for the best since there are several options, which the second photo highlights: mashed potato or pastry:
- If opting for the potato topping then you’ll need potatoes, butter, some coriander and mint and possibly a splash of milk if necessary.
- If opting for puff pastry (top only) you’ll need around 250g
- If using shortcrust pastry (top and bottom) you’ll need around 500g
Step by step instructions
- Dice the onion and fry in 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil until it softens.
- Stir in the yoghurt, garlic paste and ginger paste and cook for 2-3 more minutes until the yoghurt separates slightly.
- Crumble in the lamb and cook until browned, stirring with a wooden spoon.
- Add the flour, salt, pepper, bay leaves, ground coriander, ground cumin and Kashmiri chilli powder. Stir, then cover and cook for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile make the chilli and herb paste: put the coriander (leaves and stems) into a food processor along with the mint leaves (stems removed) and the green chilli. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water and blitz to a paste (alternatively use a handheld stick blender).
- Stir this paste into the lamb mixture and continue to cook with the lid on for 25 minutes.
- Stir through the garam masala followed by the peas and remove from the heat.
- Peel the potatoes and boil them until soft then drain them.
- Mash them (either use a handheld masher or a potato ricer).
- Finely chop the remaining coriander and mint leaves and stir them into the mash along with the butter and some salt & pepper.
- Spoon the curried lamb mince pie filling into a large pie dish or 6 individual dishes.
- Divide the mashed potato over the top and use a fork to spread it out.
- Optional: scatter breadcrumbs over the top.
- Bake for 30 minutes until golden on the top.
Expert tips
- If you would like additional spicy heat in your lamb keema pie filling then add in a second green chilli.
- There’s no need to cook the filling for longer once the peas have been added. They will defrost fully when the pie is in the oven.
- Begin cooking the potatoes to make the mash when the meat is nearly cooked. Hot mashed potato is easier to spread over the pie filling than cold mashed potato.
- If your mashed potato is firm once made, stir through a little milk (or cream) until you achieve a soft and creamy consistency. Potatoes do vary and some need additional liquid added to them to turn them creamy and spreadable, whilst others do not – the cheeky little fellas.
- Upgrade the look of your curried shepherd’s pie by piping the mash onto the top for a fancier finish.
Frequently asked questions
Hunt out minced lamb with around 10% fat. If you struggle to find it and your meat has a higher fat content (a lot contains 20% fat), spoon off any excess oil from the curry just before adding the peas.
Yes, this lamb keema pie freezes very well. Just assemble as instructed, then, instead of baking it, let the entire pie cool completely. Wrap it up, label it (including the date) and freeze for up to 8 weeks. Defrost fully before proceeding to cook the pie.
After your curried shepherd’s pie has been baked you can reheat leftovers once. Simply cover and reheat them in the oven or microwave it. Ensure that the meat is piping hot before serving it.
What to serve with keema pie
As this curried lamb mince pie comes topped with potatoes, you’ll only need to add vegetables to it. Try serving with either:
- Kachumber (an Indian cucumber salad)
- Spiced broccoli
Of course, you don’t have to use the lamb keema in a pie. You can serve it with rice, naan, other Indian flatbreads or gunpowder potatoes.
Variations
- Keema cottage pie – just swap the lamb mince for beef mince and you’ll have a curried cottage pie instead.
- Pastry – swap the mashed potato topping for either shortcrust pastry (top and bottom) or puff pastry (just on the top)
- Rosti topped keema pie – try the topping from this recipe.
- Veggie keema pie – replace the lamb mince with quorn mince.
- Extra veggies – stir a couple of handfuls of fresh spinach leaves through the keema for the last 2 minutes of cooking.
- Make individual keema pies in 6 single portion dishes. You can either cook then all or freeze some for later use.
Have you made this recipe for keema pie? Did you go for lamb or beef and what did you serve it with? Please drop me a comment below as I love to hear how you got along with my recipes.
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📖 Recipe
Keema Pie (Curried Lamb Mince Pie)
Ingredients
For the lamb keema pie filling
- 1 kg Minced lamb 10% fat
- 2 Onions
- 4 teaspoons Garlic paste
- 4 teaspoons Ginger paste
- 150 g Plain yoghurt
- 2 tablespoons Plain flour (all-purpose)
- 2 tablespoons Ground coriander
- 1 tablespoons Ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder or other mild chilli powder
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1½ teaspoons Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper
- 40 g Fresh Coriander
- 20 g Fresh Mint
- 1 Green chilli medium heat
- ½ tablespoon Garam masala
- 200 g Frozen peas
For the potato topping
- 1500 g Floury potatoes (suitable for mashing)
- 60 g Butter
- 10 g Fresh coriander
- 10 g Fresh mint
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200℃/ 400℉
Prepare the keema pie filling
- Dice the onion and fry in 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a wide pan until it softens.
- Stir in the yoghurt, garlic paste and ginger paste and cook for 2-3 more minutes until the yoghurt separates slightly.
- Crumble in the lamb and cook until browned, stirring with a wooden spoon.
- Add the flour, bay leaves, salt, pepper, ground coriander, ground cumin and Kashmiri chilli powder. Stir, then cover and cook for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile make the chilli and herb paste: put the coriander (leaves and stems) into a food processor along with the mint leaves (stripped from the stems) and the green chilli. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water and blitz to a paste (alternatively use a handheld stick blender).
- Stir this green paste into the lamb mixture and continue to cook with the lid on for 25 minutes. (You can start to prepare the potatoes whilst the meat is cooking – see the next section)
- Stir through the garam masala followed by the peas and remove from the heat.
Make the potato topping
- Peel the potatoes and cook them in boiling water (salted) until soft. Drain the potatoes.
- Use either a handheld masher or a potato ricer to mash the potaotes.
- Finely chop the coriander and mint leaves and stir them into the mash along with the butter and some salt & pepper. If your mash feel stiff then stir through a splash of whole milk or cream to loosen it.
- Spoon the keema pie filling into a large pie dish or 6 individual dishes. Divide the mashed potato over the top and use a fork to spread it out.
- Optional: scatter breadcrumbs over the top.
- Bake the pie for 30 minutes until the top is golden.
Notes
- If you struggle to find lean lamb mince, spoon off any excess oil from the curry just before adding the peas.
- If you would like additional spice to your lamb keema pie filling then add in a second green chilli.
- There’s no need to cook the filling for longer once the peas have been added. They will defrost fulling when the pie is in the oven.
- Begin cooking the potatoes to make the mash when the meat is nearly cooked. Hot mashed potato is easier to spread over the pie filling than cold mashed potato.
- If your mashed potato is firm once made, stir through a little milk (or cream) until you achieve a soft and creamy consistency. Potatoes do vary and some need additional liquid added to them to turn them creamy and spreadable, whilst others do not – the cheeky little fellas.
- Upgrade the look of your curried shepherd’s pie by piping the mash onto the top for a fancier finish.
- This lamb keema pie freezes very well. Just assemble as instructed, then, instead of baking, let the entire pie cool completely. Wrap it up, label it (including the date) and freeze for up to 8 weeks. Defrost fulling before proceeding to cook the pie.
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