Zaiqa

I haven’t been a big fan of Spinach, either in salad or as curries since childhood, and my hubby also somehow falls into the same category. But because of its high nutrient value especially in the Iron content, I make it a point to regularly prepare and serve spinach in different forms each time. Out of all those, this curry is most loved by everyone in my house and gets finished in a jiffy. So, I thought of sharing it here with you all.

Palak Murgh – Chicken with Spinach curry

It is a simple curry which can be prepared very quickly and I love to enjoy it with Parathas, but I also sometimes, like today, like to have it with Basmati Chawal and Khatti Dal. Spinach is very good for health, especially for anaemic girls, and it combination with boneless breast pieces of Chicken makes it all the more nutritious.

Well, Speaking of Girls. I recently watched the movie ‘Chak De‘ with my miya and I enjoyed every bit of it. It is very beautifully directed, and I never felt bored for a single minute. For all those of you who haven’t yet seen that movie, go watch it!

Here goes the Recipe, Enjoy.

Palak Murgh – Chicken With Spinach curry

Ingredients:

Boneless Chicken Pieces – 250 gms, cut into 2 cm cubes (you can also use chicken meat with bone)
Black Cumin Seeds – 1/2 tsp
Dried Red chillies – 2, eacg split in half and seeds shaken out
Fresh or Frozen Chopped Spinach – 300 gms
Onions – 1, large, thinly sliced
Garam Masala – 1 tsp
Red chilli powder – 1 /4 tsp
Salt – 2 tsp
Turmeric – 1/2 tsp
Tomato Paste – 1 tbsp
Canola Oil – 1 tbsp
Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 1/3 tsp

Method:

Pour oil into a heavy bottomed pan at medium heat and throw in the black cumin seeds and the dried red chillies. Once they start to splutter, add the sliced onions and stir fry until lightly browned. Add the ginger-garlic paste and mix well. Fry for 3 more minutes. Now add the chicken pieces and stir fry them gently until opaque and no longer pink. Add the frozen spinach and a cup of water and close the lid. Let it cook on low heat for 5 minutes. Later, open the lid and add the garam masala, red chilli powder, salt, turmeric. Mix well. Drop in the tomato paste and mix well (you can also add 1 large chopped red tomato instead of the paste). Pour in another cup of water and let it cook for another 8 minutes, stirring it occasionally. Once the chicken is done, and you get the consistency you like, remove from heat and serve hot immediately.

Suggested Accompaniments: We savor this dish along with Rotis or Basmati Chawal and Khatti Dal for a meal.

Luv,
Mona

As usual, today I was scanning the refrigerator for ingredients to prepare a curry for the lunch. I found some frozen spinach and paneer in the deep freezer. Palak Paneer is what striked my mind and I immediately began to work my way to prepare it.

This is great with Parathas, or even along with rice. This dish can be found on the menu of most North Indian restaurants all over the world. Here, I have used Frozen spinach for my convenience, you can substitute it with equal amount of fresh spinach.

Ingredients:

• Frozen/Fresh Chopped Spinach – 500 gms
• Yellow Onion – 1, large, chopped
• Tomato – 2, large, chopped
• Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tbs
• Canola Oil – 4 tbsp
• Green Chilli – 1 tsp, chopped
• Garam masala – 1 tsp
• Salt – 2 tsp
• Red chilli flakes – 1/2 tsp
• Paneer/Cottage cheese – 250 gms, cubed
• Canola Oil for frying paneer
• Light Cream -2 tbsp

Method:

• In a pan, add a tablespoon of oil and fry the onions till very light brown.
• Add ginger-garlic paste, and green chilli paste and give it a good stir.
• After 3 minutes add, the chopped tomatoes and the spinach.
• Cover the lid of the pan and let it cook on simmer until the spinach is soft and pasty. Add a little water if needed to make the spinach soft and mushy.
• Cool and grind the above spinach mixture to a paste.
• Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan and deep fry the cubed paneer/cottage cheese till light browned on all sides. Remove the paneer from the oil into a bowl and keep aside.
• In a another pan pour the remaining oil and add cumin seeds, let them splutter.
• Now add the grinded paste of spinach to the pan, sprinkle in the garam masala and salt. Reduce heat and stir well.
• Add the paneer pieces and gentlymix them into the spinach paste.
• Simmer for 2-3 minutes, and take the pan off the heat. The paneer will soften in the heat.
• Serve hot, swirled with the cream.

Luv,
Mona

I had learned this recipe during my college days in Hyderabad. I had found it very unique and delicious. I treasure this recipe. Its easy, simple and gets ready quite quickly. Enjoy the poori’s with Rajma curry and you will never forget this dish for its good taste. Enjoy.

Palak Poori – Unleavened Fried Indian Puffed Spinach Bread

Makes approx 15 Pooris

Ingredients:

Wheat flour (Durum Atta) – around 2 cups (You can even use Refined flour/All-Purpose flour if you wish)
Spinach (fresh or frozen) – 300 gms
Yellow Onions – 1 small, chopped
Milk – as needed
Salt – to taste
Small Green chilli – 4, chopped
Canola Oil – to deep fry poori’s

Palak Poori served hot with warmed Rajmah (Red Kidney Bean) Curry

Method:

• Heat oil in a pan and saute the onions till soft. Add spinach and green chillies, salt and cook well till dry (It is important that the it is pretty dry after you cook it as if left watery, you will not be able to make a proper dough later) Puree into a paste in a food processor of a blender and keep aside.
• Put 1 cup flour in a bowl. Make a well in the middle and add spinach paste in the center. Use one hand to mix the flour with the added mixture in a rotating motion from the center of the bowl outward, until the dough is moist enough to be gathered into a rough mass. Keep adding extra flour as needed. Sprinkle milk if needed to the dough and continue to knead it. Wet hands and continue until the mixture cleans the sides of the bowl and has become a nonsticky, kneadable green coloured dough. When the dough is kneaded, it will be elastic and silky smooth. To test the dough, press it lightly with a fingertip. If it springs back, it is ready to be rested. Resting the dough is the last step and allows the dough to relax and absorb the water and kneading.

The Prepared Dough

• Rest for 1/2 hour in warm climates and 1.5 hours in cold climates. Cover with a wet towel so the dough does not dry out. The rested dough is light and springy, less resistant to being rolled out into the thin rounds.
• Knead dough a little again. Dough should be stiff enough to roll without extra flour.
• Make small balls (approx 4 cm in diameter) of the dough and cover them with damp cloth.
• Take one ball of dough and dip a corner of ball in melted ghee or oil and roll it out into 4 to 5 inches round.
• Repeat the same process to roll out all puri’s.
• Heat plenty of oil in a kadhai/wok until very hot.
• Put in a poori and immediately start flickering hot oil over the top of it with a spatula so that it will swell up like a ball.
• This should take only a few seconds. Flip the poori over and cook the other side until golden brown.
• Remove with a slotted sppon and stack them vertically untill all are done in a bowl lined with paper towel to absorb the oil.

Suggested Accompaniments: Enjoy the puris along with Red kidney beans curry.

Tip: Store the left-over dough in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator for upto 1 week so that you prepare it again after some days.

Luv,
Mona