Palak Aloo Bhartha

1 medium eggplant
1 small/medium yellow onion
1 small/medium red onion
4 garlic cloves
3 serrano chiles
1 inch piece of ginger
3-4 medium red potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 lb. box frozen, chopped spinach, defrosted
1 Cup canned tomatoes, chunky puree
vegetable stock, as needed
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp mango powder
pinch asafetida (optional)
.5 tsp fennel seeds
4 whole cloves
3-4 dry bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
1 lemon, juice and zest
.5 bunch parsley
2 tsp garam masala
Kosher salt, as needed
fresh ground black pepper, as needed
cayenne, as needed

1. wash and dry eggplant. place on baking sheet. pierce skin several times with sharp knife. rub with olive oil and season with salt.
2. bake eggplant for 45 minutes at 425 F, until very soft.
3. let cool and scrape out and mash insides.
4. puree onions, garlic, chiles, and ginger in food processor.
5. in large dutch oven or straight-edged saute pan, toast whole spices and bay leaves in 1 Tbsp each olive oil and butter over medium-high heat.
6. add asafetida. then add onion puree. season with salt, pepper, and cayenne. cook over medium heat until liquid evaporates and onion brown slightly.
7. add tomatoes, ground spices, and lemon zest. stir to combine. cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
8. add cubed potatoes, eggplant puree, and spinach. add stock if needed. bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. cover and cook over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
9. stir frequently to prevent burning and add extra stock if it gets too dry.
10. turn off the heat and add chopped parsley, lemon juice, and garam masala.

Serving Size: makes about 6 2/3-cup servings

Number of Servings: 6

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user WARDAWG1.