Aloo Palak | Spinach and potatoes

Jun 24

This is one my quick recipes which I make , when I have to make a side dish for the unexpected guest or as an addition to other dishes to go with the rotis,naan or parathas or even with rice.

I say guilt free as Iam using the greens spinach liberally and tossing them with the favorite potatoes mildly spiced and all this within 10 minutes if you have the cubed cooked potatoes ready. While potatoes provide starch and carbohydrates , spinach gives the iron and vital minerals. so this is a wholesome dish to go into a school lunch box too. Your kids will not say no to spinach.
Quintessentially a Punjabi dish , now it is a hot favorite in all cuisines and the variations are tremendous.
Here am sticking to my simple fuss free no frills recipe .

Ingredients:

4 small potatoes , peeled cubed and cooked.
2 cups of finely chopped spinach tightly packed.
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds.
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp asafoetida powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder.1 tsp of chopped garlic
1 tsp of grated ginger or alternatively use ginger garlic paste.2 red dry chillies.
salt to taste
1 tsp fenugreek powder/methi seeds will also do.
2 tbsp oil

Method:

Take a broad pan and put the oil and crackle the mustard seeds first.
Add the cumin seeds, red chillies, turmeric powder,ginger garlic paste,asafoetida,fenugreek powder/methi seeds .
Saute a bit till the raw garlic smell disappears , then add the cubed potatoes,and the chopped spinach .Spinach cooks very quickly.
You need to sprinkle little water and make this a dry dish and not too gravy like.
Add the salt and cook for around 8 minutes till the potatoes,spinach and all the spices are combined well to release a fine aroma.
Serve with rice,rotis or naans.

Variation:

Another popular way to make this dish as a gravy is given below.

Make a puree of the spinach with ginger,green chillies, garlic,onion and tomatoes and keep aside.
Cook potatoes and combine with the pureed spinach with other spices, tomatoes,onions and green chillies after the similar tempering of mustard seeds,cumin seeds and red chillies.
Add salt to taste.
Add coriander powder,garam masala powder a tsp of each should do.
Add 1/2 a tsp of sugar along with the spinach puree to retain the green colour of the spinach in the final dish.
When the gravy thickens a bit, you can take it off fro the gas. Add 2 tbsp of fresh cream to get a creamy appearance and subtle rich taste.
This is optional however.
When you plan to make Paalak paneer and then realize you have no cottage cheese, then add the cubed cooked potatoes.
The ingredients are the same. Your family will not mind.
Enjoy!