Spinach Fry

Spinach Fry

Spinach fry is one of my favorite vegetarian dishes. Spinach is an excellent source of iron. What makes this recipe special is that it tastes just like any mutton curry with minimal spices. Enjoy!!

Ingredients:
Spinach - 1 lb
Onion - 1 large
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Green chilli paste - 2 tsp or to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Dry coconut powder - 2 tsp
Roasted peanut powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 3 tbsp

Method:

1. Rinse the spinach well under cold water. Keep aside to drain well. 
2. Finely chop the spinach and keep aside.
3. Finely slice the onions.
4. In a wide pan, add the oil.
5. Add in the cumin seeds and allow them to crackle.
6. Add in the garam masala.
7. Now add in the sliced onions. Add some salt. Fry well till they are slightly golden brown on a medium flame.
8. Now add in the ginger garlic paste, green chilli paste and saute for a minute.
9. Add in the turmeric powder and the coriander powder. Combine well.
10. Now add in the chopped spinach. Mix well. Cover it with a lid for 5-6 minutes. Stir in between.
11. Check for the seasonings and adjust the spices according to your taste. Cook well till the oil separates from the sides of the pan.
12. Add in the coconut powder and the roasted peanut powder. Combine well.
13. Cover it and cook for a minute or two. 
14. Turn off the heat and serve hot. 

Tasty Tips:

1. Onion is the key ingredient in this dish. Frying the onions on a slow flame gives them a nice caramelized coating, which gives this dish a unique flavor. 
2. The quantity of spinach looks like a lot but it wilts down to nothing. This recipe serves 2-3 people.
3. To retain the vibrant green color of the spinach, its important to rinse it under cold water only.
4. This dish goes excellent with hot steaming rice.

Tomato Curry

Tomato Curry

Tomato curry is such a unique dish that just wakes up your taste buds. This is a life saver when you have no vegetables lying around. I have so many childhood memories associated with this dish. My mom used to make the plain daal to go along with this dish.  Make in bulk because the left over tastes even better. Enjoy!!


Ingredients:
Tomatoes - 1 lb
Onion - 1 large
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Fenugreek powder - a pinch
Asafoetida (hing) - a pinch
Curry leaves - few
Dagad phool / Biryani puvvu - 1 floret
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp or to taste
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Dry coconut powder - 2 tsp
Toasted sesame seed powder - 2 tsp
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 5 tbsp
Coriander leaves - few sprigs


Method

1. Wash and dice the tomatoes and keep them aside.
2. Finely chop the onions.
3. In a wide non-stick pan, heat the oil on a medium low flame.
4. When the oil is hot, add the asafoetida, fenugreek powder, the dagad phool, the cumin seeds and the mustard seeds and allow them to crackle.
5. Add the garam masala.
6. Now add in the roughly chopped curry leaves and the chopped onions. Add some salt to help the onions cook faster.
7. Saute till the onions are translucent.
8. Now add the ginger garlic paste. Saute for a minute.
9. Add in the turmeric powder, the red chilli powder and the coriander powder. Saute till the spices blend well with the onions.
10. Add the tomatoes. Add some salt and mix well. Cover the pan with a lid and let it cook on a medium low flame till the tomatoes are softened and you see oil separating from the sides of the pan. Keep stirring in between.
11. Now check the seasonings and adjust the spices according to your taste.
12. Add in the dry coconut powder and the toasted sesame seed powder.
13. Add in the sugar. Mix well. Cover it and let it simmer gently for a minute or two. 
14. Sprinkle in the freshly chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with chapati or rice.

Tasty tips:

1. Fenugreek powder is the key ingredient in this dish. It is very pungent and bitter, so a little bit goes a long way. I usually add this powder to all my sour tasting dishes. The bitterness in the fenugreek powder compliments any sour tasting dishes.
2. Dagad phool is another key ingredient in this dish. It is otherwise called Biryani flower, which I use extensively in all my biryani recipes, sambaar and many of my meat dishes. The moment it hits the hot oil/ghee it just smells divine. It is a dried lichen. It has a unique flavor, quite woody and earthy aroma. It is easily available in any Indian grocery stores.

Dagad phool/Biryani puvvu

 

 

 

1. Sesame seeds powder adds a unique nutty flavor to this dish. Do not forget to toast the sesame seeds before you blend them into a fine powder. Toasting enhances its flavor.
2. You can also make a variation by adding fenugreek leaves in the end to this dish. It tastes excellent too.
3. This dish tastes even better the day after. It tastes awesome hot or room temperature. Goes excellent with rice or chapati or even a slice of bread.