Recipe Raj's Spinach

All the Indian men that I have known have been good cooks. I think this is because the small boys watch their mother cooking and help their sisters when the family gather together to cook. In this recipe for spinach Raj's method is different to mine and you may find this way of cooking easier. The results are delicious.

Raj is also a very good shopper. He inspects the vegetables carefully, knows which limes have the most juice and does not hesitate to complain. In the photograph above he is shopping in the vegetable market in Rohini, a district of Delhi. The vegetables you can see are carrots, aubergine and cabbage.

Ingredients: for two

• 1lb of fresh spinach
• 1onion finely chopped
• a walnut sized piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
• 3/4 clove of garlic chopped
• 1 teasp salt
• 1/3 teasp chilli powder (optional)
• 1 teasp turmeric
• 1 heaped teasp ground coriander
• 1/4 teasp garam masala
• 1 teasp ground cummin
• 1/4 teasp ground ginger
• 3 desertsp oil
• 200 grams tinned tomatoes (citric acid free) or 4 chopped fresh tomatoes
• 1/2 desert spoon of gram flour (optional)
• 1/4 freshly squeezed lime.

Method:

Wash the spinach well, if it is limp then soak in very cold water for about 30 minutes. Drain then take off any tough stalks, tear any large leaves and place in a large saucepan. Add a couple of cups of water and bring to the boil for just a few minutes then remove from the heat and leave.

Place the chopped onion on a plate or dish, add the ginger, garlic and ground spices. Strain the spinach, keeping the water for other use, then squash using a potato masher.

In a clean saucepan place the onion and spice mixture in the centre then pour over it the oil. Place over a low heat and stir while warming. When the onion has turned transluscent and then started to brown slightly, add the tomatoes. Stir and continue heating for a few more minutes then add the cooked spinach. Stir well as you continue heating. Sprinkle in the gram flour stirring in as you do it to prevent it going lumpy. This flour adds creamyness to the texture of the dish. Stir while heating through for one/ two minutes then add the lime juice.

(Courtsey Nutritional Therapist Pamela Singh)