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January 29, 2018 By Yang 20 Comments

Nourishing Lamb and Spinach Curry: Food for Winter

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A flavourful and nourishing lamb and spinach curry that’s allergy-friendly (dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free), whole 30 and paleo compliant if you choose to pair with a grain-free alternative. I also chat about eating the right foods for the right season.

Overhead shot of the lamb and spinach curry in a bowl.

Lamb is a warming and nourishing food perfect for the winter time, so are the warming spices in curry. When the snow is falling outside, our body naturally long for foods that provide us the extra heat and energy.

Notes on Lamb and Spinach Curry Spices

Curry is a great way to consume many anti-inflammatory and healing spices. I used a good amount of them in this lamb and spinach curry recipe, such as turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, etc. A few points to note:

  • Turmeric: To maximize the benefits of turmeric, eat it with black pepper and fat. This lamb and spinach curry is a great example to take full advantage of the turmeric/curcumin. I also discussed this about turmeric in my turmeric sauerkraut recipe.
  • Cinnamon: In my orange cranberry coconut scones recipe I talked about the differences between Ceylon vs. Cassia cinnamon and why we should opt for Ceylon cinnamon given the choices.
  • Ginger: Ginger is so readily available and inexpensive that you can afford to use freshly grated instead of ground ginger in this lamb and spinach curry. Store the extra ginger roots in the freezer to ensure what you can’t use up will not go bad and go to waste. Try this ginger-mustard-miso brussels sprouts or this ginger orange pickled daikon.

Lamb and spinach curry served over brown rice, and garnished with fresh lime.

Choosing the Right Foods for Winter

We are in January right now, and I see a lot of people around me doing healthy eating challenges after the big holiday season. A lot of recipes popping up for salads, juicing and detox; and others focusing heavily on sticking to a specific dietary protocol but lacking attention to the selection of ingredients. 

I am fully supportive of incorporating these detox foods into a healthy diet. However, in the middle of January (in fact all the way from autumn to winter), the primary focus should be warming and deeply nourishing foods.

I know all you earthy and crunchy mamas would agree with me on connecting our eating habits to seasonal changes. You probably have felt that in the summer you long for the cooling cucumbers and watermelons, juices and salads and in the winter time stews, soups and red meats. Other than satisfying our innate desire, such food choices also contribute to keeping our health in balance.

Given my Asian background, I would be talking about Eastern medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine is what I have been exposed to the most, but I believe in Ayurvedic medicine there are also similar theories. There are many environmental elements that could lead to illnesses, such as “heat”, “cold”, “wind”, “dampness”, “dryness” – I will have to write a separate post in the future to share more details, for now, let’s only talk about “cold” as the the biggest characteristic of winter.

A balanced health (in all aspects) is key to prevent illnesses. To keep our inner system in balance, eating warming foods in the winter can help us negate the effects of external 'cold'.Click To Tweet

 

A balanced health (in all aspects) is key to prevent illnesses. To keep our inner system in balance, eating warming foods in the winter can help us negate the effects of external “cold”. Warming foods include not just foods warm in temperature, but also foods that have warming effects on us.

Chinese medicine has existed since long before science advanced to the point to analyze micronutrients in each food. In the TCM system, food ingredients are traditionally described in terms of their various effects on us. At this point, I don’t have a central English resource to point you to for the entire food list. However, based on traditional wisdom, Lamb is a top warming and nourishing food choice for the coldest and snowy time of the year.

I live in Canada and I love my lamb and spinach curry in the many months of the never-ending winter. If you live in a no-snow zone or doesn’t have winter at all, keep in mind to adjust your food choices accordingly for your local climate.

Related: More Nourishing Recipes for Cold Weather:

  • Instant Pot Beef Brisket Stew with Daikon Radish
  • Instant Pot Beef Bone Broth
  • Chinese Herbal Healing Oxtail Soup
  • Turkey Quinoa Pumpkin Soup (with a Bone Broth Base)
  • Immune-Boosting Chicken Broth Seaweed Egg Drop Soup
  • PMS Relief Herbal Chicken Soup (四物汤)
  • Cozy Winter Meatball Soup (GAPS, Paleo, Whole 30)
  • Ginseng Chicken Soup: The Ultimate Nourishing Soup for Energy, Brain Function and Immune Support
  • Loaded Vegan Curry Lentil Soup /w Winter Vegetables

lamb and spinach curry in a bowl

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Lamb and spinach curry served over brown rice, and garnished with fresh lime.

Nourishing Lamb and Spinach Curry

A flavourful and nourishing lamb and spinach curry that's allergy-friendly (dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free), whole 30 and paleo compliant if you choose to pair with rice and bread alternatives.
5 from 17 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: International
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 423kcal
Author: Yang

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup ghee or coconut oil
  • 1 medium onion, finely diced, approx 1.5 cup
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
  • 1 tbsp turmeric, powder or fresh
  • 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
  • 2 tsp organic ceylon cinnamon powder
  • 2 tsp sweet paprika
  • 2 lb boneless lamb shoulder, cubed
  • 28 ounce diced tomatos (two 398ml cans or one 796ml can)
  • 1 cup water
  • 6 tbsp sultana raisins
  • 1 tbsp sea salt (or to taste)
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • 300 g spinach leaves

Instructions

  • Heat the ghee or coconut oil in a large pan and add onions, garlic, ginger, turmeric, nutmeg, cinnamon and paprika. Stir-fry for a few minutes until the aromatics and spices are fragrant.Ā 
  • Add the lamb pieces to the pan and stir to brown the lamb.Ā 
  • Add the diced tomatoes, water, raisins, salt and pepper to the pan. Stir and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to let it simmer for 1.5 hour. 
  • Add the spinach leaves to the pan. Cook for a few more minutes until all the spinach are wilted and tender. 
  • Taste the lamb and spinach curry. Add more salt if required. Remove from heat and serve. 

Nutrition

Calories: 423kcal
Tried this recipe?Tag me @YangsNourishingKitchen on Instagram!


Nourishing Lamb and Spinach Curry: Food for Winter
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Yang’s Nourishing Kitchen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliated sites.Ā I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog. For more information, see the full disclosure.

Filed Under: Featured Recipes, Meat & Fish, Recipe Card, Recipes, Winter Tagged With: dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free, paleo, whole 30

About Yang

I found cure naturally for my incurable fibromyalgia. I believe you too can heal from ailments by listening to your own body. Let me show you how to use traditional wisdom to heal and use food as medicine. Read More…

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tatiana says

    February 5, 2018 at 2:18 am

    Gorgeous photos and my favorite lamb! I would love to try it as soon as i will go to Costco next time to buy meat!

    Reply
  2. Leslie-Anne says

    February 4, 2018 at 7:36 pm

    I’m a huge lamb curry fan! I’ve never put raisins in mine though, so I’ll have to try this next time!

    Reply
  3. Danielle says

    February 4, 2018 at 6:35 pm

    My husband loves lamb, but I’ve never cooked it before. This looks like the perfect recipe for my first try!

    Reply
  4. Christina Shoemaker says

    February 3, 2018 at 7:03 pm

    What a lovely dish on a Winter evening! Looks beautiful and sounds totally delicious!

    Reply
  5. Mira says

    February 3, 2018 at 1:43 am

    Omg this looks like heaven! My boyfriend’s favourite food is curry! Going to make this for him!!

    Reply
  6. Katie Mae @ Nourishing Simplicity says

    February 2, 2018 at 12:13 am

    I have never been a lamb fan but this could very well win me over! The flavors sound amazing!

    Reply
  7. Easy Prep Ahead Meal Plans @ 20 Dishes says

    January 31, 2018 at 7:33 am

    This is a top notch receipe. I can not wait to make this, looks very satisfying.

    Reply
  8. Carrie | Clean Eating Kitchen says

    January 30, 2018 at 11:11 am

    I am a huge curry fan! This looks like its packed full of flavor and nutritious too!

    Reply
  9. Cynthia | What A Girl Eats says

    January 29, 2018 at 10:09 pm

    I love Indian food so this curry would be right up my alley. The fact that it’s Whole30 as well is a bonus!

    Reply
  10. Emily @ Recipes to Nourish says

    January 29, 2018 at 9:55 pm

    LOVE these flavors and the addition of the raisins!!! So yummy and beautiful too.

    Reply
    • Yang says

      January 29, 2018 at 10:42 pm

      Thank you Emily! I think the raisins stole the show šŸ™‚

      Reply
  11. linda spiker says

    January 29, 2018 at 7:58 pm

    This looks fantastic! Pinned to my W30 board!

    Reply
  12. Monique says

    January 29, 2018 at 6:19 pm

    I am looking forward to reading more of your posts on Chinese medicine Yang! Eating according to the season and stimulating warmth in the body when it’s cold outside is very important. This curry looks incredible, lamb is one of my favourite meats!

    Reply
    • Yang says

      January 29, 2018 at 10:41 pm

      Thank you so much Monique! Lamb is SOOO my favourite meat too. I have to intentionally limit how much lamb I eat during the warm months – that’s how much I love it šŸ™‚ I can’t wait to share more on Chinese medicine, it really has helped me to understand how to regulate my health by foods to work with the change in nature.

      Reply
  13. Yvonne says

    January 29, 2018 at 4:39 pm

    This recipe looks so incredible with all those warming spices. I follow a keto diet so this would probably be too high in carbs for me but maybe if I omitted the raisins? If it does need a touch of sweetness to balance out the flavors, do you think a touch of keto compliant monkfruit would work?

    Reply
    • Yang says

      January 29, 2018 at 10:27 pm

      Based on my understanding the only ingredient not Keto here is the raisins. I think the recipe would be ok without raisins, but definitely better with for the reason you stated – balanced flavour! Is it a kind of monkfruit extract/powder you are talking about? I would guess it is ok. Monkfruit is actually a very popular Chinese herb that we use whole in soups and medicines for coughs. I haven’t used the extract as sugar replacement, but considering how sweet it is, it makes sense people use it as sweetener. I do wonder if the extract/powder that’s processed still contain any of the medicinal properties.

      Reply
  14. Jean says

    January 29, 2018 at 1:12 pm

    I love lamb dishes and this looks so comforting and delicious!

    Reply
  15. Joni Gomes says

    January 29, 2018 at 11:36 am

    This looks like pure comfort food!!

    Reply
  16. Megan Stevens says

    January 29, 2018 at 11:31 am

    I can’t imagine a dinner I’d rather eat. I so love lamb stew. This looks amazing, and curry is my favorite! What a prize, and thanks for all your nutritional insights. šŸ™‚

    Reply
  17. Tessa says

    January 29, 2018 at 10:52 am

    Oh my. this looks amazing!! I bet this would be good with beef too!! Yum!

    Reply

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Here you will find many nourishing recipes and natural remedies at Yang's Nourishing Kitchen.

Born and raised in China, now living in Canada for the past 20+ years, Yang shares time-tested traditional wisdom from the east to the west, through nutrient-dense real food recipes.

Having healed herself successfully from illness labeled incurable, Yang uses her knowledge and experience to help others to achieve balance and well-being. Read More…

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