There are many ways in which mutton or chicken can be cooked with green leafy vegetables of choice, each coating the dish in an emerald sauce-like gravy. The most celebrated is the ‘saag gosht’. Prepared with mustard greens, it is a seasonal favourite in Punjab during winter. Nothing stops you from adding other greens like spinach, coriander, fresh mint and green chillies to impart a chutney-like tang to the recipe.
Some might legitimately ask what is ‘shahi’ about this robust, rustic home-style dish? The ‘shahi’ gravies indicate incorporation of nuts like cashews and almonds, besides being enriched by seeds like sesame and poppy. This is exactly what is replicated here. The idea, we must admit, is not original, but purloined from the royal repertoire of princely kitchens.
Dear readers, we feel a nip in the air post-Diwali. It stokes the appetite and invites us to indulge in ‘richer foods’. The recipe may appear to be elaborate, but if the preparations have been made in a planned manner, believe you us, it is not time-consuming. It is deeply satisfying, and let the fitness freaks not worry. A little goes a long way.
Shahi Subz Gosht
Ingredients
Mutton (boneless) 500 gm
Onion (medium, sliced fine) 1
Garlic cloves (peeled, crushed) 6
Spinach 250 gm
Fresh coriander 125 gm
Mint sprig 1 large
Ginger 1x2 inch piece
(scraped, cut into juliennes)
Green chillies 8-10
(slit lengthwise & chopped)
Lemon juice 2 tbsp
Cashew nuts 10-15
Almonds 10-15
Poppy seeds 1tbsp
Sesame seeds (white) ½ tsp
Curd ¼ cup
Red chilli powder ¼ tsp
Cumin powder 1 tsp
Coriander powder 2 tsp
Bayleaf 1
Brown cardamom 1
Green cardamom 2
Cloves 4-5
Black peppercorns 1 tsp
Ghee/butter 50 ml
Salt To taste
MethodWash, trim and cut the meat into small pieces. Separately, blanch the spinach in boiling water till the leaves wilt and then refresh in cold water. Chop coarsely and keep aside. Wash coriander and mint leaves. Remove roots and chop coarsely.
Soak cashew nuts and almonds in water for about 20 minutes. Dry-roast the poppy seeds and sesame seeds on a tawa. Keep aside.
Place the spinach, coriander, mint leaves and green chillies in a blender. Add very little water and grind to a paste.
Grind cashew nuts, almonds, poppy seeds and sesame seeds to obtain
a smooth paste, adding a little water as required.
Prepare a marinade, blending together the curd and green paste.
Apply this to the meat, massaging to coat it evenly on all sides. Keep aside for an hour.
Heat ghee/butter in a thick-bottomed pan. When it reaches smoking point, reduce flame. Add in the whole spices.
When the spices begin to change colour, add the onions and garlic. Stir briskly for about a minute till the onions soften and become translucent.
Add meat and mix well. Raise heat to medium and stir-fry for 8-10 minutes, till the juices of meat are sealed in and moisture of the marinade evaporates.
When the oil starts rising to surface, add the nut paste, along with all the powdered spices. Stir to blend well.
Cover with a lid, reduce heat to low medium and cook for 8-10 minutes. Add half a cup of hot water if meat sticks to the bottom. Uncover, stir well and let the ghee rise to surface.
Check seasoning, sprinkle lemon juice and garnish with ginger juliennes.
Pro tip: If in a hurry, you could pressure cook the meat after browning to a whistle. Let the pressure come down on its own. Uncover and add the nut paste. Continue with the rest of the recipe.
— The writer is a food historian
