Aloo Palak

I love green gravies because of the vibrant color. Usually I prefer either finely chopped onions/ ground onion in my gravies, but for a change this time I thinely sliced onion and added little chat masala to the Aloo palak (Am I crazy????) But believe me the gravy was super duper hit in home. Jagadish  kept asking me what did I add extra this time.  When a little change can make hubby think its a happy smiley 🙂

Checkout my other recipes with Spinach and potato

Spinach Corn gravy

Keerai pappu

Oats Cracked Wheat Dhokla

Pesto

Potato Curry

Potato Tikka

Potato Fry

Potato Wedges

Microwave Potato Chips

Spinach Potato Gravy

Preparation Time : 5 min | Cooking Time : 25 mins | Serves : 3

Recipe Category: Side dish

Ingredients:

Spinach –  2 cups

Potato –  2, big

Onion – 1, thinely sliced

Green Chilli – 1 ( Adjust according to your spice level)

Ginger garlic paste – 1/2 tsp

Garam Masala powder – 1 tsp

Coriander powder – 1/2 tsp

Cumin powder – 1/4 tsp

Chat masala – 1/4 tsp

Sugar –  generous pinch

Turmeric powder – a pinch

Salt -as needed

Method:

• Pressure cook potatoes until tender (for about 2 whistles or microwave the potatoes for 10 minutes). Peel off the skin and cut into bite-sized pieces and keep aside
• Rinse the spinach well in water. Boil water with pinch of sugar and salt. Add the spinach to the boiling water. Cook and switch off the flame, after 3-5 mins drain and quickly pour cold water over the spinach. Transfer them into a blender and make fine paste, with green chilli

• Add oil to the pan, when oil becomes hot add cumin seeds and it splutters. Add onion and ginger garlic paste and saute till the onions are translucent

• Add the cooked  potatoes and saute for a minute. Add turmeric powder, garam masala,  chat masala, coriander powder, cumin powder and salt; gently mix everything cook till the potatoes are well coated with masala

•  Add spinach puree and cook for 3 – 4 minutes

• Serve hot with Naan/paratha/Vegetable rice

My Notes:

• Add water if you think the gravy is too thick
• Sugar helps to retain the green color in spinach
• To make rich Can add milk/fresh cream/coconut milk to the gravy
• Whole spices (bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom etc) can be added
• Butter can be added for flavour
• Tomatoes can be added while cooking onion
• As chat masala already contains salt adjust the salt accordingly

Paneer Tikka Masala

Recently when I had buffet in Indian restaurant I tasted Paneer Tikka Masala. It was delicious, I could taste paneer butter masala flavor along with paneer tikka taste. I tried to combine my tofu butter masala and tofu tikka recipe; prepared this Paneer tikka Masala and happy with the results:-)

Preparation Time : 15 mins | Marination time : 2 hours | Cooking Time : 45 mins

Recipe Category: Side dish

Ingredients:

For Tikka:

Paneer – 1 packet (225 gram)

For marination:

Hung Curd/Sour Cream – 3 tbsp +1 tsp (I used Sour Cream)

Pepper Powder – 1/4 tsp

Turmeric powder – a pinch

Garam Masala powder – 1/4 tsp

Tandoori Masala  – 1 tsp

Chat Masala – 1/4 tsp (optional)

Lemon juice – 1 tsp

Ginger garlic paste – 1/2 tsp

Oil – 1 tbsp

How to make hung curd:

Hang 1/3 cup curd in a muslin cloth or any thin cloth for an hour to make the required hung curd.

For Gravy:

Onion – 2

Tomato – 3

Ginger garlic paste- 1 tsp

Garam Masala powder- 1 tsp

Chilli powder – 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder – 1/2 tsp

Cumin powder – 1/4 tsp

Heavy Cream – 3 tbsp

Turmeric powder – 1/8 tsp

Cinnamon Powder – 1/4 tsp

Salt – as needed

Butter – 1 tbsp

Method:

• Preheat the oven at 400 deg F
• Cube the Paneer and keep it aside. In a separate bowl Mix the ingredients listed under ‘for marination’ and keep aside. Mix paneer with the marinated ingredients and keep refrigerated for 2 hours (minimum an hour). Take it out and arrange the Paneer in the baking tray

• Bake them for 15-18 mins, turning over in between for even cooking. Paneer tikka is ready

• Boil onion and tomato in hot water and strain the water. When it comes to room temperature, blend them into fine paste

• Add butter to the pan. Add ginger garlic paste and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the blended tomato and onion puree and cook for 3-5 minutes

• Add garam masala, coriander powder, cumin powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder and allow it to cook for 2-3mins

• Add heavy cream and cook till it starts boiling. Add paneer tikka and cook for 2 minutes and switch off

My Notes:

• Instead of fresh cream you can add 1/3 cup of milk and cook for 5-8 minutes till the gravy become thick
• If you are using a cinnamon stick, add it while tempering
• Can marinate capsicum and onion along with paneer while preparing tikka and use it
• This gravy goes well with any variety rice like fried rice as well as with naan/rotis
• I boiled the onions and tomatoes, blended them, instead can sauté them in oil and grind them

Oats Cracked Wheat Spinach Dhokla

I wanted to cook a different breakfast with oats, and when I was browsing, I came across Oats, semolina and spinach dhokla in Tara Dalal site.  It was a healthy recipe and tempted me. I tried the same recipe, replacing semolina with cracked wheat.

Oats Cracked Wheat Spinach Dhokla

Preparation Time : 5  mins | Standing time : 15 mins | Cooking Time : 10 mins 

Recipe Category: Breakfast

Ingredients:

Oats – 1/2 cup, coarsely powdered

Cracked Wheat/ Gothuma Rava/ Bulgar Wheat/Dalia – 1/2 cup

Thick Curd/ yogurt – 1/4 cup

Spinach – 1/3 cup

Green chilli  paste – 1/2 tsp ( Adjust according to your taste)

Baking Soda/Eno salt – 1/2  tsp, heaped (I used baking soda)

Salt  – as needed

Method

• Combine all the ingredients except baking soda and add 3/4 cup of water, and let it rest for 15 minutes
• Just before steaming, add the baking soda and 2 tsp of water
• Grease the dhokla plates with very less oil  and pour the batter. Spread them evenly

• Steam them for 10 minutes, or till the dhoklas are cooked. After 5 minutes, cut them and serve

My Notes:

• Cooking time may vary depending on the container, so keep an eye after 7 minutes
• Can add tadka and make them flavorful
• If required, pulse the cracked wheat

Bhindi Masala

I had never tried Bhindi Masala at home, but whenever I go to Indian restaurants, I mostly see Bhindi Masala in the buffet menu. Hubby likes Okra very much, so thought of trying this at home. I actually liked this version of Bhindi Masala and started preparing this frequently as a side dish for chappati

Bhindi Masala

Preparation Time : 10 min | Cooking Time : 30 mins | Serves : 3

Recipe Category: Side dish

Ingredients:

Okra – 250 grams

Onion – 1 big, finely chopped

Tomato – 2

Ginger garlic paste- 1 tsp

Garam Masala powder- 1 tsp

Pav bhaji powder/Chilli powder – 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder – 1/2 tsp

Cumin powder – 1/4 tsp

Curd / yogurt – 1 tbsp + 1 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1/8 tsp

Coriander leaves – as needed to garnish

Cinnamon Powder – 1/4 tsp

Salt – as needed

Oil – 2 tsp

Method:

• Add 1 tsp of oil, spread the oil all through the pan and sauté the okra till they become slightly crispy

• Add 1 tsp of oil to another pan. Add ginger garlic paste and sauté for 30 seconds. Add onions and saute till onions are cooked, and add tomato after the onions are cooked.
• Add garam masala, coriander powder, cumin powder, pav bhaji masala, turmeric powder and allow it to cook for 2-3mins

• Add the sautéed okra and salt, cook for 5 minutes. Add curd and mix well, and cook for 3-4 minutes

My Notes:

• If you need Bhindi masala as a gravy, add the required amount of water.
• To get crispy okra, wipe the okra dry before cooking. If you do not have time to wipe it dry, keeping it in the microwave for a minute would help.