Hot and Sweet Pepper Curry Sauce with Chicken, Lamb or Beef

3 tablespoons vegetable, grapeseed or peanut oil 1 tablespoon ground coriander, a palmful 1 tablespoon ground cumin or cumin seed, a palmful 2 teaspoons turmeric, 2/3 palmful 2 cardamom pods, split, or 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced or chopped 2 sweet red bell peppers, seeded and chopped 2 hot chile peppers, such as Fresno chiles, sliced One 1-inch piece ginger root, grated 1 onion, finely chopped Salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 cups passata or tomato sauce 1 cup chicken stock 1/2 cup mango chutney, such as Patak brand Major Grey's 1 large fresh bay leaf 1 small cinnamon stick One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken, boneless leg of lamb or beef sirloin, cubed into bite-size pieces 2 limes, juiced 1 teaspoon sweet paprika 12 ounces farm spinach (bundles), stemmed and cleaned, coarsely chopped