Palak Dal Gosht or Meat cooked in lentil and spinach curry.

Today, I am sharing  a Pakistani or North Indian cuisine, Palak dal Gosht..Its a meat cooked in lentil and spinach curry.. Mutton is prepared mostly made in this dish...Its definitely a healthy curry as  spinach is rich in iron and lentils is rich in protein, so when it combines with meat its a excellent combination..North Indian or Pakistani's used to cook curry with meat combined with vegetables and lentils.. Another example is  Murg Chole ( Chickpeas curry combined with chicken)...South Indian don't cook curry with lentils and meat together...Believe me, its tasty..Pakistani cuisine is somewhat similar to indian cooking..But their spice level is mild..I ate this curry in one of the pakistani restaurant in sharjah,during my school days...we all feel love with this curry and  ate it with the combination of Pakistani traditional bread,'tandoor roti'..My mom used to make this curry before...Her curry is somewhat similar to restaurant style,we love her curry too..Instead of mutton, you can replace it with chicken..Vegetarians can avoid mutton..Curry tastes delicious without adding meat too...I am sharing my mom's version of making this curry,but I slightly altered according to my taste...Here goes the recipe :) :)

Ingredients:

• Mutton ( with or without bone) - 300 gm
• Palak leaves ( Spinach ) - 6 to 7 leaves
• Bengal gram dal ( kadala paripp)- 1 cup
• Fennel seeds ( perumjeerakam) - 1 tsp
• Bay leaf (Vazhana ila ) - 1
• Cinnamon ( karuvapatta) - 1/2 ''
• Cloves ( grambu ) - 2 to 3 no.s
• Large onion, sliced - 2
• Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 1/2 tbsp
• Green chillies,slit - 2 no.s
• Large tomato,sliced - 1
• Chopped coriander leaves - 1 tbsp
• Coriander powder - 1 1/2 tbsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Kashmiri chilli powder - 1 tbsp
• Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
• kasoori methi - 1/2 tsp ( optional )
• Salt - to taste

Method

• Wash the palak leaves thoroughly with couplets of water and remove the stem. Boil the palak leaves with enough water for few mins. Drain and chop the palak leaves.

• In a pressure cooker, add oil and add fennel seeds and let it crackle.

• Add bay leaves,cinnamon and cloves and saute for few secs.

• Add sliced onions with salt and saute till light brown.

• Add ginger-garlic paste and saute for few secs.

• Add chopped tomato and saute till mushy.

• Add chopped coriander leaves and add all the spice powders from " coriander powder' till " Garam masala powder' and saute till raw smell disappears.

• Finally add washed bengal split lentils ( no need to soak) and cleaned mutton pieces and mix well.

• Add kasuri methi ( optional ) and saute. 

• Add about  l to 1 1/2 cup of water and close the lid of pressure cooker. Cook for 6 to 7 whistles till both lentils and mutton are cooked.

• When pressure releases, open the lid and add chopped palak leaves and mix well. Taste and adjust salt.

• If the gravy becomes too watery, add 1 tsp rice flour or corn flour to thicken it..

• Sprinkle some garam masala powder and kasoori methi . Garnish it with chopped coriander leaves.

• Its a excellent combination for chappati,dosas,poori etc.