Lamb saag or saagwala is a gloriously meaty curry loaded with spinach, an almost ubiquitous stalwart on British Indian restaurant menus.
Slow cooking is the key to getting soft and tender lamb in this curry recipe, so it is far from quick, but it is very easy to cook, and adding ginger right at the end brings the dish alive!
Indian Inspired Lamb and Spinach Curry (Saagwala)
I was asked on my social media channels how to convert my popular chicken saag recipe for red meat. I am always more than happy to help out, particularly with a dish that is a firm favourite in our kitchen.
If you were one of those people who asked, I am delighted to share my take on lamb saag or saagwala, a delicious Indian lamb and spinach curry.
It shares all of the same delicious spicing and flavour profiles as my chicken variant. They are tuned up a little here to take account of the bolder flavour of lamb or mutton!
I also add a little extra spice in this recipe, because I think lamb can tolerate extra chilli without making the curry too much hotter thanks to its extra fat.
Unlike my chicken recipe, this dish doesn’t cook in under an hour, in order to get soft and succulent lamb, you need a longer cooking time.
As a result, this recipe takes around 2½ hours to cook. But it is still very easy and you only spend around 25 minutes in the kitchen preparing and cooking this recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use mutton instead of lamb?
Yes, absolutely however mutton will benefit from an extra 20-30 minutes of cooking to get it nice and tender.
Why do you add ghee and ginger at the end of the cooking time?
Adding ghee and ginger for the final 5 minutes of this lamb sag curry really brings this dish alive.
The ginger adds a wonderful and vibrant zinginess to what is a very ‘earthy’ curry. The ghee adds extra richness and gives the sauce a silky finish.
Why don’t you fry the meat before adding it to the sauce?
Frying meat before adding it to a stew or curry adds flavour thanks to the caramelisation of sugars (the Maillard effect).
It is not uncommon to skip this step in many cultures, particularly with slower-cooked dishes. The meat almost “poaches” in the sauce, allowing the flavours to gently permeate the meat.
It also leads to meat with a beautiful texture.
Can I make this in advance?
Yes, but do not complete the final three steps of the recipe until you are ready to serve. Spinach can become very bitter when cooked for a long time and you really want that ginger to punch through the curry.
Serving Suggestions
Lamb saag (saagwala) is a curry with a wet and thick sauce, and as far as I am concerned, that means it must be served with tandoori-style naan bread.
Of course, other flatbreads are available and this also works wonderfully with chapatis.
Rice is always a solid choice as a side dish for a curry, I usually opt for plain rice because I think there is enough flavour to make it work and it is easy. But if you are trying to impress and vibrant pilau rice looks and tastes great!
An Indian potato dish is superb with this lamb and spinach curry. I would choose either aloo methi (fenugreek potatoes) or my aloo jeera (cumin potatoes).
One final suggestion, a little sweetness helps to unlock some wonderful flavours in this recipe. A big dollop of mango chutney is a genius addition!
Equipment Used
I only mention specific brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/Stovetop.
- 24cm or 10″ heavy-based saucepan (with a lid).
- Stirring and serving spoons.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- Mini blender.
- Grater.
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
Lamb Saag (Saagwala) Recipe - Lamb and Spinach Curry
An Indian lamb and spinach curry is known as a saag or saagwala and they are one of my favourite curries to order in restaurants, but they are also easy to make at home and my recipe results is beautifully tender lamb in a medium spiced gravy.
Ingredients
- 400g (14oz) Diced Lamb Shoulder
- 1 Medium-Large (150g) Red Onion
- 6 Garlic Cloves
- 1 Green Finger Chilli Pepper
- 5cm (2") Piece of Cinnamon Bark
- 1 Tbsp Coriander Powder
- 1½ Tbsp Kashmiri Chili Powder
- ½ Tsp Turmeric
- ½ Tsp Amchoor
- 2 Tsp Garam Masala
- 250ml (1 Cup) Water
- 100g (⅓ Cup) Tomato Passata
- ½ Tsp Salt
- ½ Tsp Black Pepper
- ½ Tsp Dark Brown Sugar
- 250g (8-10 Cups) Baby Spinach
- 15g (Half of a Thumb Sized Piece) Ginger
- 1 Tbsp Dried Fenugreek
- 3 Tbsp Ghee
Instructions
- Cut the onion in half, peel it and roughly chop it, then throw it into a mini blender.
- Bash the garlic cloves with the side of a knife, remove the papery skins, add them to the blender with 2-3 tablespoons of water and blend them to a smooth paste.
- Remove the stem from the chilli pepper and cut it in half.
- Heat a 24cm or 10" saucepan over a high heat and add half of the ghee, the slit green chilli pepper and the cinnamon bark, stir and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the onion and garlic puree and cook for 2-3 minutes to drive off the water, then reduce the heat to medium and cook for 7-8 more minutes until golden brown, stirring occasionally.
- Add in the ground coriander, Kashmiri chilli powder, turmeric, amchoor and garam masala and stir for 30 seconds.
- Pour in the tomato passata and 250ml (1 cup) of water and cook for 5 minutes over a medium heat.
- Add the lamb to the pan with the brown sugar, salt and pepper, stir, add a lid, and cook for 90 minutes over a low heat.
- Remove the lid, turn the heat up to medium-high and reduce the curry for 5-7 minutes.
- Add the spinach, yes there is a lot, don't worry it will cook down, then return the lid and cook until the spinach has wilted, this will take 3-4 minutes.
- Whilst the spinach is wilting peel and grate the ginger.
- When the spinach has wilted, remove the lid, add the remaining ghee and freshly grated ginger, and crush in the dried fenugreek leaves, then, stir and cook for 5 more minutes or until the curry thickens a little.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 846Total Fat: 47gSaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 224mgSodium: 2130mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 11gSugar: 10gProtein: 67g
Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.