I’ve been meaning to share this recipe with you all for a while now. Sorry it took me so long. This is one of my favorite go to meals that I’ve been making since college. It’s my riff on the classic palaak paneer but it’s dairy free which makes my tummy and my skin happy. I add coconut milk to make it rich and creamy and the chickpeas make it nice and hearty. I love it, Anders loves it, and our friend’s 11-month old baby even loves it. Every time I make this, the smell of Indian spices makes me nostalgic for our time in India and I vow to cook more Indian food. I hope you love this recipe as much as I do and that every time you make it you imagine me in India, zipping through the crowded streets on a motorbike, slurping fresh coconut water, sitting cross legged on the floor and eating with my fingers.
Chana Palaak
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
5 curry leaves
1/2 onion, diced
1 teaspoon salt
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced
6 cups loosely packed spinach leaves
lemon juice
1 cup full fat coconut milk
1 15-ounce can chickpeas
cooked quinoa or rice for serving
PROCEDURE
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the spices and the curry leaves and cook until fragrant and beginning to pop, about 10-20 seconds. Add the onion, ginger and salt and sautee until the onion is soft and translucent. Â Add the spinach and cook until just wilted. Add a squeeze of lemon to keep the spinach vibrant and remove the pan from the heat. Transfer the mixture to a blender and pulse 5-10 times until you have a chunky puree. Return the mixture to the pan. Add in the coconut milk and chickpeas and stir to combine. Serve with rice or quinoa.
Very inviting meals. Makes me look forward to trying a more varied list of foods. Thanks!
Thank you. That’s awesome. I’m so glad you feel inspired.
Nice@
wow..this looks very beautiful! I am Indian and have cooked it so many times, but your version look so pretty 🙂
Thanks. I’d love to hear what you think…
Made it today and everyone ( even my 6years old, almost always difficult when seeing a green soup) loved it! I will make it again, as it’s so easy to make( thinking of trying a version with raw spinach, or maybe 50% of it). Thank you, Sasha!
Oh yay! You have no idea how happy this makes me. I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed it!
Such a lovely green! I love spinach in its raw version, but this meal sounds so good that I will need to make it tomorrow! Can’t wait!
Hooray! Let me know how it turned out.
love these greens, and grays together, sasha! the soup sounds super nourishing and perfect for a chilly day 🙂
Thanks Lindsey! XO
Which type of spinach do you use? English? Silver beet?
This sounds so warming -perfect for our cooler nights!
Looks like I need to study up on my spinach varieties 😉 a quick Google search makes it look like silver beet is the same as chard so I think you want to use English spinach. Good luck!
This is gorgeous Sasha <3 and I love the picture you paint of you in India! I've had very little (if any?) Indian food in my life. Another "pro" to put on the list for "if we were to be neighbors". Ps. There are no "cons" 😉 xo
What!? You need to start eating Indian food right now! Sooo good and Sooo healthy.