Ingredients
• 2 slices white bread, crusts removed
• 125ml milk
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 50g butter
• 2 onions
• 2 red chillies, deseeded and chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 600g minced lamb
• 2 teaspoons mild curry powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns
• grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon Ma Ball’s hot chutney or other mango chutney
• 1 teaspoon demerara sugar
• 1 tablespoon blanched almonds, halved
• 6 lemon leaves or bay leaves

Topping
• 2 large eggs
• 100ml single cream
• 100ml milk
• ¼ teaspoon crushed black peppercorns
• grated nutmeg

Method
• Tear the bread into pieces, place in a small bowl and pour over the milk. Leave for 10 minutes
• Heat the oil in a casserole and when hot add the butter. Tip in the onions and chillies and cook until golden. Add garlic and minced lamb and continue to cook until meat browns. Sprinkle over curry powder, cinnamon, peppercorns and lemon zest. Stir and fry over a medium heat for 5 minutes.
• Squeeze excess milk from bread and add bread to the mince. Stir well and add the lemon juice, chutney, sugar and almonds. Remove from heat and leave to cool before turning meat mixture into a 1litre pie dish. Roll the lemon or bay leaves into cigar shapes and stand upright in the spiced meat.
• Preheat oven to 180°C /Gas 4
• Whisk together the eggs, cream, milk and stir in the peppercorns. Pour savoury custard over the mince and sprinkle with nutmeg. Place pie dish in a roasting pan half filled with hot water. Bake for about 25 minutes until the topping is golden and set.
• Serve with boiled rice or baked sweet potatoes or with a crisp salad and some tangy chutney.