Saag Gosht (The Hard Way) Pt 1

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Finely puree the cooked 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 Fahrenheit.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over high heat until very
hot. Pat the meat dry on paper towels (or it will not brown) and add to the
pan. Brown the meat, turning and tossing the pieces, until nicely seared on
all sides. This is best done in batches so that the frying pan is not
overcrowded. As each batch is browned, transfer to a heavy-bottomed
casserole.
Add the remaining 4 tablespoons oil to the frying pan and add chopped
onions. Reduce heat to medium-high, and fry them until they turn light
caramel brown (about 25 minutes). (Do this carefully and patiently to avoid
burning any of the onions. If in doubt, reduce the heat and take longer.)
Add garlic and ginger and fry for an additional 2 minutes. Add cumin,
coriander, and tumeric, and stir rapidly for 15 seconds. Add tomatoes and
chiles, and continue frying until the tomato is cooked and the entire
mixture is turned into a thick, pulpy paste (about 3 minutes). Add yogurt
or sour cream, and immediately turn off the heat. When slightly cool, puree
in an electric blender or food processor, and add to the meat in the
casserole.
Place a double layer of cheesecloth, about 6 inches square, on the work
surface. Put cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and bay leaves in the center,
bring up the four corners of the cheesecloth to wrap the spices, and tie
them to form a bag. Crush the bag slightly with a wooden mallet 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
meat 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.
Alternatively, it may be cooked on top of the stove over low heat for 2 to
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, squeeze hard to extract as much juice as
possible, and discard the bag. Add the cooked spinach and garam masala and
blend well, being careful not to break the fragile meat pieces. 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 adequare glaze, stir in a few
tablespoons of oil.
Notes
This dish, just like any other braised dish, tastes better with keeping. It
is particularly good if made a few hours in advance, and allowed to rest at
room temperature before being reheated and served. This dish keeps well in
the refrigerator for up to 2 days and also freezes well. Defrost throughly
before reheating. To reheat, gently simmer over low heat until warmed
through. Before serving, taste for salt, and if necessary, fold in a little
garam masala.
Cooked Spinach
continued in part 2

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