Lamb With Spinach

We have been on a lamb kick since we’ve been home from Spain. Larry pulled lamb out of the freezer once again. He said he wanted it cooked in some kind of an Indian way, but other than that, he was open to let me do my thing. And that I did too. I made it into an Indian curry dish with spinach. I love all kinds of curry. I don’t cook them with the Western mindset about curries. I cook curries in the traditional ways they are meant to be cooked, from all the curry countries of the world. Curries, like any other dish vary from region to region and dish to dish.

I made Indian lamb with spinach or palak gosht or saag gosht, from the Punjab or Pakistan region. The Punjab region is known as the home of earthy foods, since it is a lush area where all kinds of good foods are grown, such as wheat, rice, corn, mustard, tomatoes and all other kinds of delicious vegetables. Palak Gosht is a meat dish made with spinach and lamb or mutton. Palak Gosht means spinach mutton, and is a delicious blending of tender succulent pieces of mutton cooked in spinach gravy mixed with freshly ground spices. Saag is a Hindu word meaning spinach. So the dish is either palak gosht or saag gosht depending on whether you are Punjab or Pakistani or Hindu.

The Western idea of curry is something totally different than what a traditional Indian curry really is. Most of the Western world views a curry as a particular flavor of a dish, but in reality, a curry is any dish that is made with a “gravy” or sauce, using many different flavors and spices and cooking techniques to make the sauce. The sauce or the “gravy” in a curry is to soak up the rice and or potatoes that are usually served with curried dishes. Traditional Indian curries have a complexity of tastes and textures, using a wide range of spices and heats. Some are sweet, some are full of heat, some are sour and some are pungent but mixed together, they all blend into a perfect taste sensation. Each spice is used in relative proportion with the other ingredients used in the specific dishes.

Indian Lamb with Spinach

I added pan-fried potatoes to my dish as well. The original recipe does not add potatoes, but I like the added richness and textures they bring to the dish. I should have also served it over rice, but we just rice so I didn’t want to serve rice and rice again. My mistake. But the dish was still delish! I served it with some of our leftover Mediterranean croquettes Vegan Gluten – Free Mediterranean Croquettes, which was a perfect side dish and a smooth, velvety red blend on the side.

You can puree the garlic and ginger if you like, but I prefer to not puree them. I like the texture and the rustic appeal of keeping them whole or in pieces rather than smooth.

1 1/2-2 lbs of lamb, cubed

1-1 1/2 TBSP garlic

1-1 1/2 TBSP ginger

2 jalapenos, seeded and diced fine

3/4 cup plain yogurt

1 tsp cumin

7 oz fresh spinach, stems removed

2 cups baby potatoes

1-2 bay leaves

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cardamom

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1 onion, diced

2 tomatoes, diced

1 TBSP tomato paste

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1/2 tsp nutmeg

salt to taste

fresh cilantro

olive oil for cooking

Cut the lamb in cubes and marinate it with the yogurt, garlic, jalapenos, and ginger for a minimum of an hour before cooking.

When you are ready to start cooking, get a large skillet very hot and add the oil, bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. Cook for about 1-2 minutes, or until the spices become very aromatic.

Add the onions, and reduce the heat to a medium heat. Cook for about 10-15 minutes, or until the onions are completely softened.

While the onions are cooking, blanch the spinach in boiling hot water for about 10 seconds, then drain and puree, or chop into a fine chop.

Add the cumin, then add the lamb and yogurt mixture and combine thoroughly.

Add about 1 1/2 cups of boiling water to the mixture and let the mixture cook for about 3-5 minutes, then add the tomatoes and tomato paste and salt to taste, stirring constantly. I used yellow heirloom tomatoes, thinking the colors would stand out and pop, but no. They just blended into the rest of the dish. No color pops this time. But I still LOVE the taste of heirloom tomatoes, and I use them as much as I can when they are in season.

Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the pureed spinach and about half of the cilantro towards the end of the cooking process, and mix in thoroughly.

I added baby potatoes too. I really like the added flavors and texture they brought to the dish. I washed the potatoes thoroughly first, then cut them in half and boiled them for about 10 minutes, with about 1 TBSP of white vinegar added to the water. The vinegar helps them to crisp up. After boiling them I pan-fried them in hot canola oil for about 20 or so minutes, flipping them over at about the half-way point, to finish cooking. The outsides were crispy and the insides were very tender and velvety.

When the potatoes and lamb were done, I combined them together. I till should have served it over rice, but as I mentioned above, I was trying to avoid rice two nights in a row. Next time, I will do the same thing, but will definitely serve it over rice as well. Once I serve it, I added more of the chopped cilantro on top.

This was a warm and cozy dish that was perfect for a cool, crisp fall evening. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.