Quick and Easy Spinach-peanut stir fry (Palak and peanut stir-fry)

Quick and Easy Spinach-peanut stir fry (Healthy Indian Palak Recipes)

 Quick and Easy Spinach-peanut stir fry (Healthy Indian Palak Recipes)

Spinach or palak is a powerhouse of nutrition and is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C and folate as well as being a good source of manganese, magnesium, iron and vitamin B2.

This is a quick and easy recipe that is my go-to when I’m in a hurry or when I’m just feeling too lazy to make an elaborate dish with palak/spinach. I call it my ‘Lazy spinach stir-fry’ which I make often as everyone seems to love it and I never have any leftovers now matter how many bunches of palak I use to make this.

Ingredients for the Easy Spinach and peanut stir-fry:

Spinach/Palak: 2-3 bunches (washed, dried and chopped into small pieces)

Roasted peanuts: 1 big handful (crushed coarsely)

Red chili flakes: 1-2 tsp (or as per heat tolerance)

Olive oil/Ghee/ Coconut oil: 1 tbsp

Garlic: 5-6 cloves (finely chopped)

Salt: to taste

Lime juice: a dash

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a kadai, add the chopped ginger. Then add the red chili flakes and the chopped spinach leaves and saute on high heat till the water evaporates.
2. Keep stirring and switch off the kadai when the spinach is wilted. Switch off.
3. Mix the crushed roasted peanuts and salt.
4. Add a dash of lime and mix.
5. Serve the easy spinach and peanut stir fry as a side to rice and dal.

Thank you all for your support and feedback.

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Sri Lankan Mallung/Mallum recipe (Greens stir-fry)

Sri Lankan Mallung/mallum

I love trying out different cuisines and have been lucky to have wonderful neighbours from whom I have learnt different cooking styles. My love for Sri Lankan cuisine started back in the US when we lived in Minnesota for a brief period. There was one Sri Lankan restaurant in the neighbourhood and we loved the fiery food there. Though it is similar to South Indian cuisine(especially Kerala cuisine), they are heavy on the spices and it's definitely not for those who have a weak stomach.

When we moved to Sydney, I was lucky to have a Sri Lankan neighbour who (once she got to know my love for Sri Lankan food) is always sending over food. This 'mallung' or mallum recipe I learnt from her. It's a quick and easy stir-fry recipe for greens, where you have to finely chop the greens. Since green leafy vegetables tend to reduce in quantity when cooked-don't be disappointed if you end up with very little mallung.

I try to experiment with different greens and try to buy radish/turnips/beetroot with the leaves. And yes-please don't throw the leaves of these vegetables as they are edible. Add them to your dals or make this Sri Lankan 'mallung' recipe :)

Ingredients for Sri Lankan Mallung: Serves 4

• Green leafy veg: 1 big bunch (kale, turnip greens, moringa leaves, amaranth, lal saag)
• Red chili flakes: 1 tsp (or green chili paste)
• Turmeric: 1/2 tsp
• Mustard leaves: 1/2 tsp
• Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves: 3-4 nos.
• Grated coconut: 1-2 tbsp (fresh or desiccated)
• Oil: 1 tsp
• Salt: to taste

Method:

1. Wash the greens and chiffonade (roll the leaves and cut them finely) them.
2. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan, add the mustard and cumin seeds.
3. When it starts to pop, add the curry leaves, turmeric powder and the red chili flakes (or green chili paste)
4. Then add the greens, and stir-fry for 5-6 mins on medium flame,
5. Add the salt and the grated coconut and mix well.
6. Serve with rice and dal/sambar.

Note:

1. Experiment with different greens. Cooking times will differ for different greens: like moringa(drumstick) leaves need more time to cook (and you may have to cover and cook for sometime).
2. The red chili flakes add a unique taste to the dish, you can chop the dry red chilies and use that or use green chili paste.

Sri Lankan Mallung/ Mallum

Did you get your Vitamin D today?

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Pomegranate and Dill Raita

Dill known as 'sabsige soppu' in Kannada and 'savaa' in Hindi, is a delicacy especially in Karnataka. It's added to 'dal', upma, rice rotti's and adds a distinct flavor.
The raita is a quick and simple accompaniment to a meal.

Ingredients:(Serves-4)
Yogurt(non-fat)-1 1/2 cup
Pomegranate seeds- 1/2 cup
Dill leaves- 2 tbsp (chopped)
Salt-to taste
Red chilli powder- a pinch
Roasted cumin- a pinch(powdered)
Chaat masala- a pinch (optional)

Method:
1)Mix the dill leaves, pomegranate seeds, yogurt and salt together.
2)Chill for about an hour before serving.
3)Sprinkle the red chilli powder, roasted cumin powder and chaat masala just before serving.

Collard Upkari (a Mangalorean style stir-fry)

Collard Upkari

"Upkari"(or stir-fry) is a very simple vegetarian dish which is a regular in most Mangalorean households. You can make 'upkari' with any vegetable (cabbage,beans,radish, string beans,etc) or with any green leafy vegetable. 'Upkari's' are traditionally made by adding the chopped vegetable/leaves to the tempering along with one or two slit green chillies and cooked till done. At the end, a garnish of freshly grated coconut(Mangalore is a coastal town and has an abundance of coconut trees,and hence the use of coconut in almost every dish) is added which gives it the characteristic flavor.
I've modified the recipe for the collard upkari by adding some chopped onions,some chopped ginger and a pinch of asafoetida(hing) as I like the flavor it adds to the dish.

Ingredients:

• Collard leaves: 1 bunch (chopped)
• Green chilly:1-2(slit length wise)
• Onion-1/2 medium (finely chopped) optional
• Ginger-1/2 inch (cut into long strips) optional
• Coconut: 1tbsp(freshly grated/frozen)
• Salt to taste

For the tempering:

• Oil: 1tsp
• Mustard seeds: 1tsp
• Urad dal: 1tsp
• Asafoetida/hing: a pinch(optional)
• Curry leaves: 3-4 (optional)

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds and urad dal.
2. When the mustard starts to pop, add the asafoetida and the curry leaves.
3. Add the chopped ginger,slit green chillies and onions and saute till the onions turn translucent.
4. Add the chopped collard (or any of the other vegetables/green leafy vegetables) and stir-fry for 10mins.
5. Then add a little water, salt to taste and cover and cook till done.
6. Garnish the collard upkari with the coconut scrapings. Serve hot with a dash of lime (goes well with dal and rice).

Note: You can add 1/2 cup of split moong(wash and soak for 15 mins-add at step 5 with the water) or cooked pulses(kabuli channa) to add some protein to the dish.

Q. Which is your favorite recipe with greens?