Spinach curry (Palak curry)

Spinach curry is a simple Indian dish made with fresh spinach, onions, spices and herbs. It goes well as a side with Indian breads like roti, butter naan or flavored rice like jeera rice or ghee rice. This Indian palak curry is healthy, easy to make & tastes super delicious. In India, we make spinach curry in many ways just like any other veggie.

So some people just stir fry and then simmer with coconut milk or milk. A lot of people just cook chopped spinach with spices & lentils or legumes. Since palak is mild in flavors it turns out well however it is cooked.

Most of these curries are mildly spiced as we don’t want the flavor of spices to dominate. So this spinach curry is different from the usual Indian curry preparations. This recipe does not use any lentils and is made with pantry staples.

Sometimes I also add sautéed veggies like peas, potatoes and carrots. The curry is mildly spiced to flavor up and is not very hot. So this is kids’ friendly if you skip or reduce the green chilies.

I make this quite often to go with the rotis & my family loves it because it is so aromatic, flavorful & tastes delicious.

In Indian Cuisine we use spinach to make different kinds of dishes. This chana saag is a favorite at home and often I add a handful of the fresh leaves to sambar, stir fry dishes and some times even to make chutney. Here are some you may want to check.

Palak recipes
Spinach Rice
Hara bhara kabab
Spinach omelette
Dal palak
palak paneer

How to make spinach curry

1.Heat oil in a pot and add cumin seeds.

2.When they begin to splutter, add onions and green chilies. Saute them well until the onions turn golden. Then add chopped ginger garlic, salt and turmeric.

3. Saute for 2 minutes to bring out the aroma of ginger garlic. Then add besan (gram flour) and garam masala. If you do not have gram flour then you can use 6 tbsps (¼ cup + 2 tbsps) grated fresh or frozen coconut. If you do not have both then, skip it and use thick coconut milk later as mentioned below.

4.Regulate the flame to low and saute all of these for about 4 to 5 mins without burning. When done you will begin to get a nutty aroma.The raw smell of the gram flour/ besan should disappear completely. If the flour begins to stick to the pot, add a bit more oil and cook covered.

5. Add chopped spinach.

6. Saute again till the leaves wilt completely. Cool this slightly.

7.Pour water to a blender jar and add this mixture. Blend to a smooth or coarse puree to suit your liking. I do it smooth as my kids don’t like the chunky curry.

8. After transfer the puree to the pot along with water. Give a stir and bring it to a boil.

9. Cook it for 3 to 4 mins adding more water if needed. The spinach curry begins to smell flavorful when done. Crush kasuri methi and add it. Turn off when the curry turns slightly thick yet is of pouring consistency. It thickens further after cooling.

Tempering

10. Tempering the spinach curry is very essential. Heat ghee or butter in a small pan. Add red chilies and chopped garlic. Fry until the garlic turns lightly golden. Add hing/ asafoetida and turn off.

Pour this over the palak curry. Give a good mix and cover the bowl. Rest it for a while. This way the flavors of garlic, red chilli and hing will be absorbed well.

The most important step is to squeeze some lemon juice before serving. Serve with hot butter naan, roti, jeera rice or ghee rice.

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