20 minutes
3Last updated on June 28, 2023
In North India, where I come from, spinach (palak in hindi), fenugreek, and mustard are in abundance in the winter months. We make a traditional dish called ‘saag’ which is a delightful combination of all these fresh leaves, turnips and fresh ginger and garlic.
Every household has their own recipe for it. It is served with a piece of jaggery and julienne of radish, and freshly baked bread made out of corn flour, called makki ki roti (corn bread). The bread is topped with a dollop of homemade fresh white butter.
I have today tried to attempt a Keto version of this saag, by combining it with mutton chops. I am only using baby spinach for this recipe. But you can add any green leafy vegetable to this recipe, and also make it with chicken or cottage cheese instead of mutton.
The gravy of this dish is most delightful; it is full of flavor and perfect to be had on a cold winter day. I have used a pressure cooker for this recipe. But you can always cook the mutton in a heavy bottom pan, on low heat. It is the prefect dish to break your intermittent fast!
Gosht or ghosht refers to tender meat, cooked for a long time, and used as an ingredient in a number of Middle Eastern cuisine, Central Asian cuisine and cuisine of the Indian subcontinent. The word stems from the Persian word gosht گوشت, meaning “meat” or “flesh”, especially that of goat. In India, most gosht dishes include goat or mutton — Wikipedia.
Preparing Saagwala Gosht
1. Add half the ghee to a pressure cooker and heat on medium heat.
2. Next, add the cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves to the oil. Fry on low heat.
3. Now add the onions, cook till they look transparent.
4. Add 1tsp garlic paste and fry for a minute. Add the mutton and keep frying.
5. Raise the heat and fry the mutton. Keep stirring regularly.
6. Add the salt, the green chilies and lower the heat. Keep cooking.
7. Add the tomatoes and cook till they get soft.
8. Now add a cup of water to the pressure cooker and close it. After two whistles, lower the heat for precisely 30 minutes.
9. While you were cooking the mutton, the spinach needs to be washed beforehand and soaked in 2 cups (0.47 liters) of water with 1 tsp of garlic paste.
10. Once the pressure drops, add the spinach, which has been soaking in garlic water, to the cooker, along with the water.
11. Cook on medium heat till all the water evaporates, and the meat is absolutely tender.
12. Before serving, heat the rest of the ghee and put the red chilly powder in it. Switch off the heat immediately.
13. Pour this tempering over the mutton and eat it hot.
