Lightly mash the cooked beans and lentils. Keep aside.

Heat the oil and add the garlic paste and chopped onions. Sautxe9 till the onions are soft and light brown. Add the tomatoes and cook till soft. Add the chilli and cumin powders and cook for a minute. Now add the bell pepper/ capsicum and the steamed vegetables and cook for another minute. Add the mashed beans and lentils, salt, the grated nutmeg and the herbs. Mix well and cook for a minute or two. Take off the heat.

Now pour this mixture into an oven safe dish (about 8u201dby 8u201d) and smoothen it out.

In another bowl, put the mashed potatoes, grated cheese, butter, salt and pepper and mix everything well. Spread this mashed potato mixture on top of the bean-vegetable mixture making sure it is an even layer. You may smoothen the top, or use a fork to score the mashed potato layer decoratively. Alternatively, pipe the mashed potato in an attractive pattern.

Bake at 190C for about 30 minutes till the top is brown.

Serve warm. This recipe serves.

You can see that my Shepherdu2019s Pie is looking a bit anaemic! I baked the pie for about 35 minutes and didnu2019t see too much browning happening. Never having baked this before, I didnu2019t want to over bake the pie and end up with a u201ctough as leatheru201d potato layer. But after eating it (it was good), I think the pie can be safely baked for another 15 minutes till it browned well.

I take consolation in the fact that though my pie didnu2019t look so nice, it tasted very good. At least itu2019s not in the same class as Hagridu2019s Rock Cakes!!

And while we are on the subject of Harry Potter, you might want to read J K Rowlingu2019s speech u201cThe Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imaginationu201d. She delivered this commencement address at Harvard University on the occasion of being presented with an honorary doctorate of letters degree.

This Vegetarian Shepherdu2019s Pie is also going across to Ivyu2019s Savoury Pie Event