Vaisakhi or Baisakhi, a festival celebrated by Sikhs and Hindus are incomplete without Saag. Usually, they prefer making it with lamb or mutton. The origin of Saag is the Punjab region of India but is equally famous all over Northern India. Sarson ka saag is part of everyday life for hard-working village people who spend their days working laboriously in the field and enjoy their Sarson ka Saag and Cornmeal bread in lunch hours which gives them nutrition as it’s not only rich in flavor but a good source of iron and provides antioxidants.
Sarson ka Saag is made using the leaves of Mustard plant which is a smooth flat-leaf called Brassica Nigra, but it has other varieties too which includes Curly leafed Mustard and Mustard Spinach.
Traditionally it was believed that the lesser the ingredients in the Lamb Saag Recipe the more the flavor. It is slow-cooked in its own water to get a rich creamy texture and topped with freshly churned butter to give it that heavenly taste. This nutritious and rich in color cuisine is a go-to option for both urban and rural people. With time people have made changes in the recipes according to their preferences but the basic recipe calls for salt, pepper, ginger garlic paste, and some green chilies to complement the earthy flavor.
Lamb Saag
Ingredients
- 250gmPlain YogurtWhisked to Smooth
- 4tbspGinger-Garlic Paste
- 2Fresh Jalapeno or Serrano peppersMinced
- 1 tspGaram Masala
- 1KgBoneless Leg of lambCut into Cubes, 1-in
- 1/4CupOil
- 1 Cinnamon Stick1/2-in
- 2Bay Leaves
- 12Black Cardamom Pods
- 3Cloves
- 450gmOnionsThinly Sliced
- 2tspGround Coriander
- 1tspGround Cumin
- 500mlWater
- 3about 500 gmTomatoesFinely Chopped
- 1tbspTomato Paste
- 2tspSalt
- 250gmFresh Spinach leavesWashed and Chopped
- 1/4tspNutmeg Powder
- 1/4CupHeavy Cream
- 1tbspUnsalted ButterOptional
Instructions
Marination
- In a large bowl, place your whisked Plain or Greek Yogurt and add ginger-garlic Paste, minced Jalapeno or Serrano peppers, and Garam Masala and mix well. Once everything is well mixed in the yogurt, add in the lamb to this mixture and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2-4 hours or overnight
Cooking
- In a large pot heat the oil over medium heat. To it add in the whole spice; cinnamon, bay leaves, cardamom, and cloves and roast them for until fragrant about 30 to 40 seconds. Make sure the flame is not high or you roast it longer as you might end up burning the spices which will leave a bitter taste. Once done take out the whole spices and put them aside for later use
- In the same pot add the sliced onions and Saute for about 10 to 15 minutes over low to moderate heat, till they are light golden brown. Constantly move the onion around using a spatula to make sure they cook evenly
- Once the onion is light golden brown, add in the whole spice that we roasted before with ground coriander and cumin into the onion and continue sauteing for 2 minutes, stirring continuously
- Now add in the meat along with its marinade, stir well, and cook over moderate heat for 3 minutes until the yogurt is absorbed stirring continuously. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add in around 2 cups (500 ml) of water and the salt. Cover the pot with a lid and turn the heat to low and leave the meat to simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes until the lamb is tender
- While the lamb is being cooked, take a saute pan and heat it at medium-low heat, and add 2 tbsp of butter. Once butter is melted add the chopped spinach and saute for 5 min till the spinach is wilted and the moisture is removed. Take the cooked spinach and place it into a blender and add in the heavy cooking cream and add in pinch nutmeg and blend it till it’s for into a paste
- Once the lamb is cooked remove the pot from the heat, and carefully remove the lamb and whole spices into a bowl. Now let the leftover gravy in the pot cool down a bit so it’s easy to handle. Once cooled using the Spoon take the cooked spinach and place it into a blender using a spoon or a ladle into the blender with the spinach mixture and blend them till it is uniform in color. You can do this step in batches if you like
- Once everything is blended add back the mixture into the pot along with the lamb and whole spices. Over low heat cook it for another 10 min till the lamb becomes tender and gravy is thick. You can add a bit off water or cream if you think the gravy is too thick
- When ready to serve, sprinkle with a little nutmeg powder and top with the butter, if using. Serve hot
