Hello gorgeous! This incredible shepherd’s pie recipe is from my friend Gina‘s latest and greatest cookbook, Skinnytaste Meal Prep, and I cannot wait to share it with you because it’s pure deliciousness in a pan!
If you haven’t purchased one of Gina’s cookbooks yet, it’s about time you do. They’re absolutely perfect for families because the recipes are comforting, healthy and always come out perfect.
Indian-inspired shepherd’s pie ingredients
Making a shepherd’s pie from scratch can look tricky, but it’s easier than you think and uses some great pantry staples. This Indian inspired shepherd’s pie is so warming thanks to the incredible Indian spices in it. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Yukon Gold potatoes: the topping of this delicious shepherd’s pie recipe is made with mashed potatoes and plenty of delicious spices.
- Sour cream: you’ll want to use sour cream or full-fat yogurt to add the right amount of moisture to the mashed potato topping.
- Cozy spices: to add flavor to the topping we’re using ground turmeric, garam masala, ground cumin, chili powder & salt.
- Ghee or unsalted butter: you’ll cook down the veggies and turkey in a bit of ghee or unsalted butter.
- Yellow onion: for a little flavor added to the turkey mixture.
- Garlic: gotta have that garlic goodness in every bite.
- Freshly grated ginger: I love cooking with fresh ginger because it adds such a delicious, unique flavor.
- Lean ground turkey: this recipe calls for 93% lean ground turkey to keep the shepherd’s pie lightened up without sacrificing taste.
- Tomato sauce: you’ll need tomato sauce and a bit of water to cook down the turkey mixture.
- Fresh cilantro: for the turkey mixture and a little fresh garnish.
- Red chile pepper: you’ll also add a red chile pepper to the turkey mixture. Yum!
- Frozen peas: stir in some frozen peas for a delicious veggie boost.
What is shepherd’s pie?
Traditional shepherd’s pie, or “cottage pie,” is actually English and is a meat mixture (typically ground beef or lamb) cooked with onion and a gravy or sauce, topped with mashed potatoes and baked. It’s incredibly hearty and perfect for the colder months.
This shepherd’s pie is made with spices often used in Indian dishes like turmeric, garam masala, ginger and cumin making it Indian-inspired. I love how Gina was able to make it a little more interesting, flavorful and different! A wonderful AK reader also let me know that the ground turkey portion of the recipe is called “keema” in India, and that this dish is a take on “keema with aloo” (or ground turkey with potatoes).
How to make Indian-inspired shepherd’s pie
This healthier, Indian-inspired shepherd’s pie is easier to make than it looks. Here are the basics:
- First, boil your potatoes until tender. You’ll then add all of your cozy spices & sour cream and mash everything together until smooth and creamy.
- Next, cook your onion, garlic and ginger in a skillet with a bit of ghee or butter until fragrant.
- Add the ground turkey and salt to the skillet. Brown the meat, using a wooden spoon to break it into small pieces, until cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, water, cilantro, chile pepper and the remaining spices you used in the potatoes. Cover and cook on low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, then stir in the frozen peas and cook for about 3 minutes more, until the peas are warmed through.
- Transfer the meat mixture to an 8 or 9-inch baking dish or deep pie plate, spreading it across in an even layer. Dollop the potatoes across the top and gently push them around until they cover the entire top of the casserole, then run the tines of a form across the top for texture. Dust with the chili powder for color.
- Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Place the pie on a sheet pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until heated through. Adjust an oven rack 4 to 6 inches from the heating element and turn the broiler to high. Finish under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve as is or sprinkled with cilantro and enjoy!
What makes this shepherd’s pie healthier?
This healthier shepherd’s pie is lightened up a bit without sacrificing any flavor!
- We’re using lean ground turkey instead of red meat.
- The potato mixture uses a bit of sour cream (or protein-packed yogurt) instead of gravy or half and half.
- This one is gluten & grain free as we’re not adding in any flour to the mixture. It’s perfectly thick and delicious as-is!
How to freeze & reheat homemade shepherd’s pie
- Assemble the unbaked pie in a foil or freezer-to-oven proof baking dish or pie plate.
- Cover the pie with foil and freeze.
- When ready to bake, transfer the baking dish to a sheet pan and bake, covered, in a 350 degree F oven until heated through in the center, about 2 ½ hours. (If you thawed it the night before, bake 30 to 35 minutes.)
- Adjust an oven rack 4 to 6 inches from the heating element and turn the broiler to high. Finish under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes.
More healthy comfort foods to try
The Best Healthy Turkey Lasagna You’ll Ever Eat
Vegan & Gluten Free Curry Chickpea Pot Pie with Sweet Potato ‘Crust’
Cheddar-Stuffed Sweet Potato BBQ Turkey Meatloaf
I hope you love this delicious, healthier Indian-inspired shepherd’s pie recipe from Skinnytaste. Be sure to pick up a copy of the Skinnytaste Meal Prep cookbook!
Indian-Inspired Shepherd’s Pie
Deliciously savory, Indian-inspired shepherd's pie recipe made with lean ground turkey, veggies an a perfectly spiced potato topping. This lightened up shepherd's pie recipe makes a wonderful, hearty fall dinner that you can even freeze and serve later!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-inch pieces
- Kosher salt
- ¼ cup sour cream or full-fat yogurt
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¾ teaspoon chili powder, plus more for dusting
- 2 teaspoons ghee or unsalted butter
- 1 large yellow onion, minced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 pound 93% lean ground turkey
- ¾ cup tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish (optional)
- 1 red chile pepper, seeded and minced
- ¾ cup frozen peas
Instructions
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Place the potatoes and 1 tablespoon salt in a medium saucepan. Cover with water, bring to a boil and cook for 16-18 minutes, until tender. Drain and return to the saucepan. Add ½ teaspoon salt, the sour cream, ½ teaspoon turmeric, ¼ teaspoon garam masala, ¼ teaspoon cumin, and ¼ teaspoon chili powder, and mash with a potato masher. Set. Aside.
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Heat a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium heat and melt the ghee. Add the onion and cook until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
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Add the ground turkey and 1 teaspoon salt to the skillet. Brown the meat, using a wooden spoon to break it into small pieces, until cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, ¼ cup water, cilantro, chile pepper, remaining ¾ teaspoon garam masala, remaining ½ teaspoon cumin, remaining ½ teaspoon chili powder, and remaining ½ teaspoon turmeric, and stir well. Cover and cook on low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, then stir in the frozen peas and cook for about 3 minutes more, until the peas are warmed through.
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Transfer the meat mixture to an 8- or 9-inch baking dish or deep pie plate, spreading it across in an even layer. Dollop the potatoes across the top and gently push them around until they cover the entire top of the casserole, then run the tines of a form across the top for texture. Dust with the chili powder for color.
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Serve now: position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Place the pie on a sheet pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until heated through. Adjust an oven rack 4 to 6 inches from the heating element and turn the broiler to high. Finish under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve as is or sprinkled with cilantro, if using.
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Freeze and serve later: Assemble the unbaked pie in a foil or freezer-to-ovenproof baking dish or pie plate. Cover the pie with foil and freeze. When ready to bake, transfer the baking dish to a sheet pan and bake, covered, in a 350 degree F oven until heated through in the center, about 2 ½ hours. (If you thawed it the night before, bake 30 to 35 minutes.) Adjust an oven rack 4 to 6 inches from the heating element and turn the broiler to high. Finish under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes.
Recipe Notes
Freeze and serve later: Assemble the unbaked pie in a foil or freezer-to-ovenproof baking dish or pie plate. Cover the pie with foil and freeze. When ready to bake, transfer the baking dish to a sheet pan and bake, covered, in a 350 degree F oven until heated through in the center, about 2 ½ hours. (If you thawed it the night before, bake 30 to 35 minutes.) Adjust an oven rack 4 to 6 inches from the heating element and turn the broiler to high. Finish under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes.
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
63 comments
This was the first recipe I made when I got the cookbook. It’s such a great twist on regular shepherds pie and really not that complicated to make. Highly recommend the Skinnytaste Meal Prep cookbook and this recipe!
So good!! Glad you loved it, too 🙂
Wow, so flavorful and comforting and perfect for a chilly, rainy midwestern day! The spices are perfect and not too overpowering. I foresee making this all fall and winter long!
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Do you have any suggested substitutes for the garam masala? It’s not available locally to me.
Shanae, garam masala is a mix of coriander, black pepper, cumin, cardoon, and cinnamon.
Perfect, thanks so much!
Garam masala is not a single ingredient. It’s a regional spice mix that can change from household to household. Make it yours.
You could also skip or add additional curry powder!
My husband and I love this recipe! We especially like that this take on shepherd’s pie is high in protein but feels light on our stomachs. Such great flavors, and sneaks those vegetables in too!
Absolutely! Glad you both loved this one 🙂
This recipe did not fail to wow! It was just perfect for a chilly fall evening with family. I used a plain marinara in place of the tomato sauce and water and added 2 large diced carrots (cooked with onion) and about 2/3 cup of frozen corn.
Perfect! So glad everyone enjoyed 🙂
Wow, this was delicious. A definite favorite. I did not have a red pepper but used 1/4 tsp cayenne. I can’t wait to have the leftovers tonight!
Perfect! Such a great dinner 🙂
This was wonderful recipe that combines the heartiness of Shepard’s pie with a touch of Indian spice, My husband loved this dish! I followed the recipe with a change to using ready made mashed potatoes to save time. Everything turned out nicely,
Absolutely! So happy you both enjoyed 🙂
SO GOOD! We loved the flavor and how good we could feel about eating this comfort food. I had to make a couple of substitutions (no garam masala or chile pepper available where I live). I added some of the seasonings that make up garam masala, which worked better for me than buying another spice. We thought it had plenty of great flavors mingled without the chile pepper (plus our one-year-old was eating, so we didn’t want it to get too hot). I plan to make a couple of pans for the freezer before our next baby arrives!
Perfect! So glad it was a hit with the whole family 🙂
There was something about this that just didn’t work for us. The potatoes were weird and almost bland, which I think is because of the greek yogurt. There isn’t enough fat content in greek yogurt to make mashed potatoes taste good without a load of butter. The spice in the potatoes were fine, but one note. The texture was soft too. The amount of yogurt called for made them too soft and textureless.
The filling was bland as well. Curry, in my opinion, should pop with layers of flavors. This tasted like someone accidentally spilled something in sloppy joe meat. My wife couldn’t finish her plate.
We like a lot of the recipes we find here, but this one deserved a review to point out some huge errors.
Sorry to hear that! Many readers have really enjoyed this recipe but everyone’s taste preferences are a bit different. Thank you for your feedback!
I veganized this using Beyond Meat ground beef and full fat CoYo coconut yogurt and I love it! 🙂 I used a jalapeño instead of red chili. Definitely need to make this again and I’ve only had a few spoonfuls.
I’m glad that worked out well! Such a great dinner 🙂
Super easy to make (even for this novice) and absolutely delicious. Everyone loved it and ate the whole thing. Definitely will do again!
Amazing! So happy to hear that 🙂
Such a flavorful take on shepherd’s pie! I subbed greek yogurt in place of sour cream, ground beef instead of turkey, and mixed veggies to replace peas. Simple + delicious!! Can’t wait to eat leftovers for lunch tomorrow 😊
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
I have now made this recipe twice, and I LOVE IT! This is the perfect twist on a comfort food.
My only minor modification its to toast the spices before mixing with the turkey meat. Push the turkey to one side of the pan, drop your spices on the other side, and toast for a min or so. This will help develop the flavors.
So happy to hear that! And great idea to toast the spices a bit 🙂
This Indian Shepherd’s Pie was really delicious! I followed the recipe. I used real Indian chili powder so it was a bit on the spicy side, but not overly so. I will definitely make this again, but next time I’ll make it in 2 small pans and freeze one because half of the recipe was perfect for the 2 of us.
Perfect! And yes this would be great for freezing.
I have always loved Shepherd’s Pie … my husband, not so much … that is, until I made this recipe! We love Indian food, and Garam Masala is one of my most used spices – not sure why I’ve never thought to spice it up this way, but will definitely be making this again!!
Made this for dinner tonight and it’s incredible! The only thing I did differently was add some carrots + red bell pepper to sauté with the onions, which we loved. Monique – thank you for creating yet *another* amazing recipe that our family will make time & time again!
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
Very delicious! New favorite meal
So happy to hear that!
Love this spin on the traditional recipe! It was so good!
So happy to hear that!
Such a fun twist on a classic dish! I love any recipe where you don’t need to be super exact – I upped the peas and sauce a bit, and I used a jalapeño instead of a red chili. Will definitely be making again.
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed!
This was a hit! super easy, delicious, and filling!
Such a good meal! Have made this twice now. My boyfriend and I have a hard time finding recipes that we both agree on and enjoy. This one is a winner! Comfort food without that heavy feeling.
Love that! Perfect dinner.
SO delicious!!! I only had Greek yogurt which worked with a little coconut milk mixed into it for the potatoes. I would love to try this with Indian sweet potatoes instead of yukon! But still delicious, Thank you Monique!!!
Perfect! That sounds delicious. Glad you enjoyed!
Is this Gina’s recipe or Monique’s? confusing
Gina created this recipe and invited me to share it 🙂
I’m about to make this for a second time in the past month. I loved everything about this recipe… though I did make more mashed potatoes, because why not? Thank you for this!
Love that! Such a great dinner 🙂
My husband and I love Indian food, but I was skeptical about this recipe; thinking how some of the ingredients sound odd. However, when it all came together it was delicious!
If you’re hesitant to make this, just go out on a limb and try it. If you like Indian spices then I doubt you’ll be disappointed.
So glad you enjoyed! The flavor combination is amazing in here 🙂
Okay, now, we liked the turkey sloppy joes a lot last week, but I hadn’t gotten around to commenting on them.
But THIS?? A total homerun. YUM. Definitely going on the keeper list.
Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
Omg yaaaay! So happy you loved it Melinda! Thanks so much for the review 🙂
Traditionally, the difference between cottage pie and shepherd’s pie is in the meat. Whereas cottage pie generally uses ground beef, shepherd’s pie always uses lamb, hence the name.
Thanks for sharing! I don’t eat a lot of lamb which is why I use turkey in here 🙂
Delicious! Will double next time for leftovers
I’m so happy you loved it!
The most delicious recipe ever! Perfect in every way.
So happy you loved it!!
This was delicious and unique. Wife and I loved it. Will make again. Thank you
Thank you, Kenneth! SO happy you both enjoyed it 🙂
Can I double this recipe and put it in a 9×13? Would the cooking time change? Thanks!
I do not see any listings for recipes with grass fed beef on your site. Lamb and beef are extremely healthy in moderation. As well as, elk, bison and venison.