Lamb Saagwala/Lamb Curry with Spinach Pesto

This exotic  meat dish was originated in North India. Meat is pressure cooked for a while then simmered in a spicy fragrant gravy with onion, garlic-ginger paste, yogurt and dry aromatic spices until tender. Recipe is almost same like Lamb Curry with the addition of spinach and kashurimethi(dry fenugreek leaves) at the end of the cooking process. It's a smart way to feed greens to kids!! My teen has named it "Curried Lamb with Spinach Pesto".

Ingredients~
2 1/2 lb lamb shoulder chops or leg with little fat, cut into small pieces
5- 6 cups firmly packed fresh spinach leaves, chopped
2 medium red onion, thinly chopped
2 medium tomatoes, pureed 
1/2 cup yogurt
2 tbsp ginger paste
1 1/2 tbsp. garlic paste
1 1/2 tsp. salt or to taste
1 tsp. red hot chili powder
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/2  tsp paprika
1 tsp. turmeric powder
2  1 inch cinnamon sticks
2 green cardamom pods
2 cloves
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp. kashuri methi (fenugreek leaves)
3 tbsp. oil(preferably mustard oil)
 
Method~
Marinate lamb with yogurt and little salt for 2 hours to over night to tenderize the meat.

Heat the 2 tbsp. oil in a heavy bottom pan over medium heat. Add bay leaf, 1 cinnamon stick and onions. Fry till they turn light golden. Add ginger-garlic paste and let it cook on low heat for about 5-6 minutes. Add tomato puree, chili powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, paprika, salt and turmeric. Saute for a few minutes.

Now add marinated meat. Stir continuously. Make sure it doesn't stick to the pan.Cover with a lid for 15 minutes in medium-low heat stirring occasionally.

Transfer meat mixture in a pressure cooker and cook  in medium- low  heat till one whistle. Meat will be semi tender at this time.Turn off the heat and let it cool. Open the pressure cooker and transfer curry in the heavy bottom pan again or keep it in the pressure cooker.

Let it slow cook for about 20 minutes with the lid on over low heat. Stir in every 5 minutes.Gravy will be medium thick and yellow reddish in color. 

Blanch spinach leaves in the boiling water for 1 minute then transfer to a blender or food processor. Pulse fresh spinach until finely chopped. Do not make a paste. In a different pan add 1 tbsp. oil and fry spinach on high heat for 2 minutes. Add spinach mixture in the curry and cook for a few minutes. For garam mashala, hand grind together green/black cardamom, cinnamon stick and clove.  Sprinkle garam mashala and kashuri methi. Stir well to combine. Enjoy with plain rice or Indian roti/flat bread. Happy Cooking!!