I find myself a lot more willing to cook in U.S. than I have ever been in India. May be its just that its way cooler here and I don’t end up in a pool of sweat at the end of cooking. or may be here, food is a big part of entertaining and you just cannot get away from it. These are ‘may be’s’, but the thing I know for sure is that the vegetables are way easier to clean here.

Take the big bag of spinach I used for this recipe. Your bag of spinach here is free of soil and dirt and that’s not even the best part. The best part is that it has only the leaves! No more plucking the leaves from stem one after the other. A lot of work is already taken care. You just need to show them under the tap for a minute and that’s all. They are ready for chopping and cooking.

I don’t think that the extra work was ever a trouble for other moms back home, but then there aren’t lazy like me as well :D.

Is it a wonder that spinach appears a lot more than it used to be at my place :-)? Read on for the make ahead puree and a recipe with mixed vegetables.

 

 

To make the spinach gravy, heat 2 teaspoon oil and saute 3-4 pods of garlic, 4 red chillies (these were the mild variety, else add according to your taste preference) and one chopped onion. Saute until everything turns pink.

Add 1/2 cup cleaned mint leaves and 1/2 cup coriander leaves. Let it wilt for a minute.

Add 2 cups of clean, blanched spinach leaves. Turn off the heat and let the spinach cook in the residual heat.

Grind into a paste. The residual water in the green itself will be sufficient for grinding, if not, add some as needed.

This gravy can be stored in fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. It can be frozen as well.

For the curry, heat 2 teaspoons of oil and add one teaspoon of jeera/cumin seeds. Let it splutter.

Saute one medium chopped onion and follow it up with one teaspoon ginger garlic paste.

Add one chopped tomato and saute further.

Add one teaspoon chili powder or per taste, 1.5 teaspoon coriander powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder and salt as needed.

Mix well and cover and cook until the tomatoes are mashed well.

Add 3 cups of water and 1/4 cup of the prepared spinach puree. This quantity can be increased according to your preference.

Add 1 cup of frozen vegetables and 2 big diced potatoes. You can also add cooked vegetables.

Cover and cook until the potatoes are done and the gravy thickens a bit. Taste test and adjust according to your preferences. Take off the heat and serve with rotis or rice.

Recipe adapted from: Vahchef

Serves : 4-6

Ingredients:

For the spinach gravy

• 2 teaspoons oil
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 4 red chillies or adjust according to your preference
• 1 chopped onion
• 1/2 cup mint leaves, cleaned (optional)
• 1/2 cup coriander leaves (optional)
• 2 cups spinach leaves, blanched

For the curry

• 2 teaspoons oil
• 1 teaspoon jeera
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1.5 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• salt
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup spinach puree, can be adjusted according to preference
• 1 cup frozen vegetables
• 2 potatoes, diced

Method:

Make the spinach gravy :

• Blanch spinach (boil water, take off heat, add washed spinach. Once it turns color and wilts, drain), keep aside.
• To make the spinach gravy, heat 2 teaspoon oil and saute 3-4 pods of garlic, 4 red chillies (these were the mild variety, else add according to your taste preference) and one chopped onion. Saute until everything turns pink.Add 1/2 cup cleaned mint leaves and 1/2 cup coriander leaves. Let it wilt for a minute.Add 2 cups of clean, blanched spinach leaves.
• Turn off the heat and let the spinach cook in the residual heat.Grind into a paste. The residual water in the green itself will be sufficient for grinding, if not, add some as needed. This gravy can be stored in fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. It can be frozen as well.

Make the curry:

1. For the curry, heat 2 teaspoons of oil and add one teaspoon of jeera/cumin seeds. Let it splutter.Saute one medium chopped onion and follow it up with one teaspoon ginger garlic paste.
2. Add one chopped tomato and saute further for 3-4 minutes. Add one teaspoon chili powder or per taste, 1.5 teaspoon coriander powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder and salt as needed. Mix well and cover and cook until the tomatoes are mashed well.
3. Add 3 cups of water and 1/4 cup of the prepared spinach puree. This quantity can be increased according to your preference.
4. Add 1 cup of frozen vegetables and 2 big diced potatoes. You can also add cooked vegetables. Cover and cook until the potatoes are done and the gravy thickens a bit.  Taste test and adjust according to your preferences. Take off the heat and serve with rotis or rice.