Lamb Saag

Making Lamb Saag Ahead

Keeps in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat gently with a splash of water until hot all the way through.

Lamb Saag: The Method

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1. Brown the lamb in the oil in batches for 6 minutes, then set aside.

   Mark done Start 6 min timer

2. Fry the onions in the same pan for 8 minutes until deep gold, then add the garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, garam masala and chilli for 1 minute.

   Mark done Start 8 min timer

3. Add the tomatoes, lamb and salt, cover and simmer for 40 minutes until the lamb is tender.

   Mark done Start 40 min timer

4. Stir in the spinach in handfuls, uncover and cook for 10 minutes until the sauce is thick.

   Mark done Start 10 min timer

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Worth Knowing

• Brown the lamb in batches.
• Cook the onions until deep gold.
• Add the spinach in handfuls.
• If the sauce is thin, cook it uncovered for longer.

Why the Method Is What It Is

Most home versions come out watery, and the fix is to cook off the moisture twice: once from the onions, and once from the spinach. A wet saag tastes of nothing but boiled leaves.

Brown the lamb first, in batches, for the flavour that the pot builds on. Then fry the onions for 8 minutes until deep gold, add the garlic, ginger and spices, and stir for a minute. Keep the spices moving. They burn in seconds and turn the dish bitter.

Add the tomatoes and lamb, cover and simmer for 40 minutes until the meat is tender. Stir in the spinach in handfuls, so it wilts down. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes more, until the sauce is thick and clings to the lamb.

Finish with a spoonful of cream if you like it richer. Serve with rice or naan. Frozen spinach works if you thaw it and squeeze out the water, then add it earlier in the cooking.

What to Put Next to It

Basmati rice · Naan bread · Natural yoghurt · Cucumber raita

Sides from the same cuisine on this site: Gluten-Free Naan, Idiyappam, Kerala Appam.

Swaps and Variations

• If you only have ground ginger, a quarter-teaspoon for each tablespoon of fresh is the ratio usually given; it tastes warmer and less bright than the fresh root.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.

What's in a Serving

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.

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