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8 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 pounds boneless meat from shoulder of lamb, cut into 1-inch cubes (or shank, neck, or leg—see proportions)

1 cinnamon stick, 3 inches long

1 whole cloves

7 whole cardamom pods

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons ground coriander

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 medium-sized canned tomato, chopped

2 tablespoons plain yogurt

1½ teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon garam masala

In a large pot, bring about 5 quarts of water to boil.

Meanwhile, trim and wash the fresh spinach thoroughly in cold water. Make sure you get all the sand out.

Drop the spinach in the boiling water, a pound batch at a time, and let it boil until the leaves wilt. You may need to push it down occasionally. As each batch wilts, scoop it out into a colander and run cold water over it. (If you are using frozen spinach, cook according to directions and drain.) When all the spinach is done, squeeze out most of the water and mince it. Keep aside in bowl.

Place the chopped onions, chopped ginger, garlic, green chili, and 5 tablespoons of water in the blender container and blend at high speed until you have a smooth paste (about 1 minute).

Heat the oil in a 4-5-quart heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Pat dry the cubes of meat thoroughly on paper towels. Put 7 or 8 pieces at a time into the hot oil and brown them on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Put the cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom pods, and bay leaves in the same hot oil. Stir. When the bay leaves begin to darken (10 to 20 seconds), add the paste from the blender (keep face averted). Keep stirring and frying for 10 minutes until the mixture darkens (if it sticks to the bottom, sprinkle a teaspoon of water at a time, and keep frying).

Now lower the flame and, continuing to stir and fry constantly, add at intervals first the coriander, cumin, and turmeric, 2 minutes later the chopped tomato, then about 5 minutes later the yogurt, and finally 2 minutes later the browned meat cubes. When meat and spices are well mixed put in the spinach. Add salt, bring to a boil, then cover and lower the heat to allow the mixture to simmer gently for 50 minutes. (Most meat gives out enough water for it to cook in its own juice, as it were. If you find that the meat is sticking, you can add up to ½ cup of warm water.) Stir occasionally as it cooks.

At the end of the cooking time, uncover, increase heat, and cook rapidly until most of the liquid evaporates, leaving a thick sauce. Put in the garam masala and stir gently, being careful not to break meat pieces.

To serve: Place in warm dish and serve with chapatis, Potatoes with Asafetida and Cumin and Yogurt with Roasted Eggplant. Or you could serve it with plain boiled rice, any lentils, and a cauliflower dish if you like.

Sindhi gosht (Sindhi meat)

SERVES 6

This is a marvelous dish from Sindh, a state on the western coast of India. I first encountered it at a friend’s house in Bombay, and insisted on leaving with the recipe in my pocket.

The meat (lamb) is marinated for 3 to 4 hours in a paste of onions, garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, turmeric, red pepper, salt, pepper, and vinegar. It is then cooked in this marinade, with the addition of onion and fennel seeds.

2½ pounds boneless meat from lamb shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes (or shank, neck, or leg—see proportions)

2 medium-sized onions, peeled and coarsely chopped

A piece of fresh ginger, 2 inches long and 1 inch wide, coarsely chopped

6 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon ground coriander

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

⅛–½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional; use desired amount)

½ cup red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons whole fennel seeds

1 teaspoon whole black onion seeds (kalonji), if available

5 tablespoons vegetable oil

Remove fat and tissue from the cubes of meat.

In the container of an electric blender, place the chopped onions, ginger, garlic, coriander, cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper (if used), vinegar, and salt. Blend at high speed until you have a smooth