Spinach/palak Dal

This can also be made using arhar/toor dal or masoor dal or chana dal, as per the availability. Palak has to be fresh and with out holes. Only the leaves have to be chosen and the hard twigs can be discarded. It is generally safe to avoid greens during the rainy season unless one grows it in the kitchen garden, where hygiene is taken care of. I put more greens and less dal to gain more on vitamins and minerals.

Ingredients:

100g arhar/toor dal, 300g palak, 3 tomatoes, 1 onion.

For tempering:

1 tsp ghee, ½ tsp jeera, ½ tsp mustard seeds, ¼ tsp haldi/turmeric, ½ tsp red chilli powder and salt to taste.

Preparation:

1. Wash and finely chop the palak and set aside. 
2. Chop onion and tomatoes also finely. 
3. Wash the dal and keep it ready for use. 
4. Heat ghee in a pressure pan or small pressure cooker, put all the tempering ingredients except salt and fry a little. 
5. To this add onions, tomatoes and palak, stir a little and then add the dal and salt. 
6. Finally put 500ml of water and give minimum of 3 whistles, simmer it for another 5 to 7 minutes and put off the flame.

Serve hot  with rice or roti.

Spinach and Corn in White sauce

This again goes well with the continental menu. Considerable amounts of starch and fibre makes this dish sumptuous and nutritious. White sauce is the base for this. In fact vegetables like cauliflower, French beans, carrots, and broccoli can be boiled and put in to the white sauce which becomes more palatable to consume with a varieties of breads.

Ingredients:

500g spinach leaves and 200g shelled corn or one full corncob.

For white sauce:

2 finely chopped onions,2 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp maida (white flour), 2 cups milk, ½ tsp white pepper powder, a pinch of nutmeg powder and salt to taste.

Preparation:

1. Wash spinach and microwave for 8 to 10 minutes and set aside to cool. 
2. Boil the corncob in the pressure cooker and pick out the corn from the cob. 
3. Once the spinach cools down squeeze out the extra water and finely chop the leaves. 
4. Heat butter in a pan, put chopped onions and sauté till it gives glazed look, to this add the flour and fry a little. 
5. Take milk and stir in to the onion flour mixture, see that there are no lumps, this is the main task of the white sauce. 
6. Keep stirring till it cooks to form a smooth and soft paste and to this add white pepper powder, nutmeg powder and salt. 
7. Finally blend in the cooked corn and spinach and bake at 170 degrees for 20 minutes.

Serve hot with garlic bread or dinner roles.

Palak Do Pyaza

As the name suggests there are only two main ingredients in this recipe. They are palak(spinach)and pyaz(onion). Greens are a must in our every day diet plan. This recipe will be a change from usual paneer(cottage cheese)based recipes. This is a fat free dish with very little oil. Easy to cook and takes very little time.

Ingredients:

500g palak,200g onion,1tsp jeera,1tsp amchur powder,1tsp rice flour or corn(makka) flour, ½ tsp chilli powder,1 tsp of oil and salt to taste.

Preparation:

1. Wash and finely chop the palak and set aside. 
2. Finely chop the onions, heat oil in a pan, put jeera and onions and fry till golden brown. 
3. Add a little salt while frying the onions, this helps in browning the onions faster. 
4. To this add the chopped palak, little more salt, amchur powder and chilli powder and cook well. No need to add water since palak itself would leave some water and gets cooked. 
5. Once it is soft and done add the flour for binding,cook for two more minutes and put off the flame. 
6. The subtle tangy taste of amchur is very encouraging to have more of this nutritious palak.

Serve hot with rice or roti. 

Palak pakoda.

Pakoda is a snack that can be had anytime and enjoyed more on a rainy day. There are a variety of vegetables used for the pakodas. Palak is one of them. It comes out tasty and very easy to make.

Ingredients:

500g palak, 2 onions, 1 cup besan (gram flour), 2 green chillis, ¼ tsp eno salt, ½ tsp ajwain seeds (oregano), ½ tsp red chilli powder, salt to taste and oil for deep frying.

Preparation:

1. Wash and microwave palak for 10 minutes, drain the excess water and finely chop.
2. Make thin slices of onions and add to the chopped palak.
3. Now add flour, chillis, ajwain, chilli powder,salt and mix well.
4. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan and drop the batter into the oil and fry till crisp. 

Serve hot with tomato sauce.

Palak (spinach) pulao

Palak is very nutritious but any has to be consumed in moderation. A variety of dishes can be made with palak. It goes well with Indian and also continental. It is easy to cook and tastes good.

Ingredients:

2 cups basmati rice,500g palak, 150g tomato puree, 2 onions, 1 tsp ginger paste, 1 tsp garlic paste,1 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp garam masala powder, 3 green chillis, ½ cup chopped hara dhania (coriander),2 tbsp oil and salt to taste.

Preparation:

1. Wash and cook rice with enough water and keep aside. 
2. Wash and microwave palak for 10 min and drain off the water, chop finely and keep aside.
3. Chop onions finely. 
4. Heat oil in a pan, put chopped onions and fry till golden brown, and to this, add all the spices. 
5. After frying for a while, add tomato puree and fry till it leaves sides. 
6. Now add palak and cooked rice and cook for a little while or microwave for 10 min.

Serve hot with plain curds or cucumber raita.