Yet another version of... Aloo Palak (Potatoes cooked with chunky Spinach)

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First year of marriage and what have I learned? Hmmmm… well, one thing I know is that marriage is no easy task, and as my cousin (AJ) so poetically put it at my reception, “marriage is not always easy peezy like a daisy, it’s hard work”… that is a silly phrase I made up when I was 9 years old. At 9, everything seemed to be, ‘easy peezy like a daisy.’ Agree?

Prior to getting married I believe us women lived in a fantasy world of happily ever after, we have an image of the perfect guy, the perfect marriage, the perfect home, the perfect family, basically, the perfect life. When I have kids, I vow to never read Cinderella to them. Soon enough, the wedding is over, the honeymoon is over, the work pressure begins, day to day life begins, and reality kicks in. No one tells you this part. There are of course many good aspects to marriage, without which this journey would be impossible, however the bad part is something no one anticipates. It is this big secret all married couples hide from you; well I’m gonna tell it like it is. The problems begin when you start living with a spouse/significant other… the cleanliness issues, the cooking issues, who cleans up after issues, the needing of me time and space, the moodiness, the arguments over various unmentionable subjects, and the love goes up and down which came as a huge surprise to me.

What I have learned is I cannot change my husband, nor can he change who I am, we need to accept one another for who we are and just accept we are different people, thus we think differently. An interesting thought my mom once said to me was, if I don’t think the same way as my siblings, and we share the same bloodline, the same upbringing, why would I expect my husband to share the same views and thoughts as me, right? It makes sense. Our expectations of our spouse are much higher than any other relationship, I think lowering these expectations and understanding one another, respecting one another’s viewpoint is the way to go. Taking the time to appreciate one another daily, even if you don’t mean it at the moment, can make a huge difference. It is these little gestures that count and make a marriage happier, and thus stronger. Other times when things are not so smooth, it is best to simply agree, to disagree, and that’s OK! So the way I see it, marriage is a learning process, I hope to learn something new every year. Marriage is not a destination, it is a journey to share life’s joys and sorrows! I guess I needed to write this out for myself, it’s therapeutic.

Back to cooking, this is not a marriage blog… or maybe I’ll start one 🙂 I still have so much to learn. I-D-E-A!

So you are here for your recipe, and once again, I bring you another version of Aloo Palak, the chunky version. I am trying to cook spinach more often since my husband is low on iron, here is a quick and easy way to make Aloo Palak. Enjoy!

NUTRITION: Spinach is loaded with tons of nutrients. It is rich in Vitamins A, C, and K, and is an excellent source of Iron and Folic Acid. Spinach is also a good source of Omega 3 fatty acids. Potatoes are a good source of Vitamin C and Fiber.

INGREDIENTS:

Oil – 1.5 tbsp

Cumin Seeds – 1.5 tsp

Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp

Green Chillies – 3 (sliced)

Garlic – 3 cloves (chopped)

Ginger – 1 inch piece (chopped)

Onion – 1 medium (chopped)

Fresh Spinach – 1 10 oz. bag (finely chopped)

Potatoes – 2 medium (peeled and small cubes)

Plum Tomato – 1 (chopped)

Coriander Powder – 2 tsp

Red Chili Powder – 1/2 tsp

salt to taste

Garam Masala – 1 tsp

Light Sour Cream – 1 dollop (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Here is what you’ll need. Chop the onion, garlic, ginger. Slice the green chillies.

2. Heat a pot on medium heat, add oil, add the cumin seeds. Once they sizzle, add the turmeric powder. Saute for 5-10 seconds.

3. Add the ginger, garlic and green chillies. Saute for 15 seconds.

4. Add the onions. Lower heat to dial #3. Saute until slightly golden.

5. In the meantime, peel the potatoes and cube (bite size).

6. Once onions are golden, add the potato. Season with salt.

7. In the meantime, chop the tomato.

8. Once the potatoes are slightly golden, after 5 minutes, add the tomato.

9. Add the coriander powder and chili powder. Combine.

10. Cover with a lid and allow this to simmer on low for 10 minutes.

11. In the meantime, finely chop the spinach.

12. This is how the potato-tomato mixture should look.

13. Now add the spinach. Combine. This will slowly wilt. Allow this to cook for 10 minutes on low simmer.

14. Add the garam masala.

15. Add the light sour cream (optional). It tastes really good without it too.

16. Combine. Cook for a couple more minutes. Turn off the gas.

4 Comments

honeywhatscooking says:

January 14, 2013 at 3:34 AM

@Kristina – Thank you for the feedback. I'm so glad you enjoyed this dish.

Kristina says:

January 14, 2013 at 3:30 AM

This is a favorite recipe. I made it, along with some naan, today.

Phyllisia says:

October 13, 2010 at 1:12 AM

Yum! This was delicious, easy, healthy, and cheap. That's four awesome ways to describe food when your a college student, lol.

sophia says:

March 2, 2010 at 6:27 AM

I'm not married (nor do I plan to be, actually), but I loved your view on it…and the statement that marriage is not a destination, but a journey. That really touched me!Happy anniversary, and love the dish! Palak Paneer is my favorite Indian dish, so I don't see why I won't like the aloo one!