Indian Recipes

                          Aloo  Palak

Ingredients
3 cups chopped spinach
2 large onoins chopped fine
2 large potatoes boiled and peeled
1 tomato  grated
2  green  chillies
1" piece ginger
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. wheat  or other flour
1  tsp.  red  chilli powder
1 tsp. cinnamon-clove powder
 1/4 tsp. turmeric  powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 pinches asafoetida
1/2 tsp. garam  masala
1/2 tbsp. butter
4 tbsp. ghee
salt to  taste

METHOD:
Put the washed  spinach  in  a pan,  add  very little water (just a sprinkle) and  a pinch  of  salt. Cover and boil  over a high flame for 2 minutes. Cool  quickly, or hold under running water in  a colander. Put in  a mixie, add  green  chilli and  run  for a minute. Keep  slightly coarse, do  not  make  very smooth. Keep aside.

Cut the potatoes into big pieces.
Heat  ghee and fry potatoes till light brown. Drain the potatoes, keep aside.
In the same  hot ghee add the cumin seeds. Add  the ginger, onions  and  fry till very tender.
Add the tomato and further fry  for two minutes.
Add  all the dry masalas and  fry till ghee separates.
Add spinach and potatoes.
When it  resumes a boil  sprinkle the flour and stir  well.
Boil  for 2-3 minutes.
Add lemon juice Just  before serving heat  butter in  a  tiny saucepan and add the asafoetida.
Pour over the vegetable and mix gently. Serve hot with naan or parathas or even rice.

Note:  You may  use boiled peas, boiled corn kernels or paneer chunks in  the above dish, instead of atoes.

Making time:  45 minutes
Makes for: 6
Shelf life: Best fresh