Saag Gosht Recipe

Winter weekend lunches in my house revolved around a big pot of goat curry. My dad would go to the same shop year after year, and the butcher would keep the best pieces aside for him. This saag gosht showed up often in those months, because fresh greens were only around for that short stretch of the year.

This is my family’s recipe for saag gosht. Goat meat simmered in a gravy made from a mix of winter greens, not just spinach. If you’ve had a version that tasted thin or one-note, it was probably made with palak alone. Keep reading, and I’ll show you why the mix matters.

What Is Saag Gosht?

Saag means “greens” and gosht means “meat” in Hindi. Saag gosht translates to meat (goat or lamb) cooked with greens. It is a North Indian and Pakistani winter delicacy.

In winter, fresh greens flood the markets, and many recipes feature them. Palak paneer, saag paneer, aloo methi sabzi, and sarson ka saag are the most popular ones, and so is this meat curry made with mixed winter greens.

This recipe can be made in a traditional stovetop pressure cooker or an Instant Pot. I am sharing both methods below; choose whichever suits you best.

The saag gosht recipe can be scaled easily, too. If scaling, use a larger Instant Pot or pressure cooker. I made the original recipe in a 3-quart Instant Pot or 3-liter pressure cooker. The pressure cooking time will remain the same.

How To Make Saag Gosht

Marinate The Meat

Step 1: Rinse 750 g of bone-in goat or lamb (cut into 1-½-inch pieces) under cold water and drain well. Add it to a large bowl.

Step 2: Add the following ingredients to the bowl and mix well to coat the pieces with the marinade.

• ½ cup of thick yogurt
• 2 teaspoons ginger-garlic paste
• ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ½ cup of golden fried onion

Step 3: Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. The yogurt and lime juice work on the meat fibers during this time, which is why the meat comes out tender rather than tough later, even with a relatively short simmer.

Make The Green Paste

Step 4: Clean and wash the following green leaves thoroughly under running water.

• 2 cups of spinach (packed)
• 1 cup of fenugreek leaves (packed)
• ½ cup of cilantro (packed)

Heat 5-6 cups of water in a large pot over high heat.

Step 5: When the water comes to a boil, add 2 tablespoons of sugar.

Step 6: Add the washed greens and 2 green chilies to the pot and cook for 2 minutes.

Step 7: Remove the pot from the heat. Drain the water, then run the greens under cold water immediately. This stops the cooking and keeps the color bright, rather than turning the greens an army-green shade. Drain nicely. Transfer the blanched greens to a blender.

Step 8: Blend until smooth. Add a little water while blending the greens, if needed. Set the paste aside.

Make The Curry

In A Stovetop Pressure Cooker

Step 9: Heat 4 tablespoons of mustard oil in a pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the following ingredients and fry for 20 seconds.

• 3-4 cloves
• 3-4 black peppercorns
• 2 black cardamoms
• 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick

Step 10: Add ½ cup of thinly sliced onions and cook until they turn golden brown, stirring frequently (10-12 minutes). Don’t rush this stage, since the onion’s color does most of the flavor-building in this curry.

Step 11: Add the marinated meat and sauté for 3-4 minutes.

Step 12: Now add ½ cup of pureed tomatoes and cook for another minute, stirring occasionally.

Step 13: Add the following spice powders and mix well.

• 2 teaspoons coriander powder
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
• ½ teaspoon cumin powder

Add ¼ cup of water and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Step 14: Now add 1 cup of water and close the cooker lid.

Step 15: Pressure cook for 1 whistle on high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 25 minutes.

Step 16: Remove the cooker from the heat and let the pressure release naturally. Open the lid. Add the green paste and ¼ cup of chopped dill leaves, then cook for 3-4 more minutes over medium heat.

Step 17: Add 2 tablespoons of ghee and mix well.

Step 18: Remove the cooker from the heat.

In An Instant Pot

Press SAUTE and follow the same steps above through adding the water and closing the lid. Set the valve to sealing, cancel sauté mode, then select PRESSURE COOK on high for 25 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then manually release the remaining pressure and open the lid. Press SAUTE again, stir in the green paste and dill, and cook for 3–4 minutes. Add the ghee, mix well, and cancel.

Tempering (Optional)

Step 19: Heat 2 tablespoons of ghee in a pan over medium-high heat. Once the ghee is hot, add the following ingredients and let them crackle for 6-8 seconds.

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2-3 whole dry red chilies
• 2 tablespoons julienned ginger

Step 20: Pour the tempering over the curry and mix well.

Step 21: Check for salt and add more if needed. Transfer the curry to the serving bowl and garnish with fried onions. Serve hot!

Serving Suggestions

Saag gosht pairs best with makki ki roti or khamiri roti, along with sliced onions on the side, for a comforting winter meal.

You can serve this delicious curry with other Indian breads such as phulka, plain tawa paratha, lachha paratha, butter naan, or tandoori roti.

It also tastes great with steamed rice, jeera rice, or lightly spiced pulao.

Storage Suggestions

Saag gosht is best eaten fresh, within a day or two of making it, when the greens are at their brightest.

Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for 4–5 days, and the flavor actually deepens as it sits.

When you’re ready to eat it again, reheat gently in a pan over low heat rather than the microwave, since a low, slow reheat keeps the gravy from separating. Add a splash of hot water if it’s thickened up in the fridge, which it usually will.

For longer storage, let the curry cool completely, then freeze it in a freezer-safe container for up to a month; thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.