A fragrant curry made with lamb, onion, ginger, garlic, cumin, garam masala, turmeric, chopped tomatoes, coconut milk and spinach. Creamy and flavoursome, it's quick to prepare and pop in the oven. Ideal for any night of the week.
I love a tasty curry and this take on a Lamb Saagwala is definitely up there with one of the best. I used lamb, but for a more cost-effective meal, it could also be swapped out with casserole or gravy beef.
If you enjoy this Lamb and Spinach Curry, check out my Favourite Curry Dinners. There are so many options, from chicken to beef, pork and vegetarian. Yum!
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Ingredient notes:
- Spinach: It's the baby leaf spinach that gives this curry a gorgeous green colour.
- Spices: The cumin, turmeric and garam masala creates a wonderful, fragrant taste and smell.
- Garlic and Ginger: I used the pre-packaged garlic and ginger, but you could use fresh as well.
Note: Scroll to the recipe card for the ingredients, quantities and the full method.
Step by step instructions:
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan bake. Place a cast iron dish on a medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes until soft.
Add the diced lamb and brown for 5 minutes, then add the ginger, garlic, cumin, garam masala, turmeric and salt then stir through.
Dissolve the beef stock cube in the boiling water then add to the pan. Add the canned tomatoes and half the can of coconut milk. Stir to combine then carefully place in the oven. Cook for 50 minutes until the lamb is tender.
While the lamb is cooking, place the remaining coconut milk in a blender. Add half of the spinach and blend until smooth. Add the remaining spinach and blend again until it is all liquid.
Remove the lamb from the oven and pour in the blended spinach. Mix to combine then return to the oven for a further 20 minutes.
Serve the lamb and spinach curry with freshly cooked rice, roti and a garnish of coriander.
Recipe FAQs:
Absolutely. There's nothing in this curry that makes it 'spicy hot'.
Yes, this is a delicious gluten-free curry.
Definitely. It's a great meal to make in a big batch to freeze some for another time.
Storage:
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in the oven/stovetop/microwave until piping hot.
Lamb and Spinach Curry can also be frozen. Store in an airtight container or freezer bag in the freezer for up three months. Defrost completely before reheating.
Top tips:
The lamb can be swapped for pieces of casserole or gravy beef.
This recipe can be doubled and cooked in a larger dish, perfect for freezing leftovers.
Related Recipes:
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Lamb and Spinach Curry
A fragrant curry made with lamb, onion, ginger, garlic, cumin, garam masala, turmeric, chopped tomatoes, coconut milk and spinach.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 500g diced lamb
- 1 tsp crushed ginger
- 1 tsp crushed garlic
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 beef stock cube
- 1 cup boiling water
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 400ml can coconut milk
- 250g baby spinach leaves
To serve
- Rice
- Roti
- Fresh coriander
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan bake.
- Place a cast iron dish on a medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes until soft.
- Add the diced lamb and brown for 5 minutes, then add the ginger, garlic, cumin, garam masala, turmeric and salt then stir through.
- Dissolve the beef stock cube in the boiling water then add to the pan.
- Add the canned tomatoes and half the can of coconut milk. Stir to combine then carefully place in the oven. Cook for 50 minutes until the lamb is tender.
- While the lamb is cooking, place the remaining coconut milk in a blender. Add half of the spinach and blend until smooth. Add the remaining spinach and blend again until it is all liquid.
- Remove the lamb from the oven and pour in the blended spinach. Mix to combine then return to the oven for a further 20 minutes.
- Serve the lamb and spinach curry with freshly cooked rice, roti and a garnish of coriander.
Notes
- The lamb can be swapped for pieces of casserole or gravy beef.
- This recipe can be doubled and cooked in a larger dish, perfect for freezing leftovers.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 485Total Fat: 35gSaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 398mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 26g
Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.
Thank you for checking out this recipe. I hope you enjoy making and eating it! If you have any questions, queries or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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Vanya
Jacqui Vos
Hi VJ
Just a quick question?? When doubling the recipe, do you double ALL the ingredients, including the spices?
Thanks heaps
VJ cooks
I've doubled everything when making a double recipe. But if you're worried about the level of spice you could do 1.5 times for the spices.
Sabine
Hi VJ,
Rather than banging it in the oven, could you cook in on a low simmer on stovetop?
Cheers
Sabine
VJ cooks
Cooking this curry in the oven helps to soften the lamb so that it becomes super tender. It would take significantly longer to achieve the same thing on the stove top.
Megan
Just wondering how long would it take to do this is in the slow cooker instead? Would I follow the same process? Thanks!
VJ cooks
Hi Megan, you would follow the same steps up until baking it in the oven (at which point you would need to transfer to a crock pot). Cook on high for 4 hours. Then add the spinach and cook on high for another hour.
Renae
Is it meant to be runny or thick? Mine is runny everytime.
VJ cooks
Mine is always pretty thick, like the pictures. When you cook it in the oven it should be uncovered, this helps to reduce the sauce.
Cushla
This is so good. We don’t have a casserole dish so I used the pressure cooker. 15 minutes on high for first part of the cook and then sauté on low for the second 20 minutes uncovered. Going to add just a little kick of heat next time!
VJ cooks
Oh that's really good to know - thank you for the information! Yes, I deliberately keep my curries on the mild side so that they are family friendly. But by all means add as much spice as you like!
courteney
Hello can i use a normal pan for the first part and a casserole dish for the oven or do I need to buy a cast iron? thankyou 🙂
VJ cooks
Hi Courteney, yes you can absolutely cook it in a regular pan then transfer it to a oven proof dish. Just be really careful with the hot liquid.