Palak Lamb Recipe

Marinate the lamb

In a large bowl combine the lamb pieces with yogurt, garlic paste, ginger paste, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp ground turmeric and 1 tsp ground cumin. Mix thoroughly so the marinade coats all pieces. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours (longer will tenderize further).

Blanch and puree the spinach

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the chopped spinach and blanch for 1–2 minutes until wilted and bright green. Drain and immediately transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Drain again and squeeze out excess water. Transfer spinach to a blender with the chopped tomato, green chilies, garlic cloves and fresh ginger; blend to a smooth or slightly coarse puree (add 1–2 tablespoons water if needed). Set aside.

Brown the lamb

Heat 1 tablespoon oil or ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add half the marinated lamb pieces (don’t overcrowd) and sear until browned on all sides, about 4–6 minutes. Remove to a plate and repeat with the remaining lamb, adding a touch more oil if needed. Browning adds flavor but does not need to cook the lamb through.

Start the tempering

Lower heat to medium. In the same pan add remaining 2 tablespoons oil/ghee. Add cumin seeds and bay leaf; let the cumin sputter 20–30 seconds. Add the roughly chopped onion and sauté until soft and light golden, about 6–8 minutes.

Cook spices and combine

Add ground coriander and red chili powder (if using) to the onions; stir for 30 seconds to bloom the spices. Return all the browned lamb and any accumulated juices to the pan and mix with the onion-spice mixture.

Add spinach puree and simmer

Pour the spinach-tomato-garlic-ginger puree into the pan with the lamb. Add 250 ml water, stir to combine, and bring to a gentle simmer. Scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cover partially and simmer over low-medium heat for 35–45 minutes, or until lamb is tender and sauce has thickened. Stir occasionally and add a little extra water (1–2 tbsp) if it becomes too thick or starts to stick.

Finish seasoning

Once the lamb is tender, stir in 1 tsp garam masala, 1 tbsp lemon juice, and salt to taste (start with the listed 1 tsp and adjust). If you want a richer finish, swirl in 2 tbsp cream or 2 tbsp yogurt (tempered) now and heat through for 2 minutes without boiling. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Garnish and rest

Turn off the heat, sprinkle chopped cilantro over the curry and let it rest for 5 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Remove and discard the bay leaf before serving.