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Paalag Gosht (Mughlai Lamb with Spinach)

Paalag Gosht (Mughlai Lamb with Spinach) is a traditional Indian recipe for a traditional dish of lamb in a spinach gravy that originates in Mughlai cuisine. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Indian version of: Mughlai Lamb with Spinach (Paalag Gosht).

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

60 minutes

Total Time:

80 minutes

Additional Time:

(+30 minutes marinating)

Serves:

4

Rating:

Tags : CurrySpice RecipesLamb RecipesIndian Recipes

This is a classic Mughlai dish from Persian Mongol dominated India (the term Mogul/Moghul comes from a Persian corruption of Mongol). There is a cognate dish, Saag Gosht, where saag can be any greens. Paalag refers specifically to spinach. The dish may have origins in the Uzbek origins of the Mughlai founder Babur (1526-1566) and apart from the subsequent addition of chillies (derived from the Americas) the dish has remained, largely unchanged for centuries. This can thus be counted as a true classic (and authentic) curry. The dish is also often made with mutton (goat meat).

Ingredients:

550g (1lb 3.5oz) boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 3cm (1 in) cubes
4 tsp ginger, peeled and finely-grated
7 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed to a pulp
2 tbsp ground coriander
5 tbsp sunflower or peanut oil
140g (5 oz) onions, peeled and sliced into very fine half-rings
¼ tsp ground turmeric
¾-1 ½ tsp cayenne pepper (adjust according to taste)
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp natural yoghurt
450g (1 lb) fresh spinach, washed and cut into fine ribbons (to shred the spinach, hold a handful at a time in a tight wad and slice, crossways, into fine strips)

Method:

Begin by marinating the meat. Put the meat in a bowl, add the ginger, garlic and coriander, mix well and set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.

Pour the oil into a wide, non-stick, lidded pan and set over a medium heat. When hot, stir in the onions, and fry them, turning the heat down as needed, until they are golden and crisp. Remove the onions with a slotted spoon and spread them out on kitchen paper, leaving as much of the oil behind as possible.

Reduce the heat to medium, and add all the meat, together with its marinade. Scatter over the turmeric, cayenne and salt. Stir-fry everything together for a minute. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the lid and add 1 tbsp of the yoghurt. Stir and cook until the yoghurt is absorbed. Continue incorporating the remainder of the yoghurt in this way, a tbsp at a time, then stir in the spinach. Chop the fried onions and add these as well.

Continue to stir until the spinach has wilted. Cover the pan and cook on a very low heat for about 50 minutes or until the meat is tender, stirring now and then. If the liquid seems to have dried up completely, add a few tbsps of water at a time and cover again. The spinach should cling to the meat.

Serve with rice and/or flatbreads.