Paalak pakoda / Spinach fritters

Another way of eating spinach is in the form of fritters. A nice treat for a dull autumn.

Serves for 4 members

Ingredients:
Onion – 2 large (Chopped length wise into thin strips)
Spinach leaves – 1 bunch or 1 pack chopped into thin strips
Basin / Gram flour – ¼ cup
Rice Flour – ¼ cup
Salt
Green chili paste – 1 tsp
Ginger – grated – 1 tsp
Oil to deep fry

Method:

To deep fry the pakodas, heat a pan with oil on medium heat.

Whilst the oil is getting hot, mix the chopped onion and spinach with salt, green chili, ginger, curry

leaves, gram flour and rice flours thoroughly.

Now add about 3-4 tbsp of warm oil into the onion mixture.

Mix the ingredients well, so that they resemble crumbs.

Now sprinkle enough water and mix everything thoroughly. It should be sticky like bread dough and

not watery.

Increase the flame and when the oil is hot enough, take hand full of onion mixture and drop them

into oil slowly by breaking the batter into small bite size pieces. This is the quick way. If you can’t do

it quick enough, then just pick small amounts of batter and drop into the oil slowly.

Occasionally turn the pakodas, so that they get cooked equally on all the sides.

Drain them on to a paper towel and serve them warm with Coffee or Tea

Palak Panner / Cottage Cheese in Spinach Puree

I have prepared this recipe with very little oil. Instead of blanching the spinach, I have steamed it with little water just to retain all the valuables.

Palak paneer

A vibrant green curry featuring pureed spinach and dairy product with a dash of cumin. This makes a nice combination for any kind of roti variety.

Spinach – 2 large bunches
Paneer – 200 gms
Onion – 1 small chopped into small pieces
Green chilli – 6-8
Ginger + Garlic paste – 1 tsp
Salt
Oil
Cumin powder – 1 tsp

Spinach & green chili puree, Paneer and chopped onion

Method:
Cut the paneer into 1 inch cubes.

Wash, remove the hard bits and roughly chop the spinach. Steam it under medium flame for about 7 – 10 minutes by adding ¼ cup of water. Allow it to cool and grind it along with green chilli. Heat a pan with 1 ½ tbsp of oil. When it is hot add onion and fry until they turn soft. Add ginger+garlic paste and for a moment and then add spinach puree and paneer cubes, cumin powder and salt and allow it to cook for 7-10 minutes on medium flame by stirring in between to avoid from burning. Remove from fire and serve warm with roti.

Spinach Raita with Sweet corn

I choose this recipe when I do not have much time to prepare curries, as this is a quickie one.

Spinach Raita

Ingredients:

Spinach – 1 bunch
Sweet corn – 1/3rd cup
Cumin Powder – ½ tsp
Salt
Yogurt – 1 cup

Method:

1. Wash and chop spinach finely.
2. Steam cook spinach and sweet corn separately and allow them to cool.
3. Whisk yogurt by adding salt and cumin powder. Finally fold the spinach and sweet corn into it. Serve it with roti.

Note: If it is frozen sweet corn, you can just thaw them and add directly to raita. No need to cook.

 Roti with Spinach Raita

Spinach Rice

Spinach rice

Ingredients:
Spinach – 1 big bunch
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Garam masala – 1 tsp
Green chilli - 5 -6 ground coarsely
Onion – 1 Medium size
Cashew nuts – Hand full
Rice – 2 cups

Boil rice and keep aside by separating the grains

Wash and chop spinach and steam it. How I do is, cook the spinach in a pan by sprinkling about 30 ml of water, cover the pan with lid and cook for just 4 – 5 minutes or until the volume just reduces.Allow it to cool and pulse it for few seconds. Do not make into smooth paste.In the meantime, chop the onion into thin strips.

Heat a deep pan with 2 tbsp of oil. When it is hot, add cashews and then onion. Fry until the onion becomes transparent.

Add ginger garlic paste, Green chilli paste and fry until the raw smell goes.Add salt, garam masala and the spinach paste and stir for another minute.

Now add the boiled rice and gently mix every thing.

Serve warm with raita.

Spicy Spinach with Cashew nuts

Spinach leaves contain considerable amount of calcium. Spinach, especially raw, is a very good source of folic acid (vitamin B9). Not only that, spinach leaves is rich in vitamin C and E, which are antioxidants. These are supposed to lower risks of heart disease, stroke and cancer. The high amount of vitamin A in spinach may protect against eye degeneration. The potassium helps prevent and regulate high blood pressure. Today I want to combine this vitamin rich spinach with extra cashew’s richness.

Spinach, Onion, roasted cashews

Ingredients:

Spinach – 1 big bunch
Cashews – 15 – 20
Onion – 1 sliced length wise
Ginger + Garlic paste – 1 tsp
Green chili paste – 2 tsp
Salt


Method

Take fresh spinach, wash and chop it.

Dry roast the cashew nuts and grind them into fairly smooth powder and keep it aside.

Heat a deep pan with 1 tbsp of oil and when it is hot, add ginger garlic paste, green chili paste, onion slices, salt and sauté them until onion becomes tender.

Now add the spinach and fry for a minute and close the lid. No need to add water to cook greens. Stir in between until every thing is almost done.

Add the cashew nut powder, mix together and remove from the fire.

The spinach with extra nutty flavor.