Lentils for vegetarian cottage pie

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The recipe I found says to use tinned Puy lentils but I haven't been able to find any anywhere. What can I use as an alternative?

Green or brown lentils I think might work

Green lentils are best IMO

Do you use dry green lentils or tinned? If dry, how long do they need to be cooked for ?

Puy lentils are just green lentils from Puy in France.

Even those orange ones are ok. They do mush down to nothing though.

I usually use tinned green, but that's because Im lazy!
If you buy them dried they'll need to be soaked and cooked, I cant remember the exact timings but it should be on the pack, or a quick google with bring it up.

I buy the Merchant Gourmet ones in sachets. They are available in all the major supermarkets.

Get dried Puy lentils and soak them first, or any dark lentils. Ideally black/brown, but green nearly as good and orange if desperate.

The point of the darker varieties, especially puy, is that they are firmer and nuttier.

You don't need to soak dried lentils, just boil/simmer for about 30 mins from dried. It usually tells you this on the packet :-)

I personally love green ones because they have a bit of bite and retain their shape and texture better, but honestly any will do.

The dry ones are cheaper at Asian or African food shops. And good for nutrient-rich sprouting too.

I don't think the orange ones work at all in a veggie shepherd's pie, they are far too soft.
I use them for soups and dahl.
The green or brown ones hold up and have a much better texture for this.