Spinach, red pepper and chickpea bhaji (HOT)

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon sunflower oil
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh root ginger
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into thin strips
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons tomato purée
150 - 200 ml water
200 g baby spinach leaves
200 g can chickpeas, drained
salt

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large nonstick pan. Add the ginger and garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the shallot and red pepper and cook for 5-6 minutes until slightly softened.

2. Stir in the chilli powder, ground cumin, ground coriander and tomato purée. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, then pour in the measured water, stir and bring to the boil. Stir in the spinach and chickpeas and cook for 5-6 minutes until the spinach has just wilted. Season.

Half the spices if you don't like it too hot.

Serve with indian roti bread.

Chicken Saag

A mildly spiced dish using a popular combination of spinach and chicken. This recipe is best made using fresh spinach.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

225 g fresh spinach leaves, washed but not dried
2.5 cm piece fresh root ginger, grated
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 fresh green chilli, roughly chopped
200 ml water
1 tbsp oil
2 bay leaves
¼ tsp black peppercorns
1 onion, finely chopped
4 tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chilli powder
3 tbsp natural (plain) yogurt
8 chicken thighs, skinned ( I used chicken legs instead)
Naan bread or rice to serve
natural (plain) yogurt and chilli powder, to garnish

Method:

1. Cook the spinach leaves, without extra water, in a tightly covered pan for 5 minutes. Put the cooked spinach, ginger, garlic and chilli with 50 ml of the measured water into a food processor or blender and process to a thick purée. Set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a large heavy pan, add the bay leaves and black peppercorns and fry for 2 minutes. Stir in the onion and fry for a further 6-8 minutes or until the onion has browned.

3. Add the tomatoes and simmer for about 5 minutes.

4. Stir in the curry powder, salt and chilli powder. Cook for 2 minutes over a medium heat, stirring once or twice.

5. Stir in the spinach purée and the remaining measured water, then simmer for 5 minutes.

6. Add the yogurt, 1 tbsp at a time, and simmer for 5 minutes.

7. Add the chicken thighs and stir to coat them in the sauce. Cover and cook for 25-30 minutes until the chicken is tender. Serve with naan bread or basmati rice. Drizzle over some yogurt and dust with chilli powder.

Spinach with Curd Cheese

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

450 ml milk
100 ml live yogurt
salt
2 tsp lime or lemon juice
250 g fresh spinach or 1 small packet frozen spinach
2 green chillies, chopped
½ tsp chopped fresh ginger
2 tbsp oil
a pinch of fenugreek seeds
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped¼ tsp cumin seeds
2 tomatoes, puréed

Method:

1. To make curd cheese, bring the milk just to boiling point, then add the live yogurt with a pinch of salt and the lime or lemon juice. Continue boiling for 7-10 minutes. The milk will separate. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

2. Place a large strainer over a bowl and pour in the milk to collect the solids in the strainer, allowing the whey to remain in the bowl below. Keep the milk solids in contact with the whey until required for cooking. When ready to use, press down the solids in the strainer with a potato masher or the back of a large spoon to squeeze the moisture out or use a jelly bag or cheesecloth. You will get about 100 g curd cheese or paneer.

3. Cook the spinach with the chillies, ginger, a pinch of salt, and just a sprinkling of water if using fresh spinach. Cook uncovered so that the bright green colour is retained. (Salt is also required for retaining the colour.) When cool, purée in a blender.

4. In a frying pan, heat the oil and fry the fenugreek seeds for 30 seconds, then add the onion and fry until lightly coloured. Add the garlic and cumin, and after 30 seconds the tomatoes. Fry for about 5 minutes.

5. When the liquid from the tomatoes has evaporated, add the curd cheese and stir gently. Add the puréed spinach and cook for a couple of minutes. It is now ready to serve.

Spinach and Potato Curry

Spinach, potatoes and traditional Indian spices are the main ingredients in this simple but authentic curry.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

450 g spinach
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2.5 cm fresh root ginger, finely chopped
675 g potatoes, cut into 2.5 cm chunks
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp salt
120 ml water

Method:

1. Wash and trim the spinach, then blach it in a pan of boiling water for about 3-4 minutes.

2. Drain the spinach thoroughly and set aside. When it is cool enough to handle, use your hands to squeeze out any remaining liquid.

3. Heat the oil in a large heavy pan and fry the mustard seeds for 2 minutes or until they splatter.

4. Add the sliced onion, garlic cloves and chopped ginger to the mustard seeds and fry for 5 minutes, stirring.

5. Add the potato chunks, chilli powder, salt and water and stir-fry for a further 8 minutes.

6. Add the drained spinach. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Serve hot.