Venison Saag: A Wild Twist on a Classic Dish
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I remember the first time I had saag (and Indian food generally). I was a freshman in college, desperate for any free food, and a lecture I attended ordered takeout from Kabob & Curry, a local Indian restaurant. The aromas were enchanting – one bite of the deep, earthy greens and rich, slow-cooked flavors with the tender lamb changed everything. Years later, I started making my own version, substituting wild game whenever possible. Venison, with its lean, meat-forward flavor turned out to be the perfect stand-in for lamb. This dish is warm, comforting, and an excellent way to introduce people to cooking with wild game beyond the usual chili and burgers. It also comes together pretty quickly and will surely please even picky eaters!
Tips:
- Pair with a cold IPA or a crisp white wine to balance the spices.
- Purchasing fresh spices that you can toast yourself greatly enhances the flavors in this dish. If you can’t find it, a premade garam masala will work well, but still quickly toast it to bring out the flavor.
- If using frozen spinach, thaw and squeeze out excess water before blending.
- This dish benefits from a slow cook—if you have time, let it simmer longer for even richer flavors. If you’d like fully cooked tender venison, reduce and simmer for 30-40 minutes, replenishing broth as needed before adding the spinach.
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Venison Saag: A Wild Twist on a Classic Dish
6
servings30
minutes45
minutesCooking wild game is all about exploring, adapting, and embracing global flavors while honoring the harvest. Venison saag does just that—earthy, comforting, and packed with history, both from the field and the kitchen.
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Ingredients
1.5 lbs venison (shoulder or hindquarter), cubed
2 tbsp ghee or butter or coconut oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp garam masala (cinnamon, nutmeg, peppercorns, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and cardamon pods powdered together)
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cayenne (adjust to taste)
1 cup venison or beef broth
1 cup heavy cream or coconut milk
12 oz spinach (fresh or frozen)
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
- Heat a heavy-bottomed pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add all of the dry spices to the pan, toast for 2-3 minutes until fragrant but not burnt.
- Add 1 tbsp of ghee to the pan and brown the venison cubes in batches, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Set aside, ensure the venison isn’t overcooked during this step.
- Reduce heat to medium and add the remaining ghee. Sauté the onions until they turn golden brown, about 5-7 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic, ginger, cumin, garam masala, coriander, turmeric, and cayenne. Let the spices bloom for about a minute, stirring constantly to avoid burning.
- Pour in the broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Roughly chop the spinach and then add to the broth and stir until completely soft (but not over cooked). Quickly remove from the heat. Puree the spinach-seasoning blend in a mixer and return to pan.
- Return the venison to the pan and cover. Simmer on low for 5 minutes until venison is medium-rare.
- Stir in the spinach purée into the venison mixture along with the heavy cream or coconut milk. Let it cook for another 10-15 minutes on low until the flavors meld.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with basmati rice and warm naan that has been toasted with ghee.
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