Palak Gosht
پالک گوشت
Palak gosht is one of the most common winter dishes in Pakistani homes, when spinach is cheap, sweet and sold in huge bunches. The mutton is first cooked until tender in a simple masala, then a full kilo of spinach goes in and cooks down to a thick, dark green gravy. The trick is to let the spinach release its water and then do a final until that water is gone and the oil shines through, so it tastes rich rather than boiled.
- ⏱ Total: 1 hr 55 min
- Prep: 25 min
- Cook: 1 hr 30 min
- Medium
- Serves 5
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Heat the oil in a over medium heat. Fry the onions for 8–10 minutes, stirring, until golden.
Add the mutton with the ginger and garlic paste. Turn the heat to high and fry for 8–10 minutes, stirring, until the meat is browned and its liquid has dried.
Add the tomatoes, salt, chili powder, turmeric and coriander powder. Do the for 5–6 minutes until the tomatoes melt and the oil starts to separate.
Pour in the hot water, bring to a boil, then cover and cook on low heat for 50–60 minutes until the mutton is tender. (In a pressure cooker, 15–20 minutes.)
Add the chopped spinach and green chilies on top. Cover and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes until the spinach wilts and releases its water, then stir it into the meat.
Uncover, turn the heat to high and do the bhunai for 12–15 minutes, stirring and pressing, until the water has dried up, the spinach turns dark green and the oil rises to the surface.
Sprinkle in the garam masala and ginger strips, cover and leave on the lowest heat for 5 minutes so the flavours settle.
Turn off the heat and serve with hot roti or naan and a bowl of yogurt.
Kitchen notes
Wash spinach in several changes of water, lifting it out each time so the grit stays at the bottom of the bowl. Sandy spinach ruins the whole pot.
A kilo of spinach looks like far too much, but it shrinks to a fraction of its size. Add it in two batches if your pot is small.
Do not stop the final bhunai early. Watery palak gosht tastes flat; the flavour comes when the spinach fries in the oil.
A winter staple
When winter arrives, Pakistani markets fill up with spinach, mustard greens and fenugreek, and palak gosht becomes a weekly dish in many homes. It is a practical meal: a modest amount of mutton is stretched with a lot of vegetables, and the result is filling and full of iron. It is usually eaten with tandoori roti or chapati and a bowl of plain yogurt, sometimes with a raw onion and lemon on the side.
The key technique
Palak gosht is cooked in two stages. First the mutton is cooked until fully tender in a basic onion and tomato masala, because once the spinach goes in, the meat will not soften much more. Then the spinach is added raw and left covered so it wilts and gives off its water. The final step is the important one: a long on high heat until that water is gone and the spinach starts frying in the oil. The colour deepens to dark green, the raw grassy taste disappears and the masala clings to the meat.
Variations
- Aloo palak gosht: add 2 cubed potatoes with the spinach for a more filling pot.
- With methi: replace a quarter of the spinach with fresh fenugreek leaves for a slightly bitter, aromatic note.
- Garlic tarka: finish with a of sliced garlic and dried red chilies fried in 2 tablespoons of ghee.
Storing and reheating
Palak gosht keeps for 2–3 days in the fridge in a covered container. Reheat over medium heat with a splash of water, stirring until the oil loosens. It does not freeze as well as plain curries, since the spinach turns watery, so it is best eaten fresh.
Questions people ask
Can I use frozen spinach?
Yes. Use about 500 g of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed. It needs only 5 minutes covered before the final bhunai.
Should the spinach be blended?
It is a matter of taste. Most Pakistani homes cook chopped spinach so it keeps some texture. For a smoother restaurant-style gravy, blanch the spinach, blend it coarsely and add it in step 5.
Can I make it with beef or chicken?
Yes. Beef needs about 90 minutes to become tender in step 4. For chicken, skip the water and cook it covered for 15 minutes before adding the spinach.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 440
- Protein
- 30 g
- Fat
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
