Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

Chop the sweet potato into large cubes (I leave the skin on) and cook in a large pot of water until tender.

While the sweet potato is cooking start with the rest of the meal.

Add the finely chopped onion, carrot, celery, olive oil and sea salt to a large saucepan.

Cook these gently over a medium heat for 15 minutes.

Add the Baharat spice mix, pepper and lamb mince, continue to cook this for a further 5 minutes allowing the meat to brown, just make sure to keep stirring it.

Add the tomato passata, dried apricots and sultanas, stir to combine. Let this simmer over a low heat for 10 minutes.

Then pour the mince mixture into a ceramic casserole dish. Drain the sweet potato and mash it with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Carefully top the mince mixture with the sweet potato mash, I like to use a fork to spread it out.

To finish sprinkle with either chopped pistachio nuts or pine nuts.

Pop into the oven to cook for 30 minutes. Your shepherd’s pie is now ready to enjoy!

* Baharat Spice Mix is a blend of paprika, cumin, pepper, coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and cloves. I buy mine from Harris Farm grocers at Manly or Dee Why.

If you can’t get hold of this then use the following instead:
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon of cinnamon