Tag Archives: spinach

Pumpkin and Spinach Curry Recipe

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If you read my previous post on my homemade curry powder recipe, you are already anticipating this post! This is a pumpkin and spinach curry recipe using my home made curry powder. The curry powder takes just 12 minutes to make and there is nothing like freshly roasted and ground spices in your curry!

The curry powder is a really simple recipe using just coriander, cumin, fennel seeds, dried chili and turmeric. But heres a great trick to get two layers of flavor from this simple curry powder – add most the curry powder to the pumpkin and cook it till the pumpkin is done – this will give the spices a mellow, rounded flavor. Then, add a little more curry powder right at the end of cooking; this will add another layer of fresh spice taste.

Any yellow flesh winter squash will work with this recipe. Today I’ve used pie pumpkin. But I often make this recipe with butternut squash, which my husband and I both love.  You can also use potato or sweet potato, or mixed vegetables.

Making this easy vegan curry during the holidays? Sprinkle some dried cranberries over the curry when its done for added sweetness and a festive look.

How to to peel a winter squash like butternut, kabocha or a pumpkin

  1. Using a sharp chef’s knife, cut the squash or pumpkin in half.
  2. Then using a spoon, scoop out the seeds and thready bits from the cavity.
  3. Lay the squash or pumpkin cut side down. Using one hand to hold it down and stabilize it, take a sharp, preferably serrated knife, and carefully slice off the skin.
  4. Then cube the squash.

Pumpkin  and Spinach Curry Recipe

Serves about 4

Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
¼ teaspoon black mustard seeds, optional
¼ teaspoon Cumin seeds
6 Curry leaves, optional
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 recipe homemade curry powder (5 tablespoons), see this post for recipe
4 cups peeled and cubed (1 ½ inch cubes) pie pumpkin or butternut squash or kabocha squash. See post above on how to peel squash.
2 cups water
1 cup coconut milk (about half a 14oz can)
3 cups tightly packed baby spinach

Method

  1. Heat oil in a large saucepan and add mustard seeds if using. When they start to pop, add the cumin seeds and curry leaves and stir till fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  2. Add onions and cook till they are light brown
  3. Then throw in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds or till fragrant.
  4. Sprinkle 4 tablespoons of curry powder, stir, then add the peeled, cubed squash or pumpkin and salt.
  5. Pour in 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to a lively simmer, cover the pot and let the squash or pumpkin cook till it is fork tender, about 20 minutes.  If the water is drying up before the pumpkin is done, add more water, half cup at a time. If there is too much water in the pot, boil it uncovered, till there is only about 3/4 cup water remaining.
  6. When the squash/pumpkin is cooked, add the coconut milk and remaining 1 tablespoon of curry powder. Stir and bring back to a boil.
  7. When the curry boils, add the spinach and cook just till the spinach wilts, about 1 minute.
  8. Optional – for added sweetness, garnish the curry with some dried cranberries, or stir in up to one teaspoon of sugar.
  9. Serve hot with rice, roti, bread or quinoa.

 

Spinach Mushroom Soup & How to Keep Spinach Green While Cooking

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This easy spinach and mushroom soup makes me feel good that I’m eating my vegetables. It’s packed with lots of fresh spinach and the great umami flavor of mushrooms. I allow myself a little butter in this recipe; but you can use olive oil instead and make it a vegan soup.

When I make pureed spinach dishes like this soup or palak paneer (Indian spinach curry with cheese), I like my spinach to remain green. But cooking spinach will turn it a dark color. The solution is easy. Add a pinch of baking soda when cooking spinach in water – it will help retain its green color. And don’t overcook the spinach.

Spinach Mushroom Soup Recipe

Serves about 3

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 cup peeled, diced potatoes
3 cups tightly packed fresh, tender spinach leaves
½ teaspoon dried oregano
A pinch of baking soda, optional
10 large button mushroom caps
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Method
Heat a medium, heavy bottom sauce pan with the butter. Add onions, and sauté on medium heat till translucent.  Add the garlic cloves and cook 30 seconds or till the garlic is fragrant.

Add the mushrooms and sauté on medium heat till they brown a little, about 5 minutes. Then add the potatoes, a pinch of salt and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer till the potato cubes are cooked.

Add washed spinach leaves, oregano and salt to the pot (keeping mind you’ve already added a little salt to the soup in the previous stage). Immediately add a pinch of baking soda to the spinach; this will keep the spinach green when cooking; but this step is optional.

Boil for about 1 minute or till the spinach is wilted.

Turn off the heat. Using a hand/immersion blender, puree the soup till smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, pour the soup into a regular blender and carefully puree. If the soup is too thick, add ½ cup water and blend again.

Serve warm, with a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper.

Vegetable, Paneer and Pasta Bake Recipe

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I always enjoy the time I spend with my cousin Meena. She is such a pleasant and genuine person, and the time we spend together is always special. When we met last week (after more than a year!), we spent lazy afternoons gossipping, playing pallankuzhi, and cooking.

 This delicious vegetable, pasta and paneer bake recipe comes from Meena. She makes this vegetarian bake recipe for her post-swim meal. It is filling, and delicious without being heavy.

Meena didnt use cheese in this recipe, to keep it on the lighter side. But you can add some cheese on the top before baking. Vegans can use soy milk and tofu cubes instead of paneer (althought, I havent tried making the vegan version of this bake).

Meena microwaves the bake, which makes things very quick and easy. You can bake it as well, see instructions below. Remember, all the ingredients here already cooked – you only want to bake or microwave this dish just till the sauces bubble and the mushrooms cook.

Thanks meena, for your precious friendship, and for this delicious recipe that I know I will be making again and again.

There are multiple steps in this recipe, but dont let that put you off. Its well worth the effort. And you can make a big batch of this vegetable, paneer and pasta bake and freeze it.

Watch a step-by-step on how to make vegetable paneer and pasta bake

Vegetable Paneer and Pasta Bake Recipe

serves 3-4
Ingredients for the vegetables & paneer
6 oz paneer (substitute with drained, pressed, firm tofu)

3 cups fresh spinach, tightly packed
3.5 oz white button mushrooms (about 15 medium sized mushrooms)

Method
Cube the paneer and set aside.

Wash the spinach, and chop it. Place the washed, chopped spinach on a small wok. Cover it with a lid. Heat the wok on low heat, just untill the spinach wilts. Then remove from heat and sprinkle a little salt. Set aside.

Wipe the mushrooms clean with a paper towel. If the mushrooms have too much dirt, wash them in water, and drain well.

If the mushrooms are large, cut them in 4, if they are small, cut them in half. Set aside.

Ingredients for the pasta
1 1/2 cups cooked pasta*, such as elbow macaroni, shells, fusili, or penne
*Make sure the pasta is cooked al dente – it should not be over cooked or mushy.

Ingredients for the tomato sauce
4 small tomatoes
1 small onion (1/4th cup when chopped)
4 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
Salt & cracked pepper

Method
Core the tomato, chop it roughly and puree it in a blender.

Peel and chop the onion and garlic finely.

Heat olive oil in a small skillet. Add the chopped onion and garlic. Saute on medium heat till the onion gets translucent, about 2 minutes.

Add the pureed tomatoes and 1/4 cup water to the skillet. Bring to a boil. Now add Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Let the sauce gently boil, till it thickens a little, about 3 minutes.

Ingredients for the white sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour (maida) or wheat flour
1 cup room temperature or cold milk, preferably whole milk
1/4 teaspoon or to taste, dried Italian seasoning
Salt and cracked pepper

Method
Place the oil or butter in a non stick sauce pan (without heat). Sprinkle the flour over the oil or melted butter. Using a whisk, stir the flour into the oil or butter to incorporate. Place the pan on a stove over low heat. Immediately, pour in milk. Whisk again till the flour dissolves.

Increase heat to medium. Cook the sauce, whisking constantly, till the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Now add Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Turn off heat.

To assemble and cook the vegetable paneer and pasta bake

Take a medium baking dish, about 8 inches in diameter. Line the bottom with the paneer cubes. Layer the wilted spinach on top of the paneer. Pour the tomato sauce all over. Next, pour the white sauce. Arrange the mushrooms and pasta on top of the white sauce.

Optional step: sprinkle 1/2 cup grated cheddar or mozzarella cheese on top. Meena didnt use cheese in this recipe.

Place the bake in a 400 f oven and bake for 15 minutes or till the sauce is bubbling. If you are baking this in the oven without cheese, you need to pour the white sauce on top of the pasta, so that the pasta doesnt dry out in the oven.

Alternatively, microwave the bake on full power for 5-8 minutes or till the sauce bubbles. Microwave ovens vary.

Serve warm with a green salad.

Spinach and Taleggio Cheese Quesadillas. 10 Minutes, 4 Ingredients!

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A quesadilla recipe doesnt get simpler than this. Only 10 minutes and 4 ingredients, and I promise you will love this easy cheesy quesadilla!

Taleggio is a soft, Italian cows milk cheese. It has a strong fruity smell, but a wonderful mild flavor. You can substitute taleggio with fontina or brie. Since this recipe is simple, and uses very few ingredients, I like to use a “special” cheese like taleggio, where its flavor and creaminess can shine through.

I also like to use asparagus instead of spinach in this recipe. Asparagus and taleggio cheese were made for each other!

Sea salt is a beautiful thing. It has a coarser grain than table salt, and gives you a pleasant burst of saltiness. Because sea salt is more granular it is perfect for sprinkling over food, or using it in quick recipes, where it doesnt have a chance to dissolve. I used a beautiful bag of salt crystals from the Trapani Saltpans of Italy that I picked up at Eataly in New York.

Easy Spinach and Taleggio Cheese Quesadilla Recipe

makes 1 quesadilla

1 eight inch flour or wheat tortillas
1 oz taleggio cheese (substitute with fontina or brie)
1/2 cup fresh baby spinach leaves loosely packed
1/4  teaspoon olive oil
Sea sat

Lay out a tortilla on a work surface. Trim away the rind of the cheese, and cut into into small pieces. Put the cheese pieces all over one half of the quesadilla. Place spinach leaves on top of the cheese. Fold over the other half to form a half moon shaped quesadilla.

Heat a non stick pan on medium heat, drizzle a little oil. Place the folded quesadillas in the pan, and cook on medium heat for 1 minute or till the tortilla is light brown and cheese is just about to melt. Turn the quesadilla over and lightly brown the other side, about 45 seconds. Dont over cook the tortillas, the cheese will get oily.

Cut into wedges and sprinkle a tiny pinch of sea salt on top. Serve with a lettuce, tomato, cucumber salad and your favorite salad dressing.

Creamy Spinach Dal (Lentil Spinach Curry)

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This wonderful bowl of palak dal or spinach dal curry is one of my favorite comfort food recipes for the winter. Just the smell of sizzling cumin, onion and garlic wafting through the house is enough to awaken anyone’s appetite. Serve this easy, filling dish with rice, rotis or bread.

Red choy or red spinach tastes great in this recipe

Any kind of dal or lentils will work here. You can use red lentils (masoor dal) in this dish as well. I like yellow lentils or mung or moong dal. I often use red spinach (Asian red choy or choi) in this recipe. Red spinach tastes a lot like spinach, but has red colored veins, and takes just a bit longer to cook than baby spinach leaves.

Some more delicious spinach dal recipes..
Palak dal or spinach dal recipe from vahrehvah.com
Spinach dal recipe on Mahanandi
Spinach dal recipe using toor dal on Chow and Chatter
Spinach dal curry recipe on Spicy Tasty

Creamy Spinach Dal or Spinach Lentils or Palak Dal Recipe

Serves about 4

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
1-2 green chilies, slit (optional)
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
2 plum tomato, chopped
1 cup yellow lentils (moong dal)
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
Salt to taste
2 tablespoon heavy cream
1 cup fresh, washed, baby spinach leaves or red choy leaves, packed tightly

Heat oil in a medium sauce pan. Add the cumin seeds. When they sizzle, add the green chilly if using, and stir 30 seconds. Then add onion, garlic, and tomato. Stir on medium heat till they are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the lentils and turmeric and stir 2 more minutes.

Pour 3 cups water and add salt to the lentils. Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to a simmer. Place a lid on the saucepan and cook till lentils are done, about 15 minutes. Using the back of a wooden spoon, lightly mash the dal, so that the tomatoes and onion pieces are mashed into the lentils. Add the heavy cream and spinach leaves. Stir the spinach leaves into the dal till they wilt, about 1 minutes. Add more water to the dal, if needed.

Serve hot with rice, rotis or bread.

Spaghetti and Spinach Balls

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I first had this amazing pasta dish at Italia restaurant in Park Pod hotel, Chennai, India. Wanting to recreate the dish at home, I googled around to see if there were similar recipes. To my surprise I found a very similar recipe that is served at the famous Carluccios restaurant in UK! My recipe is inspired by Antonio Carluccios recipe for pasta with courgette sauce and spinach balls on BBC Food


Not only is Antonio Carluccios recipe delicious, it also has a special story behind it..

Everytime someone orders this dish at Carluccios restaurant, 50p (about 75 cents) is donated on the diner’s behalf to the charity, Action Against Hunger. In just 3 years Carluccios has raised 430,000 pounds for the charity this way!  Take a look at their menu for details. (The restaurant sells this dish as penne giardiniera).

I made several changes to Carluccios recipe. Their spinach balls use eggs, I cut that out. Their recipe required fresh spinach leaves, but I used frozen, thawed spinach because i like the texture of frozen spinach better. I also added fresh thyme and extra garlic to the pasta for extra flavor. The fried spinach and parmesan balls are super tasty! You could even serve them as a snack or appetizer. But I love them in the pasta. These are a great vegetarian substitute  for spaghetti and meat balls.

Some tips:

- Timing is important in this recipe because there are 3 elements to it – the pasta, pasta sauce, and spinach balls. Make the pasta sauce first (using olive oil, thyme, garlic, zucchini and cheese) and keep aside. Then work on the spinach balls. Roll the balls and keep them ready to fry.  Then put the pasta to boil. While the pasta is boiling, fry the spinach balls. This way, the pasta and the spinach balls will be done at the same time and you will have al dente pasta and crispy spinach balls just before serving.

- If you want to use fresh spinach, blanch it in boiling water and squeeze dry before using. Refer to Carluccio’s original recipe which uses fresh spinach.

- If your spinach mixture is too dry and wont form a ball, sprinkle a little water. If the mixture is too moist (you probably didnt squeeze the spinach dry enough), try adding more bread crumbs. Keep in mind that if the mixture is too wet, then end result will be oily.

- You can bake the spinach balls if you wish. But it will work better if you formed the spinach mixture into patties for baking, instead of balls. This way, you will get a crunchier exterior in the oven. Ive never baked these before, but I think a temperature of 400-450f should work.

Spaghetti and Crispy Fried Spinach Parmesan Balls Recipe

adapted from this recipe by Antonio Carluccio
serves about 6

For pasta

450g or 1 lb spaghetti pasta
8 tablespoons olive oil
3 sprigs fresh thyme
4 garlic cloves, minced
Crushed red pepper, according to taste
2 zucchini or summer squash cut into thin strips (see picture in post)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt
Pepper

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Generously salt the water. When water boils, add pasta and cook till al dente.

While pasta is cooking, heat oil in a pan. Add thyme sprigs, garlic and crushed pepper and cook for about 30 seconds. Then add the chopped zucchini. Saute for about 2 minutes or till the zucchini is cooked, but still a little crunchy. Turn off heat and stir in grated parmesan, salt and pepper. This is your pasta ‘sauce’. When the pasta is done, drain the pasta and toss with the zucchini mixture.

For Spinach Balls (makes about 24 balls)

1 lb frozen spinach
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1 cup breadcrumbs
a pinch of nutmeg
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt
Pepper
Vegetable oil for frying

Thaw frozen spinach. Squeeze out as much water as possible. Place thawed, dry spinach in a bowl. Add all other ingredients to the bowl, except the oil. Mix well.

Now test the spinach balls. Make one ball from the mixture, heat the oil, and shallow fry it on medium-high heat. If the balls fall apart, you need to add a little more bread crumbs to bind the mixture. If the extra breadcrumb trick didnt work, and the balls still fall apart, add one beaten egg to the mixture.

Form the spinach mixture into balls (see pictures in post). Heat a thin layer of oil in a wide, shallow pan.

Place spinach balls a few at a time and shallow fry them on medium-high heat, turning the balls around till all sides are golden and crisp. Remove spinach balls with a slotted spoon and place them on paper towels.

Serve spinach parmesan balls with the spaghetti.

Baby Spinach and Kumquat Salad with Orange Sesame Dressing

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spinach-and-kumquat-salad-with-orange-sesame-dressing

Kumquats are gorgeous little citrus fruits with a sweet rind and sour flesh. Think of them as bright flavored, miniature oranges. You can eat kumquats whole, rind and all. They add a lovely, fresh, sweet-sour pop to this baby spinach salad. If you dont like or dont have kumquats, just use orange segments (or similar citrus fruit) instead.

kumquats1

Staying with the citrus theme, I used an orange and sesame dressing for this salad. Using frozen orange juice concentrate is the secret here. The concentrate gives the dressing great flavor without watering it down (like regular orange juice would).

 orange-sesame-dressing

spinach-kumquat-salad

Fresh Baby Spinach and Kumquat Salad with Orange Sesame Dressing Recipe

serves 2

for salad
4 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, loosely packed
6-8  kumquats
6 small red onion rings
2-3 tablespoons toasted pecans (I didnt use pecans)

for dressing
4 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 1/2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
salt and pepper

Wash and pat dry the spinach leaves. Wash and cut each kumquat into 3 or 4 rounds. Cut the red onion into thin rings. Assemble all ingredients for the salad in a serving dish.

Whisk together all ingredients for the dressing. Serve with spinach salad.

Spinach and Shitake Mushroom Soup with Crispy Baked Tofu Croutons

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shitake-spinach-soup1

I love soups and make versions of this recipe often in the cold months. Sometimes I add rice noodles to this soup to make it more filling but this time I didnt. The tofu croutons are wonderfully crunchy and make this otherwise thin soup rather satisfying. We had a huge bowl for dinner and I’m looking forward to eating the left over for lunch :)

tofu-croutons

I love these tofu croutons in the soup, they are crispy on the outside, meaty inside absorb flavors fabulously. I also love snacking on them with some hot sauce or sriracha to dip. Toss tofu cubes in some corn starch before baking, this makes the croutons extra crisp. You could add any kind of seasoning you like to the tofu cubes; I stuck with salt and pepper. Garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, paprika will all be great; add these to the tofu about 10 minutes before the end of baking to prevent the spices from burning.
 
shitake-spinach-soup2
 

Spinach and Shitake Mushroom Soup with Crispy Baked Tofu Croutons Recipe

serves 4-6

2 oz dried shitake mushrooms
1/2 tbsp canola oil
2 leeks, chopped thinly and washed
3 tbsp garlic paste
3 tbsp ginger paste
8 cups water, vegetable stock or mushroom stock
3-4 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar or lemon juice
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp sriracha or chili paste
1 large bunch of fresh spinach, washed
Salt (keep in mind soy sauce and stock are already salty)

Soak dried shitake mushrooms in 3 cups of boiling water for about 10 minutes. Heat oil in a soup pot. Add leeks and saute on high heat till leeks are soft. Then add ginger and garlic pastes and cook for about 2 minutes. Removed shitake mushroooms from the boiling water, reserve the soaking liquid. Squeze out some of the water and cut the larger mushrooms into half. Add the mushrooms to the leeks, ginger and garlic and saute on medium-high heat for about 1 minute.

Add 3 cups of the mushroom soaking liquid and 8 cups stock to the soup pot. Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer for about 6 minutes. Add the soy sauce, vinegar or lemon juice, sesame oil, spinach, salt and immediately turn off heat. The fresh spinach will wilt into the soup and doent need any more cooking. Taste and adjust soy sauce, vinegar or lemon juice and sriracha. Serve with tofu croutons on top. For a more filling meal, add some cooked rice noodles or vemicelli to the soup. If you like thicker soup, mix 3 tbsp of corn starch with a little water and add this to the soup at the end, but before adding spinach. Bring the soup with the corn starch slurry to a boil and then turn off heat. This will thicken the soup.

Tofu Croutons Recipe

1 block (19 oz) firm tofu
1 tbsp canola oil
1 1/2 tbsp corn startch
salt and pepper
other optional seasonings – garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, paprika

Heat oven to 375 f. Drain tofu and pat dry. Cut tofu into 1/2 inch cubes. Toss tofu cubes with corn startch, salt and pepper. Drizzle oil over the tofu cubes. Place on a non-stick baking sheet (or a baking sheet lined with silpat or parchment). Bake for 45 minutes or untill the tofu croutons are golden. If using any of the optional sesaoning listed above, remove tofu from oven 10 minutes before end of baking time and toss the croutons with sesaonings, return to oven. Let tofu croutons cool a little before removing them from the baking sheet. Serve with soup.

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