Pachadi or Curry – You Decide.: A recipe for Spinach (Palak)

Sometimes, I just go away. You may have noticed at times. First mentally – my world gets too tight with Things that Must be Done to spend much energy on cooking and tweeting and blogging. Then physically – I often go to my little Heaven on Earth for a well deserved restful holiday and one which allowed the re-merging of body, soul and spirit. Who invented holidays? They deserve much praise, me thinks.

I think the rest of the year may be too tight with Things that Must be Done, but I will try to stay on this side of the blogasphere as much as I can.

Last night I cooked a gorgeous spinach curry. Or is it a Pachadi? Who knows! Anyway, will you share some with me? It is a gorgeous dish that can be used as a side dish or goes just as well over rice, on its own or with a yellow dal. It is a purée, so it would also go well drizzled over some chunks of pan-fried tofu, fresh made paneer or some roasted or pan-sautéed chunks of potato. With some crispy flatbreads. With a green salad of Much Goodness.

Spinach Pachadi/Curry (Palak Pachadi/ Palak Yoghurt Curry)

Source : adapted from The Monk’s Cookbook
Cuisine: Indian
Prep time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins
Serves: 4 – 6 people, depending how you use it

ingredients
1 large bunch spinach
1 cup bean sprouts
1.5 cup grated coconut or shredded coconut
1 cup yoghurt – use a Greek yoghurt or drained the yoghurt in some muslin cloth for 30 minutes beforehand to avoid a watery curry
If you want it hot, add some finely chopped green chilli to taste
1 lime, juiced
salt to taste

for tadka
1 – 2 Tblspn ghee
2 large cloves garlic, or 3 or 4 smaller ones
1 tsp each fennel, anise seeds, cumin seeds

method
Steam the spinach and bean sprouts and blend them with the coconut in a food processor or with an immersion blender. Add the yoghurt as you go and blend until you have a thick and smooth consistency. Chop the garlic and chop or grate the ginger.

Make the tadka: in a pan melt the ghee and fry the garlic, chilli (if using) and ginger quickly. Add the seeds and cook until the seeds begin to brown.

Stir the tadka through the spinach (including the ghee). Add the lime juice and stir. Add salt to taste.

Enjoy!

The Yoghurt Series

• Blueberry Shrikhand
• Cacik: Turkish cucumber and Yoghurt Mezze
• Carrot Sambal
• Haydari
• Kadhi – Yoghurt Curry
• Tender Eggplant
• Thick Thick Yoghurt - how to make
• Using Thick Thick Yoghurt
• Thick Yoghurt Tahina Dip with Herbs
• Yoghurt and Rosepetals
• Yoghurt, Feta and Mustard Dip
  

The Spinach Series

• Aloo Palak - Potatoes in Spinach Gravy
• Narasihman’s Sweet Potato, Eggplant and Spinach Madras Curry
• Makhana Palak - Lotus Seeds in Spinach Gravy
• Tofu and Spinach Napoleons with Sesame and Miso

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