Braised Lamb Saag with Bright Spinach Purée

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Lamb shoulder simmered low and slow in a ginger-garlic masala until it gives way at the touch of a spoon, then finished with a purée of spinach and mustard greens stirred in at the very end so the greens stay vivid and grassy instead of stewing down to army green. Frozen spinach is genuinely the right call here — it's already blanched, it purées smoothly, and it saves you twenty minutes of wilting. A restaurant curry-house classic that costs a fraction to make at home.

Ingredients

• 2.5 lb boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 1.5 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 3 tbsp ghee or neutral oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 1 cinnamon stick (2 inches)
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 2 large yellow onions, finely chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 serrano or green chile, split lengthwise
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1.5 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chile powder
• 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup whole-milk plain yogurt, whisked smooth
• 1.5 cups water or low-sodium chicken stock

• 20 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed fairly dry
• 5 oz frozen chopped mustard greens or kale, thawed (optional)
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems
• 1 serrano chile, stemmed
• 1/3 cup water

• 1 tbsp ghee or butter
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi), crushed
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• Basmati rice or naan, for serving

Instructions

1. Pat the lamb cubes very dry with paper towels and toss with 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt. Letting them sit while you prep the aromatics helps them brown.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the ghee in a large Dutch oven over medium-high until shimmering. Brown the lamb in two batches, 4 to 5 minutes per batch, turning once, until deeply colored on at least two sides. Don't crowd the pot. Transfer to a plate.
3. Lower the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tablespoon ghee along with the cumin seeds, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves. Fry for 30 to 45 seconds until the cumin sizzles and smells toasty.
4. Add the chopped onions and a pinch of salt. Cook 12 to 15 minutes, stirring often and scraping up the browned bits, until the onions are soft and genuinely golden brown at the edges. This is the flavor base — don't rush it.
5. Stir in the garlic, ginger, and split serrano and cook 90 seconds, until raw-garlic smell is gone. Add the coriander, cumin, turmeric, and Kashmiri chile powder and stir constantly for 30 seconds.
6. Add the crushed tomatoes and cook 5 to 6 minutes, stirring, until the mixture darkens and the ghee separates out around the edges.
7. Take the pot off the heat for a moment and whisk in the yogurt a spoonful at a time so it doesn't split. Return to medium heat and cook 2 minutes.
8. Return the lamb and any accumulated juices to the pot, add the water or stock, and bring to a bare simmer. Cover and cook over low heat for 75 to 90 minutes, stirring every 25 minutes, until a cube of lamb crushes easily against the side of the pot. Add a splash of water if it ever looks dry. Alternatively, braise covered at 325°F for 1 hour 45 minutes.
9. While the lamb braises, make the purée: squeeze the thawed spinach and mustard greens firmly in your hands to shed most of the liquid, then blend with the cilantro, whole serrano, and 1/3 cup water until you have a thick, coarse purée with a little texture left — about 20 to 30 seconds in a blender. Set aside; do not cook it yet.
10. When the lamb is fully tender, uncover and simmer 5 to 10 minutes to reduce the sauce until it coats the meat. Fish out the cinnamon stick and bay leaves.
11. Stir the spinach purée into the pot and cook, uncovered, over medium heat for just 4 to 6 minutes — long enough to lose the raw taste, short enough that the greens stay bright green. Do not let it boil hard or sit on the heat past 8 minutes.
12. Off the heat, stir in the finishing ghee, garam masala, crushed fenugreek leaves, heavy cream, and lemon juice. Taste and add salt in small increments — it usually needs another 1/2 to 1 teaspoon. Rest 5 minutes, then serve over basmati rice or with naan.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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