Lentil and potato cottage pie

Ingredients

For 4 servings.

1 cup = 240 ml; 1 tablespoon = 15 ml; 1 teaspoon = 5 ml.

• 900 g potatoes suitable for mash
• 2 garlic cloves to cook with the potatoes
• 2 tbsp vegan butter
• About 120 ml plain unsweetened plant-based milk
• 400 g cooked brown lentils
• 1 onion
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 ripe tomatoes
• 200 ml passata
• 1 leek
• 200 g mushrooms
• 1 medium courgette
• 2 carrots
• 100–200 ml water, if needed
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• Salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste

Step-by-step method

1. Peel and cut potatoes. Cover with cold water, add garlic cloves and cook until tender, about 15–20 minutes after boiling. Drain and let steam escape for 5 minutes.
2. Mash potatoes and garlic by hand with vegan butter. Warm plant milk and add gradually to make a firm mash. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
3. While potatoes cook, chop onion and tomatoes, slice leek and mushrooms and finely dice courgette and carrots.
4. Soften onion in oil; add leek and mushrooms. Add courgette, carrot, tomatoes and passata, season with garlic powder, thyme, salt and pepper, and cook for 10–15 minutes, adding water if needed.
5. Fold in cooked lentils and simmer for another 5 minutes. The filling should be moist without loose liquid.
6. Heat the oven to 200 °C. Spread filling in a baking dish, cover with mash and mark with a fork. Bake for 15–20 minutes until lightly golden and serve.