Indian Cookery Lessons

aag Lamb

Saag Lamb, or spinach lamb is a traditional dish eaten in India and Pakistan with roti or rice. It is pureed spinach

cooked with marinated lamb and whole spices

Serves 6:

Preparation time:

1 hour

30 minutes

Ingredients:

Method:

Marinate lamb cubes with the first six ingredients i.e. cumin powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, chillie
powder, 1 teaspoon salt and yoghurt. Allow to marinate for a few hours if possible.

Heat 6 tablespoon oil in a pan. When hot, add the marinated lamb pieces and fry well for 10 minutes over medium
heat. Stir occasionally to avoid burning.

Cover the lid and allow to cook over low heat for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and keep aside.

Add 2 tablespoon oil to the same pan and let it heat. When hot, add the peppercorns, bay leaves, cloves and
cardamom. Stir for about 30 seconds.

Add the onions and fry until slightly brown. Then add the garlic and ginger paste. Let it fry together for 2 minutes.
Keep stirring to avoid burning and keep heat on medium.

Now add the marinated lamb and fry for 10-15 minutes or until all the spices have mixed well.

Add the spinach (preferably drained of excess water) and the remaining salt i.e. 1 teaspoon and stir well.

Keep stirring and cooking until the spinach wilts completely i.e. it should be really dry rather than moist.

Cover with a lid and simmer on low heat for about 1 hour or until the lamb is tender.

Remove lid and add the garam masala. Turn heat to medium and stir for another 5 minutes until most of the water
from the spinach has evaporated. You should be left with thick green sauce. Serve hot with naan or rice.

Variation:

The marinated lamb can also be grilled instead of being fried. This gives it a great taste. Substitute lamb with chicken

to make an equally tasty dish.

Tips:

Blanch and blend if using fresh spinach. De-frost spinach if using frozen spinach. If you are not fond of whole

pices

, remove them before serving!