Saag Gosht(Beef in Fragrant Spinach Sauce)

* Exported from MasterCook *

Saag Gosht (Beef in Fragrant Spinach Sauce)

Recipe By : Classic Indian Cooking by Julie Sahni ISBN 0-688-03721-6
Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Indian Meats

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
3 cups cooked spinach
6 tablespoons light vegetable oil
3 pounds boneless beef round or lamb -- cut in 1 1/2" pieces
3 1/2 cups onions -- thinly sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic -- finely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh ginger root -- finely chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 medium ripe tomato -- finely chopped
3 green chiles -- minced
3 tablespoons plain yogurt
1 cinnamon stick -- broken small pieces
6 black (or 12 green) cardamom pods
9 whole cloves
3 bay leaves -- crumbled
1 tablespoon kosher salt
4 teaspoons garam masala
2 tablespoons light vegetable oil -- if needed

Spinach is used extensively in India, where it's inexpensive and available year
round. But the main
reason for its prevalence in Indian cooking is that it can be utilized in so ma
ny marvelous
ways--for instance, as a sauce. Spinach is a mild green. If it is cooked with a
meat that contains
a lot of spices, its flavor is likely to get lost, and its lovely bright green
color with it. To be
sure that the spinach will hold its own in this dish, you must cook it separate
ly and fold it into
the meat just before serving.

This beautiful dish -- another variation of the Moghul rulers' fine cooking --
is based on the use
of different greens. You can substitute kale, collard, or mustard greens, or co
mbine any of these
with the spinach.

Finely puree the spinach, using a food processor or electric blender, or mince
it with a knife on a
chopping board. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan over high heat until very h
ot. Pat the meat dry
on paper towels (or it will not brown), and add. Brown the meat, turning and to
ssing the pieces,
until nicely seared on all sides. (This is best done in batches so that the fry
ing pan is not
overcrowded. As each batch is browned, transfer to a heavy-bottomed casserole.)

Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of oil to the frying pan, and add onions. Reduc
e heat to
medium-high, and fry until they turn caramel brown (about 25 minutes), stirring
constantly to
prevent burning. Add garlic and ginger, and fry for an additional 2 minutes. Ad
d cumin, tomatoes
and chiles, and continue frying until the tomato is cooked and the entire mixtu
re is turned into a
thick pulpy paste (about 3 minutes). Add yogurt and immediately turn off the he
at. When slightly
cool, puree in an electric blender or food processor, and add to the meat in th
e casserole.

Place a double layer of cheesecloth, about 6 inches square, on the work surface
. Put cinnamon,
cardamom, cloves, bay leaves in the center, bring up the four corners of the ch
eesecloth to wrap
the spices, and tie them to form a bag. Crush the bag slightly with a wooden ma
llet or any heavy
tool to break up the spices. Add the spice bag to the casserole.

Add 4 cups of boiling water along with the salt, and stir to distribute the mea
t into the sauce.
Place a piece of aluminum foil on top of the casserole, and cover tightly with
the lid. Bring the
contents to a boil on top of the stove.

Place the casserole in the middle level of the oven for 2 1/2 hours. Or alterna
tively, it may be
cooked on top of the stove over low heat for 2 - 2 1/2 hours, or until the meat
is fork tender.

Remove the casserole from the oven or turn off the stove, and take off the lid.
Remove the spice
bag, and squeeze hard to extract as much juice as possible. Discard the bag. Ad
d the cooked spinach
and garam masala, and blend well, being careful not to break the fragile meat p
ieces. Cover the
pot, return it to the oven or stove, and cook for 5 minutes more. Turn off the
oven, and let the
pot remain undisturbed for an additional 10 minutes. Check for salt, and if the
sauce lacks
adequate glaze, stir in a few tablespoons of oil. Serve.

Note: This dish, just like another braised dish, tastes better with keeping. It
is particularly
good if made a few hours in advance, and allowed to rest at room temperature be
fore being reheated
and served. This dish keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, and also
freezes well.
Defrost thoroughly before reheating. To reheat, gently simmer over low heat unt
il warmed through.
Before serving, taste for salt, and if necessary, fold in a little garam masala
.

Serve with Pilaf or simple plain cooked rice.

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NOTES : Entered into MasterCook by: Garry Howard, Cambridge, MA
g.howard@ix.netcom.com
Garry's Home Cooking Website http://members.aol.home/garhow/cooking.htm