Spinach & potato sabji Palak & alu sabji

Ingredients

2 tablespoons mustard oil (or rapeseed oil)

1 tablespoon panch phoran

2 onions, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, grated

2.5cm (1 inch) piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and grated

500g (1lb 2oz) baby potatoes, cut into half

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon chilli powder

1 teaspoon amchur (mango powder)

2 tomatoes, roughly chopped

30ml (2 tablespoons) water

200g (7oz) spinach leaves, chopped

Directions

Heat the oil in a pan. Once it is hot and smoky, add the panch phoran and let it sizzle for a few seconds. Add the onions and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes until they have softened. Then add the garlic and ginger and cook for a minute.

Add the potatoes and cook over a medium heat for about 5 minutes until they and the onions have started to colour.

Stir in the salt and ground spices followed by the tomatoes and measured water. Cover and cook over a low to medium heat for 10 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through.

Add the spinach and cook over a high heat for about 2 minutes until wilted and the liquid has reduced slightly. Serve hot.

Notes

The subtle flavours of the spices in panch phoran – a mix of fenugreek seeds, black mustard seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds and nigella seeds – cooked with potatoes results in a very delicious sabji here. Along with the spinach, the potatoes also give the sabji body, making it a perfect meal just with the Cheese and Chilli Naan or chapattis, or serve it on the side of any curry or dal.