Ingredients
6-8 new potatoes, washed and scrubbed, halved or quartered to fork-sized
1 brown onion, roughly chopped
1 thumb-sized knob fresh ginger, roughly chopped (no need to peel)
2-3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 long green chillies (or to taste), finely chopped
2 teaspoons salt flakes
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 bunches of English spinach, washed and spun
1 tomato, roughly chopped ¼ cup (60 ml) neutral-flavoured oil
Tadka topping
2 tablespoons neutral-flavoured oil (I like grapeseed)
24 fresh curry leaves (roughly 2-3 stems)
2-3 small whole dried red chillies
2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
To serve
cooked white or brown basmati rice lemon wedges
½ cup (125 ml) single (pure) cream, or plain or coconut yoghurt
Method
Place the potato pieces in a saucepan of well-salted cold water. Bring to the boil, then drop the heat to a simmer and cook until fork-tender (about
15-20 minutes). Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, get cracking on the topping. In a large, heavy-based saucepan, heat the oil to shimmering. Fry the curry leaves until crispy and vibrant green, then remove and drain on paper towel. Keeping the heat low, temper the whole spices, largest to smallest, making sure not to burn them (for more on tempering, see Ingredient spotlight, page 110). Add the whole chillies and mustard seeds in the first minute; once the mustard seeds start to pop, add the cumin seeds. Once aromatic, skim the spices out of the oil and set aside with the curry leaves for garnishing.
Add the onion and ginger to the left-over spice oil in the pan and listen for a sizzle. Stir about, cover with the lid, and turn the heat down low. Allow the onion mixture to sweat away for 8-10 minutes. Once the onion has softened but not coloured, add the garlic, green chilli, salt, garam masala and ground cumin and coriander and stir until fragrant.
Pop the spinach leaves into the pan, stirring to coat. Cover with the lid for
4-5 minutes over low heat, preparing for The Ultimate Disappearing Spinach Trick that takes what seems to be an inordinate amount of spinach and makes it … practically disappear, like magic.
Once the spinach has wilted, transfer the mixture to a blender, add the tomato and blitz until finely chopped. With the motor going, slowly pour in the oil to emulsify to a fine, creamy gravy.
Pour the palak back into the pan, add the cooked potato and gently warm everything through.
Serve the palak over the rice, scattered with the tempered spices and curry leaves, with lemon wedges and cream or yoghurt.
