When the ease of Japanese curry meets the comfort of cottage pie, you get the best of both worlds!
In our household we are fortunate to enjoy great variety in our meals, but sometimes it's hard to choose between East and West. This synergy of Japanese beef curry topped by a mashed potato crust in a casserole dish (or a Japanese clay pot in this case) means we can have both East and West in one coherent dish. Use MGK broths instead of water for more oomph in the curry!
Ingredients: Japanese curry, 2 cubes from your brand of choice | Minced beef, 500g | 200-300g MGK organic beef or chicken broth | 5 medium potatoes, boiled then mashed with butter, salt and pepper | 1 large carrot, diced | 1 small onion, diced | 2 stalks celery, diced (optional) | 3 large mushrooms, diced (optional) | 2 tsp cooking oil | Salt to taste
Pre-heat oven to 250 deg C.
In a pan, heat the oil and saute the onions and vegetables for 2-3 mins, then stir in the minced beef. Use a spatula to break up the beef to prevent clumps, about 3 mins.
Add the curry cubes into the pan, followed by approx. 200ml of MGK organic beef or chicken broth. Stir gently until the cubes are dissolved and the gravy begins to thicken. Add more broth if its too thick, but remember it's good for the curry to be thicker to form the bottom layer of the pie. Salt to taste.
Pour the curry into a casserole dish or clay pot, spreading it evenly to form the bottom layer, then allow to cool for 5 mins. Gently spoon the mashed potatoes on top of the curry, forming the top "crust" of the pie, roughly 2cm thick. Use a fork to score lines on the surface of the crust, which also helps to even out any large lumps.
Place the uncovered casserole dish in the hot oven for 10-15 mins, or until you see the top crust char slightly and the edges of the pie begin to bubble or sizzle.
Remove the casserole, allow to cool for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!