Shepherd Pie (includes spinach)

This dish is a favorite among my kids - especially during winters. To make it more healthy and interesting, I include spinach and sweet corn as a part of the recipe. The dish is a complete meal in itself and can be had alone or with toasted garlic bread.

Ingredients:

Boiled potatoes - 4
Blanched spinach leaves - 12-15
Boiled sweet corn - 3/4 cups
Macaroni or any other pasta of your choice - 300 gms
Minced chicken - 400 gms
Finely chopped onions - 2
Finely chopped green chillis - 2-3
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Milk - 1/4 cup
Cheese or cottage cheese - 1/2 cup (grated)
Sliced tomatoes - 1
Black pepper powder
Salt to taste
Cooking oil

• Mash the boiled potatoes with some milk to make it moist. Sprinkle black pepper powder and add some salt. Mix well. Take a glass dish which is microwave safe and add a layer of this mixture.
• Mix the blanched spinach and sweet corn. Layer this on top of the mashed potato layer.
• Cook the macaroni/pasta as per the instructions given in the pack. Once cooked, drain the water completely and add a few drops of oil so that the pasta doesn't clump together. Allow it to cool for 10 minutes. Now add a layer of this pasta on top of the spinach & sweetcorn layer.
• Heat some oil in a cooking pan and add the onions and green chillies. Cook the onions till they turn brown. Transfer the onions to a pressure cooker.
• Wash the minced chicken and add it to the onions in a pressure cooker. Add the salt and rest of the dry spices along with 1/4 cup water. Cook it to one whistle. Once cooked, you can transfer the chicken to a cooking pan and continue cooking till the water evaporates.
• Spread this minced chicken on top of the pasta layer and add tomato slices. Garnish with either grated cheese or paneer. In this case, I have garnished it with grated paneer.
• Microwave it for 30-60 seconds till the cheese melts and serve hot.