Just Right Spinach & Chickpea Curry (Vegan) - Chole Palak

magpie diner's Note:

I called this just right because it was just the right recipe for the amount of time I wanted to spend on cooking it, and it has just the right amount of ingredients, mainly pantry staples so I wasn't scrounging around for substitutes. I found this on www.manjulaskitchen.com ... she has some fabulous recipes, very easy to follow. I made her parathas as well, best ever for me. Hope you enjoy!

• Total Time: 40 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 3

• 2 fresh tomatoes , quartered
• ½ inch cube fresh ginger , cut in half
• 1 fresh green chile (optional)
• 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil (or any other light oil such as canola)
• ¼ teaspoon asafetida powder (optional)
• 1 teaspoon whole cumin seed
• 3 cups fresh spinach , chopped
• 1 (14 ounce) can chickpeas (14 or 15 oz can, won't matter much)
• ¼-½ cup water
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon ground chili powder
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)
• ½ teaspoon garam masala
• fresh cilantro , chopped fine (optional)

Directions:

1. Pull out your blender, a small one if you have it, and combine the tomatoes, the ginger and the fresh chili if you are using. Puree until completely smooth the set aside.
2. In a medium sized saute pan over medium heat, add the oil. Once the oil is hot add in the asofetida followed by the whole cumin seeds. Stir - and once the spices are sizzling, add in the tomato mixture. Be careful, it will splatter. Mix to combine - it takes quite a few stirs to get it combined so don't worry. Let that saute a few minutes.
3. Add the next three spices, (coriander, chili powder & turmeric) as well as the salt. Mix that together and let it all mingle together over medium low heat for about 10 minutes. It will reduce down a bit and the colour will begin to get darker.
4. Add in the fresh chopped spinach, followed by about 1/4 cup of water. Add up to 1/2 cup of water if you wish. Let that cook another few minutes and then add your chickpeas. You can mash some of the chickpeas with the back of a spoon if you like, it makes the gravy thicker.
5. The last ingredient is the garam masala, add it in and simmer for a few more minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro if you like. That's it!

Reviews

[smellyvegetarian]

This is lovely, magpie! I used Chef Kate's recipe for crock pot chickpeas (you all MUST try this!) and subbed in a big pile of kale for the spinach. It was definitely more than called for, but I admit I didn't measure. This required a bit of extra cook time and water to get the kale cooked down. I also used garam masala. Thanks for posting--this was a hit with the whole family, including the curry-loving 9 month old ;). Made for Veg Swap 35.

[Chef Kate]

This is just right! I loved it as a main dish. I used cherry tomatoes as it's still too early here for good tomatoes and used canned green chilis. I did the tomato/chili/ginger mix in the food processor. I had lovely fresh farmers' market spinach and chick peas I had just made in the crockpot. I loved this and will make it again--and have fun with variations. Thanks, Diner!

[Nancy's Pantry]

We loved this recipe! It had great flavor and was easy to make. I did not have the asafetida powder or grapeseed oil and since these ingredients were optional; hopefully, it did not negatively affect the taste of the dish. We served the dish with rice and some Naan bread. Thanks for the post. Made for PAC, 2011.