Saag Gosht (Punjabi Beef and Spinach Curry)
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This delicious curry from the northwest region of India can be made with beef or lamb. The rich, complex flavor profile of this Saag Gosht recipe represents the very best of Punjabi cuisine. You’re going to love it!
Punjab, a combination of two Persian words, means “land of the five rivers.” In 1947, with the dissolution of British India, the region was divided between Pakistan and India. Punjabi cuisine is known for its diversity, including both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Some popular examples of food derived from Punjab are tandoori dishes, pakoras, naan bread, and vegetable dishes with paneer (a soft Indian cheese). Other Punjabi favorites include Butter Chicken and Chicken Tikka. Today’s dish, Saag Gosht, which can be made with either beef or lamb, is another Punjabi favorite.
Saag Gosht Recipe
Let’s get started!
Pat the beef dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil and ghee (or butter) in a Dutch oven (I use and love Lodge) or pot and brown the beef on all sides. Transfer the beef to a plate and set aside.
Cook the onions until caramelized, about 25 minutes.
Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another 3 minutes.
Add all the spices, except for the bay leaf and cardamom pods, and cook for another minute.
Add the tomato paste and tomatoes and deglaze the bottom of the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Cook for 5 minutes.
Stir in the yogurt.
Return the beef and add the bay leaf and cardamom pods.
Pour in the beef broth and add the salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.
Add the spinach and simmer for another 30 minutes.
Add salt to taste.
Serve with steamed Basmati rice and/or Naan and some Cucumber Raita.
For dessert nothing beats a refreshing Mango Lassi or some Fruit Chaat!
Enjoy!
More more delicious Indian recipes try my:
- Chicken Tikka Masala
- Butter Chicken
- Egg Curry
- Tandoori Chicken
- Eggplant Curry
- Pumpkin Curry
- Dal Palak
- Shrimp Curry
- Dosa
- Naan
- Chicken Biryani
- Chicken Xacuti
- Masoor Dal
- Fruit Chaat
- Balti Chicken
- Pakistani Chickpea & Pistachio Fudge
- Mango Chutney
- Mango Lassi
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Saag Gosht (Punjabi Beef Spinach Curry)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds beef chuck or lamb , cut into 1/2 inch cubes, patted dry and sprinkled with salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon ghee , or butter (paleo: use grass fed or substitute more oil)
- 1 large yellow onion , thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 tablespoons fresh ginger , minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala , click link for our homemade blend
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 roma tomatoes , chopped
- 2 tablespoons plain whole fat yogurt
- 2 cups beef stock
- 5 green cardamom pods
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 10 ounce package frozen chopped spinach , thawed and thoroughly drained
Instructions
- Heat the oil and butter in a heavy pot or Dutch oven. Fry the beef until nicely browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Saute the onions for 25 minutes until caramelized. Add the garlic and ginger and saute for 3 minutes. Add the spices, except for the bay leaf and cardamom pods, and saute for another minutes. Add the tomato paste and the tomatoes and deglaze the bottom of the pan, scraping up any of the browned bits. Cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the yogurt.Add the beef cubes, beef broth, bay leaf, cardamom pods and salt. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add the spinach and cook for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.Add salt to taste. Serve with steamed Basmati rice and/or naan.
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
Thank you for this. It was easy to follow and the taste was great! Can’t wait to try more.
I’m so glad you liked it, Danica, thank you!
I wonder how this recipe would translate to a pressure cooker or Instant Pot?
I used my instaspot as a crock pot. With the sauté setting I was able to brown the meat and carmalize the onions as the recipe calls for. It was perfect!!
I tried your recipe following the instructions and measurements as listed. This recipe is absolutely fantastic. Your recipe is very easy for me to follow through to the end-precisely. I have the perfect amount left over to take for lunch during the week, and i am grateful-absolutely delicious!
Jennifer, I’m so thrilled to hear that and really appreciate your feedback, thanks so much!
Hi, I made this for friends the other night who belive themselves to be curry connoisseurs and they said it’s the best Lamb saag they’ve ever had! better than any restaurant! I cooked it for about 4 hours on very low. I’m going to try and convert to a thermomix recipie this week. Thanks and I cant wait to try some more of your amazing recipies:)
Hi Hannah, that’s fantastic! Indian is one of my favorite cuisines and I do give a lot of attention to detail in my recipe development. I’m so thrilled it was a hit with your friends and really appreciate the feedback, thank you! Best, Kimberly
Made this tonight with lamb and it was a winner! It did take a bit of time but was worth it. It was running just a little watery so 1.5 cups of stock should be sufficient.
Hi JM, thanks so much for the feedback and I’m thrilled to hear it was a hit!
Made it on fresh kale instead of spinach. Still tasty. I would normally add some cayenne or similar to give it some heat, but kept to the recipe for the first cook. Thanks for posting.
You’re welcome, Chris, and thanks for your feedback!
Could fresh spinach leaves be used to substitute the frozen spinach?
Hi Kelly! Yes, you can use fresh, just make sure to blanch it first so the Saag isn’t too runny (boil for just a minute, thoroughly drain, squeeze and chop). Enjoy!
I just got some dried dundicut peppers as a stocking stuffer. In my search for a Pakistani recipe to try them in I stumbled across this and made it, tossing in a few of the peppers for heat. It was great. Thanks for posting.
What a nifty and imaginative stocking stuffer – love it! Thanks so much for making this recipe and for your feedback!
Wow – dundicut peppers being used as a stocking stuffer! Never realized they were that unique.
We have a bottle of these peppers freshly ground at home all the time – i use them in almost all my western/continental cooking because they give that spicy kick without making it taste ‘Desi’.