Aloo Palak - potatoes in a spinach curry

Anyone familiar with Indian food and Indian restaurants has most likely eaten Palak Paneer - cottage cheese cubes in a spinach curry. Aloo Palak is a lactose free, vegan twist on this popular dish. You make the spinach curry the same way as you would for palak paneer but add boiled potatoes instead of cheese.

You will need the following (serves 4-6)

Large bunch of fresh spinach
6-8 medium sized potatoes
1 large onion
Small piece of ginger (1 cm long)
2 large cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
Salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon of red chilli powder
1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder
1 teaspoon of garam masala powder
2 tablespoons of olive oil

To make this dish, we need to prepare both the spinach and potatoes separately. I am lucky to have my own vegetable garden and in this instance have used both the spinach and potatoes from my veggie patch. Instead of uprooting the entire spinach plants (as you would find in the shops) I simply cut as many spinach leaves as I need and leave the rest of the plant behind to sprout new leaves. This has a few advantages -  less mud/grit in the leaves thus requiring less washing, I continue to benefit from the plant and having grown the vegetables myself, I know no nasty chemicals or sprays have been used.

To prepare the spinach, I wash the leaves and place them in a large saucepan with a clove of garlic and some salt to boil. I also add sugar (optional) as my mum always does, she believes it helps retain colour and adds to flavour. But I do not think it is necessary, if you do not overcook the spinach it will not discolour and with really fresh spinach, flavour is not a problem. Having said that, I still add a pinch out of habit and respect for my mum. Once the water has come to the boil and the spinach has wilted, turn the heat off and place the cooked spinach leaves and garlic clove in a food processor and blend into a smooth puree and set aside. I reserve the spinach water to thin the curry during the cooking process instead of using water.

To prepare the potatoes, simply peel and cut each potato into eight pieces and boil them in salted water until tender.

While the potatoes are boiling, I get started with the base of the spinach curry by pureeing the onion, ginger and remaining clove of garlic. Then add oil to a wok or heavy based skillet and cook the mixture, stirring regularly until it has browned. Add the tomato paste and cook for a further two minutes before adding the salt and other powdered spices. Add the spinach puree and cook for a couple of minutes before adding the boiled and drained potatoes and mixing well to ensure they are coated with the spinach. I add a couple of tablespoons of the water the spinach has been cooked to get the right consistency (I have kept mine thick as I was serving it with flat bread). Simmer, cover with a lid for five minutes. Serve warm and enjoy with flat bread or rice.