Saag Gosht (Lamb & Spinach Curry)

To make the saag puree

1. Remove the leaves from the stems of the chard, keep half of the stems and with a knife, chop into small dice.
2. Rinse the leaves under the tap and shake a little. Place them into a large pan and heat over a medium/high heat with a lid on for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. They will wilt and begin to cook.
3. Remove from the pan and place in a large sieve over a bowl. Leave to cool for 10 minutes. After cooling, tip them onto a clean tea towel and gather up everything into a ball. Squeeze out as much liquid as you can.
4. Place the chard ball into a food processor or use an immersion blender to blend into a rough puree. Set aside.

To make the curry

1. Heat a large pan over a moderate heat with the oil. When hot, add the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, star anise, fennel seeds, bay leaves, fenugreek seeds, salt and pepper and let them sizzle for 30 seconds.
2. Add the onion and chard stems and stir fry for 5 minutes until soft and golden.
3. Add the garlic, ginger and chillies and fry for 2 mintutes before adding the tomatoes with 1/4 cup water. Let them cook, stirring until they create a paste, about 3-4 minutes.
4. Now add the cumin powder, coriander, paprika, turmeric and garam masala together with about 1/2 cup of the coconut milk. Let this sizzle and reduce for 3-4 minutes.
5. Add the lamb and stir well to coat everything. Bring to a simmer and turn up the heat to let it cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring regularly to avoid sticking.
6. Pour in the remaining coconut milk, top up the can with water and pour that in too. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low and gently cook the curry for 1 1/2 hours, partially covered. Stir regularly and add a little water if it reduces too much. We’re looking for a rich, creamy sauce if it’s too thin, remove the lid to let it reduce a little.
7. Add the pureed chard leaves along wth the chopped pickles and cook for another 5 minutes, partially covered.
8. Optional step - Add the cream and stir well. simmer for 2-3 minutes.
9. Place the methi kasoori between your palms and rub together to form a powder over the sauce. Stir well and remove from the heat.
10. Serve with fluffy basmati rice or Indian breads like roti, chapati, naan etc.