Vaisakhi or Baisakhi, a festival celebrated by Sikhs and Hindus is incomplete without Saag. You can use the same recipe for saag lamb with chicken too but 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. It’s a basic and simple dish to cook and is very sympathetic so it’s worth trying it out. It’s a decent choice to make ahead of time and can be reheated.
Sarson Ka Saag - A Treat In The Cold Weather
This provincial North Indian Punjabi dish is a firm top pick in the cold weather months when the fields of Punjab are loaded up with mustard and their greens are galore. The actual notice of this rich purée of mustard presented with touches of newly beat, natively constructed margarine, jaggery, and cornmeal bread carries tears to grown-up Punjabi men’s eyes! Overlook the calorie counter in case you’re enticed to attempt this formula! This dish can be served in various pretenses, as little canapés or as spreads or dips for finger food.
Saag History
Our exceptionally acclaimed Saag Punjabi has a great history. This scandalous leaf-based dish comprised of principle spinach starts from the area of Punjab, but at the same time is eaten in Nepal, the North of India – and obviously, it is well known among the occupants of the USA! Sarson ka Saag is made using the leaves of the Mustard plant which is a smooth flat-leaf called Brassica Nigra, but it has other varieties too which include Curly leafed Mustard and Mustard Spinach.
Sarson ka saag is a vegan enchant produced using the leaves of the mustard plant, the very plant that gives us the delectable fixing mustard. The desi (conversational term for things, individuals, and a lifestyle from the subcontinent) mustard green, filled in Pakistan and India is a smooth level finished leaf, yet another assortment incorporates a folded frilly leaf, fiery in look however hearty in taste.
By and large, Sarson Ka Saag, was for the most part the rustic individuals’ food in Punjab and the hearty custom-made spread beat saag fit the persevering way of life of the town individuals relentlessly working the horticultural grounds of the fruitful region. They quite often defended and spread the utilization of desi ghee (explained margarine), Desi Makhan (spread), lassi (yogurt drink), desi paneer (curds), and Chaahch (buttermilk), and this training has since been conveyed to metropolitan Punjab. Rich cooking it could be, yet its unadulterated, ranch new, and natural structure makes it a champ in the realm of designed and additive loaded food.
Saag’s set of experiences joins it to lively green vegetables like spinach, mustard leaves, finely slashed broccoli, or different plants… however, the primary component of the dish is the additional flavors. We have our own highly confidential twist on Saag which incorporates Chef Rashpal’s particular flavors… I mean we’d love to impart them to you… yet these mysteries are secured away Rashpal’s pantry!
Its habit-forming flavor and energetic shading are something that can drive you crazy for Saag!
A Healthy Meal Which Is Full Of Flavors
A nearby second to a mother’s adoration is maybe the smell of land, all the more exceptionally Mera Aur Tera gaon (our town), the one we as a whole begin from, the one our progenitors left behind when they moved from those great green fields for greener fields still.
The nutritious substance of Sarson Ka Saag and Makkai ki roti is the reason moms took care of it to their youngsters, “moms know best, for ages they have been cooking this Punjabi top choice, and all things considered,” said Ramesh Chander, a Jalandhar-brought up Punjabi, who presently runs an exceptionally fruitful veggie-lover café network in the US.
Nothing is more quintessentially Punjab than Sarson ka saag and Makkai ki roti, it’s a gritty generous food bountiful in flavor, supplements, and shading; similar to the land and individuals it has a place with. Picture fields of brilliant yellow blossoms on the lower regions of the heavenly Himalayas, the area Sarson has been native to for more than 5 millenniums. Sarson is a winter fair and its occasional bounty in Punjab, on the two sides of the Wagah, makes it a Punjabi top pick for the rustics and the urbanites the same.
Authentic Saag Gosht Recipe
Traditionally it was believed that the lesser the ingredients in the Lamb Saag Recipe the more the flavor. It is slow-cooked in its 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 authentic Saag Gosht Recipe calls for salt, pepper, ginger garlic paste, and some green chilies to complement the earthy flavor.
Customarily, the genuine recipe for saag gosht is sans masala, simply a scramble of salt and ginger, blended in with the greens; mustard greens, green stew, spinach, Bathuaor Methi (pigweed and fenugreek).
Furthermore, the genuine cooks, our moms, and grandmas, who follow the well-established family formula without the advanced touch to suit contemporary ways of life, actually cook it the same way. It was supposed to be slow-cooked and hand-blended in its water until it arrived at the ideal eatable smoothness of newly stirred margarine, and afterward loaded down with seared onions and finished off with ranch new spread and ate up for basic goodness.
Individuals hailing from Uttar Pradesh shallow fry Sarson and top it with tomatoes and yogurt to overpower its solid peppery and unpleasant taste, and altogether unique way of cooking. Sarson has a practically sharp taste to it and is in this manner cooked in the organization of different greens, broccoli, radish, spinach, pigweed, fenugreek, and now and again turnip.
The first country formula is slow-cooked to smooth joy however I typically pursued a metropolitan faster route, and the result was a delightfully rich and natural joy. Here it is, from my kitchen to yours.
Recipe For Saag Lamb
Ingredients
250 gm Plain Yogurt, Whisked to smooth
4 Tablespoons Ginger-Garlic Paste
2 Fresh Jalapeno or Serrano Peppers, Minced
1 Teaspoon Garam Masala
1 KG Boneless Leg Of Lamb, Cut into 1 Inch Cubes
1/4 Cup/ 65 ml Oil
1 Cinnamon Stick 1/2-in
2 Bay Leaves
12 Black Cardamom Pods
3 Cloves
450 gm Onions Thinly Sliced
2 Teaspoons Ground Coriander
1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
2 1/4 cups (500 ml) Water
3 Tomatoes (about 500 g), Finely Chopped
1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
2 Teaspoons Salt
250 g Fresh Spinach Leaves, Washed And Chopped
1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg Powder
1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter (Optional)
Serves 6
Prep Time: 15 minutes, Plus 4 hours For Marination
Cook Time: 30 minutes
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 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. Add in the whole spice; cinnamon, bay leaves, cardamom, and cloves, and roast them until fragrant for about 30 to 40 seconds. Make sure the flame is not high and do not roast it longer as you might end up burning the spices that will leave a bitter taste. Once you are done with this 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 you have roasted in the first step 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 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 evaporated.
- 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.
- When the lamb is tender 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 of water or cream if you think the gravy is too thick.
- When ready to serve, sprinkle with a pinch of nutmeg powder and top with the butter, if using. Serve hot.
