Curry for Change

Changing the lives of families
who suffer from hunger.

Saag Gosht

Ingredients

Spinach and anything is a match made in heaven. But combine spinach, lamb and deep and dark spices and the result is a restaurant classic that you have every reason to lick off a plate. Saag Gosht, translates literally to meat in leafy vegetables, but is commonly used to mean a pureed spinach and lamb curry. I’d highly recommend lamb on the bone for this recipe and supermarket friendly fore shanks are a good bet. If you’re heading to the butcher, diced shoulder is more purse friendly than leg for party cooking. The key things here are to puree the spinach yourself, blended with the green chilli for that added zing, and don’t overcook it so it develops a bitter taste. Squirt a lemon all over the curry before eating it.

1.5kg lamb

6 tbsp Greek yogurt
2 large onions
8 green cardamoms
8 cloves
2 inches cinnamon
2 bay leaves
4 cloves garlic
2 inches ginger
Half tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
500gm frozen spinach cubes
2 green finger chillies
2 tbsp fresh coriander
Half tsp garam masala
2 tbsp oil
Salt to taste
Lemon wedges to serve

Method

  1. Peel and slice the onions finely. Bring the oil to heat on high in a large saucepan, and when it’s hot sauté the onions for 10 minutes. Peel and mince, grate or puree the ginger and garlic and add to the onions, stirring for anther five minutes until it’s golden. If the ingredients get stuck to the bottom of the pan, add a tablespoon or two of hot water and scrape it off.
  2. Next mix in the turmeric, cumin and coriander powders and sauté for another two to three minutes until their pungent aroma goes. Now mix in the yoghurt and the lamb pieces and brown the meat for five minutes until it’s sealed all over.
  3. Then add four cups of hot water, lower the heat to medium and cook covered for an hour until tender. You will need to stir the lot from time to time to make sure the meat cooks evenly.
  4. When the hour is up, lower the heat to a high simmer. Cook the frozen spinach according to pack instructions and then puree in a blender with the green chilli and coriander. Stir this into the meat curry along with the garam masala.
  5. Adding salt to taste, and simmer for 10 minutes until you see oil oozing through pores on the top of the curry. Serve with a squirt of lemon.

This recipe is part of Mallika Basu's vegetarian three course Curry for Change menu. Get the entire menu.

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