This spice-infused Saag Gosht or lamb saag is one of my favorite Indian-inspired Whole30-friendly dishes! The lamb meat is super tender and the spinach is cooked down into a thick and flavorful sauce!
When Henry was working in India earlier this year, I interrogated him daily about his meals. “What did you have for lunch today? Keema? Rogan Josh? TELL ME!”
“I’m having pizza and sandwiches,” he deadpanned.
Liar.
My husband loves Indian food as much as I do, and as he regaled me with stories of dining on buttery murgh makhani and spicy seekh kabob in restaurants from Delhi to Agra, I seethed with envy. Yeah, he was stuck toiling away on the other side of the globe—but he was feasting on all the Northern Indian dishes I wanted to eat.
So a few weeks ago, as Henry readied himself for another trip to India (which was subsequently postponed—yay!), I decided to console myself with a big pot of saag gosht, lamb with spinach sauce.
What is Saag Gosht (a.k.a. Lamb Saag)?
Lamb saag is a well-loved dish in the greater Punjab region in Pakistan and Northern India—but it’s pretty popular in our house, too. In the fall, I love nothing more than tucking into a bowl of spicy, tender lamb stewed in a fragrant spinach sauce.
What is the best cut of meat to use?
I use lamb neck pieces in my lamb saag because they’re cheap, and I like gnawing on bones. Of course, boneless lamb shoulder works great, too, especially if you’re worried about choking on bones. (But come on, people: live dangerously!)
Not a fan of lamb? Cubed chuck roast works well, too!
My inspiration for this recipe
I adapted this recipe from one of my favorites in Julie Sahni’s Classic Indian Cooking. I simplified it a bit, but made sure to retain all the bold flavors. Some saag gosht recipes call for cooking the spinach until the sauce resembles the gray, murky swamps on Dagobah, but I prefer to keep my spinach bright green and perky.
How do you save leftovers?
Like all stews, saag gosht tastes even better after it’s had a chance to mellow in the fridge for a couple of days. You can store it in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up to 4 months. You can reheat the stew by simmering it on the stovetop until hot and bubbly or cooking it in an Instant Pot for 2 minutes under high pressure.
Ready to make Lamb Saag?
Serves 6 people
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 4 pounds lamb necks, cut cross-wise into 2-inch pieces (or 2 pounds of boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1½ inch cubes)
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal brand), divided
- 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ cup diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup full fat coconut milk
- 30 ounces frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
- 1½ tablespoons garam masala
- freshly ground black pepper
- juice from ½ lemon
Method:
Preheat oven to 300°F. In the meantime, heat the ghee in a large dutch oven over medium high heat.
Dry the lamb necks well with paper towels and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt (remember: not all kosher salts are the same, so if you’re using a different brand, salt accordingly!).
Sear the lamb in the shimmering fat in batches until browned on all sides, Make sure the lamb is in a single layer and not overcrowded.
Remove the browned lamb to a platter and decrease the heat to medium. Add the onions to the empty pan and sauté until translucent and soft (about 10 minutes).
While the onions are cooking, prepare the other ingredients.
When the onions are soft, add the garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, and turmeric and stir until fragrant.
Add the tomatoes…
…and coconut milk and cook until the sauce has thickened. Blend the sauce with a stick blender until smooth.
Nestle the browned lamb pieces in the sauce, and add enough boiling water to reach at least halfway up the meat (about 2 cups). Stir in 2 teaspoons of kosher salt and bring the contents to a boil.
Put the lid on the stew and place the pot in the oven for 2½ hours or until the meat is tender.
Transfer the pot from the oven to the stovetop. Stir in the defrosted spinach and garam masala.
Cook over medium heat until the spinach is tender.
Adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper, and add the lemon juice.
Dig in!
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2021).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Saag Gosht a.k.a. Lamb Saag (Lamb with Spinach Sauce)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 4 pounds lamb necks, cut cross-wise into 2-inch pieces or 2 pounds of boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1½ inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt divided
- 2 medium onions thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 3 tablespoons minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ cup diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup full-fat coconut milk
- 30 ounces frozen spinach defrosted and squeezed dry
- 1½ tablespoons garam masala
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice or more to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F. In the meantime, heat the ghee in a large dutch oven over medium high heat.
- Dry the lamb necks well with paper towels and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt (remember: not all kosher salts are the same, so if you’re using a different brand, salt accordingly!).
- Sear the lamb in the shimmering fat in batches until browned on all sides, Make sure the lamb is in a single layer and not overcrowded.
- Remove the browned lamb to a platter and decrease the heat to medium. Add the onions to the empty pan and sauté until translucent and soft (about 10 minutes).
- When the onions are soft, add the garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, and turmeric and stir until fragrant.
- Add the tomatoes and coconut milk and cook until the sauce has thickened. Blend the sauce with a stick blender until smooth.
- Nestle the browned lamb pieces in the sauce, and add enough boiling water to reach at least halfway up the meat (about 2 cups). Stir in 2 teaspoons of kosher salt and bring the contents to a boil.
- Put the lid on the stew and place the pot in the oven for 2½ hours or until the meat is tender.
- Transfer the pot from the oven to the stovetop. Stir in the defrosted spinach and garam masala. Cook over medium heat until the spinach is tender.
- Adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper, and add the lemon juice.
Rochelle says
I am going to try this recipe today! Have you made this using an Instant Pot?
Michelle Tam says
Not yet!I would cut down on the water added to about 1/2 to 1 cup and cook under high pressure for about 50 minutes.
Rochelle says
I tried it in the Instant Pot because I was short on time. Followed the recipe exactly except for cutting the water by half and the browning the meat part (because of timing). It was SOOO good. Thank you times a million for this recipe! Going to print it out and stick it in your cookbook for future reference!
Michelle Tam says
Awesome!
Elise says
I made this tonight with ground lamb and swiss chard.. letting it simmer away on the stovetop for about an hour or so. Absolutely fantastic flavors. My boyfriend couldn’t get enough. Thank you so much for this delicious interpretation of one of my favorite Indian dishes!!
Jody says
So excited to try this! Do you think we could make this with chicken? If yes, any changes? Breast or thigh? TIA!
Michelle Tam says
I’d probably try thighs. The cooking time would definitely be less than the lamb.