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Aloo palak
Potato and spinach
Aloo palak: Punjabi potatoes and spinach with garlic, green chilli and cumin
In Lahore and the villages of Pakistani Punjab, aloo palak is the dish that turns up on a weekday when the spinach at the sabzi stall looks good and nobody has time for a long curry. Small cubes of potato cook in a garlicky cumin masala, then a mountain of chopped spinach wilts down over them into a soft, dark green coat. Eat it with hot chapati or plain rice and a spoon of yogurt on the side. The usual mistake is cutting the potatoes too big: they are still hard when the spinach is done, and by the time they soften the greens have gone grey. Chef's tip: keep the lid off once the spinach goes in, so the water cooks away and the leaves stay bright.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 14 oz potatoespeeled, cut into 1.5 cm cubes
- 14 oz spinachwashed, drained and roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 5 cloves garlicfinely chopped
- 2 green chilliesslit
- 1 tomatochopped
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp garam masala
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a wide pan over a medium heat. Add 1 tsp cumin seeds and let it sizzle for about 20 seconds, until it darkens a shade and smells toasty.
1 minStep 2: Add 1 onion and fry, stirring often, until soft and light golden at the edges.
5 minStep 3: Stir in 5 cloves garlic and 2 green chillies and cook for 1 minute, until the raw garlic smell has gone; don't let it brown or it turns bitter.
1 minStep 4: Add 1 tomato, ½ tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp ground coriander and 1 tsp salt with a splash of water. Cook until the tomato collapses into a thick paste and the oil glistens at the edges.
3 minStep 5: Add 14 oz potatoes, stir to coat them in the masala, then pour in 4 tablespoons of water. Cover and cook over a medium-low heat, stirring once or twice, until a knife slides into a cube with no resistance.
8 minStep 6: Uncover and pile in 14 oz spinach a handful at a time, stirring each lot until it wilts before adding the next.
2 minStep 7: Turn the heat up a little and cook uncovered, stirring, until the liquid has cooked away and the spinach clings to the potatoes. Sprinkle over ½ tsp garam masala, taste for salt and serve hot.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 180 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does aloo palak take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of cumin seeds?
- Ground cumin, three quarters of the amount (add it with the other ground spices, not to hot oil first).
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