Stewed lamb and spinach with the combination of mixed indian spices is a heart warming dish great for a cool winter day and evening. It is very similar to curry due to the use of the same spices that are used in Indian curry. The use of pine nuts and nutmeg slightly differentiates the flavour from typical Indian curry. However to people from south Asia (India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan..etc) it is just another good lamb curry.
Lamb can never go wrong in stew or any other dishes. It has a very strong distinctive flavour and tender texture. Making lamb with spices is the best combination, spices help to reduce the strong smell and make it very flavourful. This dish can be made in a dutch oven or a skillet if you have one.
Note: the name of the dish is stewed lamb and spinach because we use both lamb and spinach, but we do not stew the spinach as long as the lamb. The reason is obvious that lamb needs more time to be tenderised by stewing. Spinach are leaf vegetables and therefore can soften easily when heated so it is very important to keep in mind to add the spinach at the end to prevent them becoming over cooked and getting too mushy.
The colour of the dish maybe different while cooking and when finishing. The reason it changes into a lighter yellow colour than and orange is because of the yogurt being added at the end of the dish to thicken and smoothen the flavour.
STEW LAMB AND SPINACH
Prep-Time: 15 mins Serve: 3
Cooking Time: 1 hr
Ingredients
500g lamb leg, cut into pieces
1 onion, chopped
3 large tomatoes, chopped
500g baby spinach
2 tbsp pine nuts
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp paprika
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp grounded cinnamon
1 tsp grounded chilli/5 dried chilles
5 tbsp oil
salt to taste
Method
Roast the pine nuts in a pan for 2-3 minutes over high heat or roast them in the over with 220°C Fan Force for 3 minutes. Remove from the pan or oven and set aside.
Heat the oil in a dutch oven/pan over medium high heat, add the lamb pieces in to the heated oil and sear all sides to brown.
Add the onion and garlic onto the seared meat and give it a quick stir. Cook the onion for 2-3 minutes to soften.
Now add in all of the spices and about 2 tsp salt and stir to coat the meat with the spices for 2 minutes. Toss in the chopped tomatoes and 1 1/2 cup of water or enough water to cover the meat. Leave to cook over high heat for 30 minutes and then reduce the heat to medium heat and cook for a further 30 minutes.
Remove from the heat and then add in the spinach. Stir until the spinach softens. Leave to cool for 10 minutes and add in the yogurt and pine nuts and then stir until well mixed. Serve with rice, naam bread or couscous.