Palak Gosht

Our first recipe, which comes from Ria Patel in India, is for Palak Gosht, or spicy spinach with meat.


1 kg (2 lbs) of mutton/lamb or chicken
4 onions
1” piece of fresh ginger
6 garlic cloves
4 green chillies
½ cup yoghurt
¼ and then ½ teaspoon cumin powder
200 grams spinach leaves (frozen works fine)
1 bay leaf
1 black cardamom pod
3 cloves
1 teaspoon coriander powder
¼ and then ½ teaspoon cumin powder
3 tomatoes chopped
A pinch of nutmeg

Soak the meat in water.

Grind the ginger, garlic and green chillies. Add the yoghurt and ¼ teaspoon cumin powder to this and blend some more.

Drain the meat and marinate it in the above mixture for at least an hour.

Heat the oil; add the bay leaf, cardamom and cloves. Add onions and fry till brown.

Add the coriander and cumin powder and fry till spices cook.

Add the marinated meat and cook for 10 minutes.

Add the chopped tomatoes with a little hot water and salt.

Cover the dish and simmer till the tomatoes get soft and the oil separates from the paste.

Add the chopped/frozen spinach at the end and mix in.

Sprinkle a pinch of nutmeg powder over the dish at the very end.