Aloo Palak – Potatoes in Spinach Gravy

 

‘Aloo Palak’ is yet another classic North Indian dish that is super flavorful and a crowd pleaser similar to ‘Palak Paneer/Saag Paneer‘. The flavors from the spices, the nutrients from the spinach, the light starchiness from the potatoes and the tanginess from the yogurt all come together to make this dish a favorite.

I had some left-over spinach from the ‘Spinach and Cheese Rolls‘ I made last week. And I always have potatoes in my kitchen. So, I made Aloo Palak before the spinach expiration date is in sight! Hubby loves Palak Paneer, so when I’m out of paneer I use potatoes instead.

This dish can be made in two varieties: the wet, gravy version like the one I made here or a dry, stir-fry version in which there is no need to blend the spinach mixture. Either way, it will taste delicious. I used baby spinach here but regular spinach will do just fine. Also, I always blanch greens in water as it retains the color and makes it more manageable and easy to cook with. Apart from the hotness from the spices, tanginess always goes well with spinach. So, I use thick yogurt to accompany the spinach and make this dish totally drool-worthy. Instead of yogurt, you could also use sour cream. Serve this yummy curry as a part of a regular family meal or for a get-together or a party!

 

Prep time: 15 to 20 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Serves: 5 or 6

Recipe

– Aloo/Potatoes – 5 baby potatoes or 2-3 large sized
– Spinach – 2 cups
– Onions – 1 small-sized
– Green Chillies – 4
– Yogurt (thick) – 1/4th cup
– Ginger-Garlic paste – 1/2 tsp
– Oil – 2 to 3 tsps
– Coriander (optional) – for garnish

Spices,
– Cinnamon Stick – 1 or a few broken sticks
– Cloves – 4
– Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
– Turmeric powder – 3/4th tsp
– Red Chilli powder – 1n1/2 tsp or less as per taste
– Salt – 1n1/4th tsp or as per taste

1. In a deep sauce pan, boil water enough to soak the spinach. Add rinsed spinach leaves and blanch them for a couple of minutes. Remove from stove, using a colander drain all the water and set the spinach aside.

2. In a skillet or pan, heat about 2 tsps of oil. Add cinnamon stick, cloves, cumin seeds and saute them for a minute or two until you hear them sizzle. Add finely chopped onions and green chillies. Saute until the onions are translucent.

3. Add ginger garlic paste, and the remaining spices – turmeric, red chilli powder and salt. Now, add the blanched spinach and saute well for a couple of minutes. Turn off the stove and let it cool a little.

4. Take this mixture in a blender. Add thick yogurt. Leave out the cinnamon stick and blend everything into a smooth paste. Remove the gravy back into the skillet.

5. In the meanwhile, peel and dice the potatoes. Boil them in water either on a stovetop or in the microwave for about 4 to 5 minutes.

6. Turn on the heat for the skillet with the gravy. Add the boiled potatoes, check for salt and spiciness and adjust if needed. Cover and let it simmer for just 4 to 5 minutes. Since, the potatoes are already boiled and cooked, all it needs time is to breathe in the flavorful spinach gravy!

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with roti/chapathis, rice, naan or pulav!

Variations:

– To make a dry version simply saute the spinach and onions well with the spices; reduce the amount of yogurt to just 2 tsps just for the tangy taste; add potatoes and just make it a stir-fry curry. It will taste just as delicious as the gravy version. You can serve it with roti, rice or even bread!