Both cottage pie and kimya use a similar vegetable assortment, so to make this fusion dish, you can pretty much fall back on the classic cottage pie recipe. To incorporate the flavor of keema, add the spices directly to meats and vegetables as they cook, or simply mix turmeric into the mashed potatoes before topping them. Kashmiri and/or serrano chiles turn up the heat, so you can adjust your dish to be as mild or spicy as you like. Serve with a generous dollop of butter on top, or a dollop of tangy Greek yogurt to help balance out the spicy profile of the dish. In an airtight container, it can keep for four days in the refrigerator or three months in the freezer.
Ideally, choose ground beef that contains at least 15% fat to ensure a tender and rich meal. You can replace lamb with minced meat according to your taste. (Just know that if you do this, it’s technically a “shepherd’s pie” now, not a cottage pie.) Goat is also a popular choice of protein for keema in India. Feel free to exercise a little creative freedom with the filling as well. Leeks, cashews, coriander, paprika, cayenne pepper, cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon are all fair game. You can also use ginger mashed sweet potatoes instead of classic mashed potatoes.