Recipe: Palak

Palak is my favorite Indian dish, so I've had many variations of this recipe. After much experimentation, I developed this recipe, which is virtually identical in flavor to the palak served at Namaste, a local Indian restaurant. My version is lower in fat, but still wonderfully flavorful. 

I'm posting this recipe for a student in one of my online classes, who assures me she's had some experience with Indian cooking. If you're a beginning cook, or if you're new to Indian cooking, be aware that this recipe requires you to make some judgment calls as you're cooking. It may take a few times preparing this recipe before you get the hang of it!  

One more thing: If you don't have kasoori methi or garam masala, do not attempt this recipe until you trek to your local Indian market (or order them online, if you don't have an Indian market in your area). Kasoori methi is the ingredient that gives palak its unique flavor, and garam masala's sweet-spicy flavor balances out the dish.

Palak

Ingredients:

4 cups water

1 medium red onion

2 teaspoons white vinegar

1 teaspoon turmeric

16 ounces spinach

1 tablespoon margarine or butter

1 tablespoon bottled minced ginger

1 tablespoon bottled minced garlic

1 tablespoon kasoori methi, crushed

1 tablespoon garam masala

 Directions:

Combine water, turmeric and onion. Bring to a boil over high heat. When water boils, turn heat to medium and cook until onion is just tender. Don't over- or under-cook, or the mouthfeel of the final product will be off. Add spinach, and cook until spinach wilts. Drain well.

Place spinach-onion mixture in blender and puree, using the pulse feature, until just creamed (similar to creamed spinach). Don't over- or under-puree, or the texture of the final product will be off.

Meanwhile, combine margarine, ginger, garlic, kasoori methi, and garam masala in large skillet. Cook on medium-high heat until garlic is fragrant, stirring often, about 3 minutes.

Add spinach puree to skillet and cook on low until flavors blend, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. (You will see a change in color in the spinach; it will shift from bright green to a dull olive, to a dark green. You're looking for that dark green color in the final product.)