Few dishes say British comfort food quite like shepherd’s pie, a thrifty family favourite built on slow-cooked lamb and a bronzed mashed potato top. Yet many of us find the base short on depth, turning to soy, HP or Worcestershire sauce for a quick fix.

Spice Kitchen founder and cookbook author Sanjay Aggarwal recommends a simpler lift: garam masala. “This hearty dish takes the traditional shepherd’s pie and gives it a little extra flavour with our signature Garam Masala,” he said.

The blend adds warmth, not heat, with coriander, cumin and clove notes that fuse with lamb’s sweetness, rounding acidity from tomato paste and amplifying the savoury flavour of the meat. And it's all in the absence of added salt that comes with using bottled condiments.

Ingredients

• 500g lamb mince
• One onion, chopped
• One carrot, finely diced
• A good handful of frozen peas
• Two garlic cloves, minced
• One tbsp Garam Masala
• Two tbsp tomato paste
• One cup of vegetable broth
• Four large potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1/4 cup milk
• Two tbsp butter
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Your choice of finely chopped fresh herbs for garnish – chives, parsley, or rosemary is perfect
• Your choice of veggies to serve