Indian spiced potatoes with spinach and capsicum — a perfect side dish.
There are many ways of making aloo palak or potato spinach recipe and here is my favourite version from my kitchen. This is a dry version and this curry ought not be too soupy, as you want the potatoes to absorb all the flavors in the dish. The potatoes should be juicy from the spinach flavors but not mushy. Saag means spinach and aloo means potato. Saag is a term also used to describe other greens, such as mustard leaves. Capsicum is optional here and I just wanted to add it for more flavors.
This will take some time but you don’t have any job in the kitchen, just simmer the spinach to the point where there is moisture left in the pan for the consistency that you find is signature to this dish. The thought of cooking curry from scratch probably scares many of us, but it’s really easy when you know the flavor combinations of the different spices. For instance, spinach goes really well with potato. And potato goes great with bell pepper. Saag aloo isn’t tricky to make at the best of times. You just need one pan and one spoon to make this and you may as well have cooked the whole meal on your one stovetop. This recipe is for those days where you literally want to dump everything on the pot and return to your dent in the sofa.
vegan Note: replace Milk with coconut milk.
- Potato – 3
- Cumin seeds (jeera) – 2 tsp
- Garlic – 3, chopped finely
- Onion – 1, chopped finely
- Green chilli – 1, chopped finely
- Capsicum/ Pepper – 1 chopped into cubes
- Spinach – 1 cup, chopped or whole
- Chilli powder – 1 tbsp
- Coriander powder – 1 tbsp
- Cumin powder – 1 tbsp
- Milk – 2 tbsp
- Oil – 2 tbsp
- Salt – as needed
- Lime- for garnishing
- Corainder leaves – For garnish
- Remove the skin from the potatoes and cut into small wedges,
- Heat oil in a large heavy bottomed non-stick skillet over medium heat, add jeera, garlic and add the onions and chillies and fry until they are golden brown.
- Now add the potatoes, capsicum. Salt and turmeric and fry until golden brown.
- Now add the chilli powder, coriander powder and cumin powder. Add 2 tbsp of water and simmer it for few minutes.
- Now stir in the chopped spinach to this, and add two tbsp. of milk and close it.
- Stir in the mixture a few handfuls at a time, until each potato is coated with the spinach.
- The potatoes should be little roasted and coated with spinach and have the flavors of capsicum in it.
- Garnish with coriander leaves and squeeze in some lime.
Perfect side dish for with rasam and rice or roti or plain rice.
