Chana Palak


Photo by Pooja Hanabaratti

Ingredients

  • ½ cup soaked, cooked and drained chickpeas or garbanzo beans (kabuli chana)
  • 5 cups chopped blanched spinach
  • 1 tbsp cumin seeds (jeera)
  • 1 tsp ginger-garlic-green chilli paste
  • ½ cup chopped onion
  • 4 tbsp water
  • ¼ cup chopped tomato
  • 1 tsp amchur (raw mango) powder
  • ¾ tsp dhania-jeera powder (coriander & cumin seed powder)
  • ¾ tsp red chilli powder
  • ¾ tsp turmeric (haldi) powder
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp chana masala
  • 1 tsp crushed kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
  • Unrefined salt to taste
  • 1 tsp chopped fresh coriander leaves

Method

Heat a pan and add cumin seeds. Cook for 1 minute and then add ginger-garlic-green chilli paste and sauté for 2 minutes. Add onion and 2 tablespoons water and cook over low-medium heat, until light brown. Then, add tomato, amchur powder, dhania-jeera powder, red chilli powder and turmeric powder and continue cooking until the gravy thickens. Add garam masala, chana masala, kasuri methi and the remaining 2 tablespoons water. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add chickpeas, mix well and then add blanched spinach. Allow to simmer until a gravy-like texture is obtained. Add unrefined salt to taste. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serves 4-5