Kheema Saag is a delicious dry Indian Curry that is very easy to make and pairs mincemeat and greens and a richly aromatic blend of spices.
In Indian cuisine, ‘Kheema Saag’ is a delicious and aromatically spiced dish combining minced meat with some sort of greens. The minced meat (Kheema) is often Lamb, or Goat, while the ‘Saag’ is commonly Spinach. In the version you see pictured above, I am using the fairly standard Spinach, but using Beef as the mincemeat. The spice blend is a little complex, but the dish is otherwise very easy to prepare.
Ingredient Notes
You may use my recipe for Chili-Ginger-Garlic Paste called for in the Recipe Card below, or, if you do not want to pre-make a whole batch of this, you can simply mix together a tablespoon each of store bought Chili Paste, Garlic Paste, and Ginger Paste.
The Method
First, separately toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a dry pan over medium heat. Grind the coriander seeds and mix them with the Cayenne pepper and Turmeric.
Brown the minced meat in a sauté pan and then drain off the excess fat. Add the Cumin seed, Tomato paste and the Chili-Ginger-Garlic paste and stir well until incorporated and cooked through. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
Heat a few tablespoons of oil in the pan and add the onion. Sauté until it is soft and then add the dry spice blend.
Stir until the aroma is released and then add the spinach leaves and a few tablespoons of water to make some steam.
As soon as the spinach is nicely green and beginning to wilt, add the meat mix back into the pan and stir well. Finally, add the cream and a half-cup or so of water. Continue to cook over medium heat until everything is heated through and the liquid is almost entirely absorbed.
At this point, you can serve immediately but this is a dish that improves very nicely if you allow it to cool and then reheat for later service.
Above you can see one serving of Kheema Saag accompanied by Roti, some other simple side dishes, and a pickle as a Thali meal.
Your Recipe Card:
Kheema Saag
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Ground Beef
- 1 package Baby Spinach
- 1 small Onion finely chopped
- ½ cup Cream
- 3 tbsp. Tomato paste
- 3 tbsp. Chili-Ginger-Garlic Paste
- 1 tbsp. Cumin Seed
- 1 ½ tbsp. Coriander Seed
- 1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
- 2 tbsp. Turmeric
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 1 tsp. ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- Toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a dry pan, then grind them together and mix them with the Cayenne pepper and Turmeric.
- Brown the minced meat in a sauté pan and then drain off the excess fat.
- Add the Cumin seed, Tomato paste and the Chili-Ginger-Garlic paste and stir well until incorporated and cooked through. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
- Fry the onion in a little oil until soft and then add the dry spice blend. Stir until the aroma is released and then add the spinach leaves and a few tablespoons of water to make some steam.
- When the Spinach is wilted, add the meat mix back into the pan along with the cream and a half-cup or so of water.
- Continue to cook over medium heat until the liquid is almost entirely absorbed.
- Serve immediately, or chill overnight to let the flavors meld and reheat for service the next day.