Aloo Paalak: Potato and Spinach Curry

While I was preparing dinner last night, I reminisced fondly how my grandmother would always scold me over the mess I made in the kitchen while I cooked.

According to her, I used too many utensils due to my constant need to measure things precisely and, in doing so, cluttered up her kitchen. I've improved only slightly over the years and so she wouldn't be too impressed if she were to see me now!

She lived with us while I was growing up, and the kitchen was her personal territory. Her repertoire was limited to very basic, every day food but the amount of love and attention she paid to its preparation belied the simplicity of her meals. 

Aloo Paalak is one dish that she makes extremely well. It is a very simple one to prepare but regardless of how many times I've made it; I still can't get it to taste like my grandmothers version. I'm not saying it's not good - it just doesn't taste like hers.

Lately I miss her immensely and don't know when I will be seeing her next so for now, Aloo Paalak mingled with comforting memories will have to do. 

Here's the recipe: 

Aloo Paalak

Spinach, 1 kg

Potatoes 2 medium, peeled and diced

Onions, 3 medium, thinly sliced

Tomatoes, 2 medium

Coriander powder, 1 tbsp

Salt, 1 tsp

Red chili powder, 1/2 tsp

Kasuri Methi (Dried Fenugreek Leaves), 1 tbsp

1-2 tbsp cooking oil

2-3 green chillies (stems removed) and approx. 2 tbsp chopped, fresh coriander leaves, for garnish

Rinse Spinach well, pat dry and chop. Don't discard the stems - they contain a lot of flavor - chop along with the Spinach leaves.

Fry the sliced onion over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Add the tomatoes, coriander powder, salt and red chili powder along with a splash of water and stir fry over medium high heat until the tomatoes are pulpy and the oil has separated.

Add chopped spinach, stir fry for a couple of minutes.  Fresh Spinach releases its own water, let it cook in it over medium heat till the water is reduced.  Add approx. 1.5 cup water and simmer for a few minutes till the spinach is tender. Add potatoes, reduce heat, cover and simmer around 15 mins or until the potatoes are cooked (shouldn't be mushy or falling apart). 

Increase heat and stir fry a couple of minutes to dry  any excessive  water. 

Sprinkle the Kasuri Methi and mix well. Throw in the coriander leaves and green chillies, cover and turn off the heat.

Allow the aromas from the coriander leaves and chillies to infuse for a few minutes, serve.

Garlic, Chickpea and Spinach Soup

 

I should call this 'clean out your fridge and pantry soup'. But it would be unfair to belittle a bowl of warm comfort such as this. 

It's late-winter in my part of the world now; it's no longer chilly and so there is no justification for craving steaming soups. Except that I needed some comfort; and I wanted to throw together a quick and sustainable lunch for myself and the kids. 

 

This garlic flavored creamy soup is uncomplicated & satisfying. Some things in life should just be simple, don't you think?

Spinach Mushroom Tortilla Pizza

 

I needed to make something simple and fast for the after-school snack/lunch today. 

It's been a busy day & I'd been out all morning. Once I was home, I hadn't the time or the desire to fix anything that required much effort or several dirty dishes. 

Pizza always fits the bill - especially if you have prepared pizza dough on hand. 

Which I didn't, but I saw the recipe for Spinach Mushroom Pizza on Bread + Butter yesterday and adapted it to suit my own needs. 

My version is a cross between a pizza and an enchilada. My son loves button mushrooms and I had all the other fixings so I got going as soon as we got home and had it ready in 15 mins. 

My son is going through a picky phase and is averse to anything green - so I improvised: I placed one jalapeno & cilantro tortilla (those are the ones I had) on a lightly sprayed foil-lined cookie sheet. Sprinkled about 1/4 cup of mozzarella, dotted with a little marinara sauce and layered torn, fresh spinach leaves all over. 

Covered with another tortilla. Sprinkled around 1/4 cup of mozzarella evenly, covered with a thin layer of marinara sauce .. added canned sliced button mushrooms . . a few spinach leaves ... a handful of parmesan cheese and another 1/4 cup mozzarella. 

Baked at 400F for 12 minutes. 

 

The cheese between the layers of tortillas melted and helped stick them together  which is all good, since it made the spinach invisible to my fussy child. On the surface it looked like a regular pizza with very crispy edges. 

And it was so good, I made one for myself (sans extra tortilla and button mushrooms)  with lots of spinach and a lot more parmesan. Yum.  

Bring out the Sun!

With everyone around me falling ill including myself, there really hasn't been anything interesting going on food-wise or otherwise. And I do so dislike cloudy winter days: they make me plummet into the gloomiest of moods right away.

Our apartment doesn't get a lot of bright sunlight. At least the living area, where we spend our entire day, doesn't. And so, on cloudy days, it gets dark and oppressive indoors. And that makes me crabby. Add to that picture: whiny kids. And the beginning of a much-too-long Spring Break for my Kindergartner.

Playing Florence Nightingale to 2 little children and a grown up man can make anyone crazy. However, I do suppose I should get their perspective on it at as well since I don't have the most charming bedside manner when I'm unwell. 

In order to retain my sanity, I've taken a week-long hiatus. I've been sleeping till noon with the kids, reading a lot, thinking a lot and watching old movies. I haven't cooked or cleaned or lifted a finger to do anything else that needs to be done & have laid all anal-retentive tendencies to rest while I get through this phase. Which will be over as soon as we have that first, completely sunny day! 


Since I didn't cook or bake, there's nothing blog-worthy to post. However, I dug out an old photo of something I will be making tomorrow. I won't get any good photos under fluorescent light in the dark and gloomy kitchen, so this old one will have to do. 

I just didn't want to take too long a break from blogging when I've just managed to start and who knew Facebook-addiction can be cured by blogging? ;-)

So, here's what I'm going to make tomorrow: Jessica Seinfeld's Blueberry Oatmeal bars. 

Ingredients

Non-stick cooking spray
2 cups old-fashioned Oats
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup trans-fat free soft-tub margarine spread, chilled
1 cup low sugar blueberry preserves
1/2 cup spinach puree

Preheat oven to 375F. Coat an 8x8 inch pan with cooking spray. 

In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and vanilla and stir to mix well.  

Add the margarine and cut it into the dry ingredients with two knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal and is no longer powdery. Do not over-mix: bits of the margarine should still be visible. 

Set aside half of the oat mixture; press the rest firmly into the pan. Bake until slightly browned along the edges, 13 to 15 minutes. 

Meanwhile, mix the preserves with the spinach puree in a small bowl. 

Spread the blueberry mixture over the partially baked oat layer, then sprinkle with the remaining oat mixture. Bake until the topping is slightly brown, 20 - 25 minutes. 

Set on a rack to cool completely before cutting into 12 bars. 

(Note: when I took this photo, I had used quick cooking oats in place of old-fashioned (I think I had run out of the latter), which is why the bars look crumbly and mushy. But otherwise, they were pretty darn good and you can't taste the spinach at all. Not even a trace.)