Saag Gosht / Lamb Palak (Lamb Spinach Curry)
Soft and succulent pieces of lamb in the mildly spiced spinach gravy, this saag gosht is so hearty and comforting. This popular curry can be served with naan, roti, or rice. Follow this easy recipe and make the best-tasting lamb spinach curry.
Servings: 6
Calories: 314kcal
Ingredients
- 2 lb lamb
- 2 bunches spinach
- 2 tablespoon ghee (use store-bought or homemade ghee)
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 1 large tomato finely chopped
- ½ inch ginger grated
- 5-6 cloves garlic grated or finely chopped
- 1-2 green chili finely chopped (adjust as per taste)
- 1 tablespoon kasuri methi
- ¾-1 teaspoon salt (adjust as per taste)
Spices:
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 black cardamom
- 2-3 cloves
- ½ teaspoon chili powder (or cayenne)
- 1 teaspoon amchur
- 1 teaspoon garam masala (use store-bought or homemade garam masala)
Instructions
Prep the spinach:
- Wash the spinach thoroughly.
- Boil water in a stockpot. Add 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water and add the spinach and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Strain the spinach and refresh with cold water to stop cooking any further.
- Blend the spinach in a blender. Set it aside.
Make the curry base:
- Heat a frying pan, and add 1 tablespoon of ghee. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter.
- Add black cardamom, cloves, and bay leaves. Saute for a few seconds.
- Add onions and fry until they are lightly golden.
- Add ginger, garlic, and green chili. Saute for a further 1-2 minutes.
- Add Kasuri methi, amchur, red chili powder, and salt. Mix well.
- Add tomato and cook for a few minutes until they are soft and pulpy.
- Add garam masala and cook until the spices and tomatoes are done.
- Add the spinach puree and mix well.
- Let it simmer for 4-5 minutes.
Brown the lamb and finish the curry:
- In a separate pan, heat 1 tablespoon of ghee.
- Add the lamb pieces and mix well. Cook the lamb on high heat until it browns from all sides.
- Add little water and bring to boil. Cover and simmer until the lamb is almost cooked (approximately 15 minutes).
- Add the spinach gravy and mix well. Add ½ cup hot water to adjust consistency if needed. Bring to a boil.
- Simmer for 5-6 minutes or until the curry comes together and reaches desired consistency.
- Serve hot.
Notes
Transfer the blanched palak to iced water immediately. This will help in retaining the color of the spinach.
Do not skip the tomatoes. It makes the dish very flavourful.
Do not skip Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), even though it is an optional ingredient. It pairs very well with this curry and adds a nutty flavor to the dish.
You can use goat instead of lamb in this dish. As goat meat takes a long time to cook, you may want to pressure cook the goat with some salt and whole spices till it's tender.
Cook the lamb on high heat initially till it's brown all over, then reduce the heat and cook till it's tender. Add the spinach gravy to the lamb once the lamb is tender.
I am using fresh spinach in this dish. You can replace it with 2 packets of frozen spinach. In that case, defrost the spinach and blend it into a puree. The rest of the recipe remains the same.
Nutrition
Calories: 314kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 113mg | Sodium: 515mg | Potassium: 1181mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 10933IU | Vitamin C: 40mg | Calcium: 148mg | Iron: 6mg