2018 KEEN HOME COOK FINALIST: GAURAV SEKHRI

Lamb Saag.

It’s a classic Indian home cooking dish of lamb saag brought right up to date. Its everything I like in food and cooking and totally my style. The flavours all bounce of each other and its super satisfying to eat - it’s delicious.

Ingredients

For the Saag

• 4 large bunches of spinach leaves

• 1 onion finely chopped

• 2 clove garlic minced

• 2 tbsp. minced ginger

• 1 tomato chopped

• whole garam masala (1 cinnamon stick, 3 cloves, 3 cardamom pods)

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• 1 tbsp. kashmiri chilli powder

• 1 tbsp. fenugreek leaves

• 1 green chillies, chopped

• 1-2 tbsp. cream

• sea salt

• 1 tbsp. butter

For the Rack of Lamb

• 1 rack of lamb Marinade

• 3-4 tbsp. greek style yogurt

• 1.5 tbsp. lemon juice

• 3 garlic cloves grated/paste

• Ginger thumb sized piece grated/paste

• 1tsp gram flour

• 2 tsp sunflower oil

• 2 tsp sesame seeds

• 1 tsp tomato puree

• 1tsp fennel seeds

• 1 green finger chilli finely chopped

• 1/2 tsp kashmiri chili powder

• 1tsp garam masala

• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

For the lamb curry gravy

• 1kg lamb bones

• 2 tbsp. sunflower oil

• 1 cinnamon stick 5cm long

• 10 black peppercorns

• 5 cardamom pods

• 5 cloves

• 1 Indian bay leaf

• 4 garlic cloves

• 2 onions

• chopped ginger- thumb sized piece

• 1 tbsp. ground coriander

• 1 tbsp. ground cumin

• 2 tomatoes fresh chopped

• 1 tbsp. tomato puree

• 1 lts lamb stock, (chicken stock is ok)

• 1/2 tsp garam masa squeeze

• lemon salt 

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​Method

For the Saag:

1. Fill a large pot with water until 3/4 full and bring to the boil.

2. Wash the baby spinach and blanch it in the water for 2 minutes, then drain and refresh under cold running water.

3. Drain again, then purée the spinach in a blender and set aside until required Create masala spice mix, fry onions till brown.

4. Add garlic, ginger then continue to cook till raw smell and flavour dissipates.

5. Add chilli powder, cumin, coriander and garam masala cook off for 2 minutes.

6. Add tomatoes and continue to cook down until a paste forms, the oils should start to separate a little.

7. Add the spinach to spice nasal mix then cook for 2 minutes - not too long to make sure the bright green colour is retained.

8. Taste for salt and seasoning, add cream and butter.

9. Transfer to food processor and blitz to incorporate all ingredients. The mixture should remember a fine smooth puree. 

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For the rack of Lamb:

1. Mix all marinade ingredients together

2. Add rack of lamb leave to marinade for at least 30 minutes, overnight if possible. No longer than 24 hours.

3. Preheat oven to 200C

4. Cook rack of lamb in heavy based pan searing on all sides for 5 minutes put into the oven for further five minutes for medium rare. Leave to rest for at least 10 minutes. 

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For the lamb gravy:

1. Roast lamb bones for 30 mins

2. Heat oil, fry off whole spices and bay leaves.

3. Add onions, cook for 5-10 mins till soft and growing.

4. Add garlic and ginger, cook till mixture is browned but not burning, needs to be caramelised

5. Add roasted lamb bones

6. Add tomato, puree

7. Add stock and cook down and reduce till the mixture is the desired texture and thickness for around 30 mins.

8. Hassleback potato & Roasted marinated shallot small/medium potato ghee salt 1 shallot lemon juice chopped coriander

9. Using a wooden spoon as guidance cut very fine slits along top of the potato preheat oven to 200C using heavy based pan heat up ghee.

10. Salt potato put slit side down cook for 20 minutes till potato is cooked through and slits are crispy.

11. In the same pan cut shallot in half lengthways roast alongside potato remove shallot and dress with lemon juice and chopped coriander.

12. To arrange add well-presented smear of saag puree 2-3 tablespoons

13. Cut lamb chops in 2 pieces with 3 chops per person.

14. Arrange lamb on the spinach puree drizzle lamb curry gravy around the dish.

15. Arrange hassleback potato and shallot.

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