Recipe: Creamy lamb saag

It's worth the time for a tender, fragrant, creamy lamb saag. Photo / Olivia Moore - That Green Olive

It’s amazing how much a giant pile of spinach can shrink down with a bit of heat.

This curry started with every last leaf of spinach I could pluck from our garden, and wilted down to a measly cup. But the result: a deliciously rich, savoury and velvet-like sauce that is undoubtedly packed with nutrients.

Saag has been one of my favourite curries for years - the combination of nutty and sweet spices, fenugreek and savoury, slightly bitter greens is seriously delicious. It is often served with paneer, which I love, but I love it especially with the rich and earthy flavours of lamb.

I’ve marinated the lamb in a mixture of yoghurt and spices, before cooking it in the smooth saag sauce for two hours. This combination of marinating and stewing takes some time, but is totally worth it to achieve tender lamb and a fragrant sauce.

Try this curry if you’re at home during the school holidays - the whole house will smell amazing as it’s stewing away!

Visit Olivia’s website for more recipes: www.thatgreenolive.com

Ingredients

● 450g lamb, cut into 4cm chunks

● ½ cup plain yoghurt

● ¼ cup olive oil

● 1 large onion, thinly sliced

● 15g fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

● 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

● 3 ½ tsp ground coriander

● 3 tsp garam masala

● 1 ½ tsp ground cumin

● ½ tsp turmeric

● ¼ tsp ground cinnamon

● 1/8 tsp ground cloves

● 1/4 tsp chilli powder

● 300g fresh spinach leaves, washed

● 5g fresh coriander, stalks included

● 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves

● 1 Tbsp tomato puree

● 2 ½ tsp salt

● 2 tsp sugar

● 2 tsp lemon juice

Method

1. In a container, combine lamb with yoghurt, 1 ½ tsp of the ground coriander, 1 tsp of the garam masala, 1 tsp of the salt, ½ tsp of the ground cumin and cinnamon. Mix to fully coat, then cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours to marinate.

2. To make the curry, heat half the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic and ginger, and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until fragrant. Stir through remaining spices and cook, stirring frequently, for another 2 minutes until spices are fragrant. Remove from heat and transfer to a food processor.

3. Meanwhile, cook spinach in a pan of simmering water for 7 minutes or until wilted. Drain and add to the onion mixture in your food processor, along with the coriander leaves and fenugreek. Blend until smooth and set aside.

4. Return your saucepan to the heat and add remaining oil. Set over medium-high, and add marinated lamb and yoghurt mixture. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lamb is fragrant and browned all over.

5. Add the spinach and onion puree, tomato puree and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook uncovered for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

6. When thickened to your desired consistency, remove from heat and stir through remaining salt, sugar and lemon juice. Season generously with pepper. Serve hot, with an extra dollop of yoghurt and fresh coriander leaves.