Aloo Palak (spinach potato curry)

-32 oz new, waxy potatoes- small red potatoes work well
-16 oz spinach, small pieces or pureed (use frozen if fresh is not available- it's also faster)
-2 green or red small peppers of your choice (hot peppers, not sweet or bell), de-seeded and diced. Wear gloves! If you like a lot of heat, leave the seeds in.
-4 tsp garlic paste
-4 tsp ginger paste
-1 large or two medium sized white or yellow onions, roughly diced
-14 ounces stewed tomatoes, NOT drained
-2 tsp ground cardamom
-1 tsp ground turmeric
-1 tsp chili powder
-4 Tbsp light cream or whole milk yogurt (not included in nutritional information, so you will have to add it manually)
-5 Tbsp olive oil. Do not try to cut down on this or you will have a sticky mess- remember, it's a GOOD fat, and this is already cut down from the original recipe.

These first steps can be done well in advance as time savers. First, bring lightly salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes, and boil for 20 minutes or until they're tender. Drain, then soak the potatoes in cold water for half an hour or until you're ready to use them. Meanwhile, if you're using fresh spinach, blanch it in boiling water for two minutes or so, then drain it. Puree in the food processor if desired, and set aside.

Peel the potatoes, if desired, and chop into rough quarters or sixths, depending on the size of the potato. You're aiming for bite-size pieces.

Heat 2 of the tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet, preferably NOT non-stick, over medium-high heat. Cast iron works well. When the oil is hot (to test, try flicking in a drop of water and seeing if it sizzles when it lands), add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they're well browned. Remove from the pan and the excess oil, and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Keep as much of the oil in the pan as you can.

Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining oil. Heat for a couple of minutes and then add the garlic and ginger pastes. Stirring well, cook for two or three minutes, then tip in the rest of the spices and the diced peppers. Keep stirring and cook for another minute or two.

Pour in the stewed tomatoes with their juices, and reduce the heat to medium to simmer. Using your spatula and the tomato juice as a de-glazer, scrape the spices off the bottom of the pan and mix them into the sauce. Cook for about five minutes, or until the tomatoes are breaking down and the mixture is starting to look like a loose paste.

Add the potatoes, onions, and spinach. Cook, stirring frequently, for about three minutes. Remove from heat and, if desired, add the cream or yogurt after allowing a minute or two to cool (adding thick dairy products to a hot skillet can result in the dairy splitting- not a good texture).

Divide into six portions and serve. This recipe also keeps beautifully in the refrigerator- I think it's actually better as leftovers.

Number of Servings: 6

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user LOUISATHELAST.