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

vegetable biryani

Basmati rice 2 cups
Mixed vegetable
(cauliflower, potato, carrot, french beans) 1 cup
Green peas 150 grams
Thinly sliced onion 3
Thin sliced green chillies 2
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder 1 tsp.
Cinnamon, Caraway seeds 2 tsp.
Cloves 4
Black pepper powder 1/2 tsp.
Tomato 4
Yogurt (curd) 1/2 cup
Vegetable oil 4 tbsp.
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp.
Dry fruits (cashew nuts, raisin) 3 tbsp.


1. Wash rice well before cooking.Then take rice with 3-3/4 cup water and a little salt added to it and 2 tbsp of dry fruits.Cook it in pressure cooker (wait for one whistle and then switch off the gas). You can also cook it in a pan or do microwave cooking just the same way as you cook ordinary rice.
2. Cut all the vegetables into small thin pieces and fry each one of it separately in oil. Also fry the green peas.
3. Then fry mustard seeds, green chilli, cinnamon and caraway seeds powder, cloves, black pepper powder for about half minute and then add onions. Fry till the color of onion changes to pink.
4. Add salt and red chilli powder and stir it properly.
5. Add fine chopped tomatoes and fry till they are properly cooked.
6. Next add yogurt (fine) and stir well.Heat it for about 10 seconds.
7. Add all the fried vegetables.
8. Lastly add the cooked rice and mix well with very light hands so that the rice grain doesn't break. Cook for about 3 minutes.