"Cooking isn't rocket science" someone said to me a long time back. Well yes, rocket science doesn't have eye-balled measures which differ from kitchen to kitchen, around 16000 ingredients and surely does not depend on the size or shape of your vessel!!!
Before marriage, being the pampered daughter of an amazing cook, I never bothered about the measures that go into cooking. So for most of the dishes, I thought I know what goes in so how tough can it be to make it.
Well, I got to know how wrong I was once I started my cooking (mis)adventures.
This was the first recipe that I prepared for my husband, after half a dozen frantic calls to mamma... Well, here is what happened…
He: There is some spinach in the fridge, why don’t we have aloo palak today?
Me: Err…Yes... Why not…
He: so you know how to make it??
Me: how difficult can it be.. eye-roll
He: listen, don’t experiment, ask your mom!
Me: I am not asking, let’s try it…
He: I won’t eat it if it doesn't taste good!! Glares exchanged
Me: (picks the phone, speed-dial, two rings later) hello ma.. Aloo palak..
My mother, the supernatural being she is, recited the whole list of ingredients and method... Me being me, called her in every two minutes and made her coach me through the entire recipe."Is the colour not supposed to turn a little more green?" "will the paste bubble like lava?" and many more inane questions that I can not remember. But I followed her directions to the T and he was a pleased being that day!! My official first cooking lesson :)
So here goes the recipe:
What I used:
Potatoes- 300 g- around three big potatoes should do
Spinach- 2 bunches from the local market
Onion - 1
Green Chillies- 3 small
Kasoori methi - 2 tsp
Coriander leaves- 3 -4 sprigs
Fresh cream- 2 tsp
Haldi - 1/4 tsp
Kitchen King Masala- 2 tsp (can replace with garam masala)
Jeera/Cumin - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Ginger garlic paste- 1 1/2 tsp
Oil- 2 tsp
Salt- as per taste
How I made this dish:
1. First of all, I put the potatoes into the pressure cooker with 3 cups of water and let it cook for 2 whistles. Also, I kept water to heat for blanching the spinach
2. While that was getting done, I separated the spinach leaves from the stems and blanched them by putting into boiling water for 2 minutes, then running cold water over the leaves. The water used for blanching can be reserved to make the gravy
3. I chopped the onion and green chillies finely and then made a paste of the blanched spinach with the chopped green chillies and coriander leaves.
4. Out came the boiled potatoes. Once cool enough to handle, I peeled and cut the potatoes into cubes.
5. Then I heated the oil in a deep vessel and added the cumin. Once cumin started crackling I added the chopped onions and kept the gas on medium high flame till the onions were golden brown
6. Next I added the ginger garlic paste and let it fry for a minute. After that I added the spice powders and the spinach paste, salt and boiled potatoes. Since my gravy was looking too thick, I added the blanching water that I had reserved from step 2
7. I let this cook for 5 minutes on medium flame, then added the Kasoori methi and cream and then cooked for 10 minutes on medium flame.
8. Yummilicious Aloo Palak was ready to serve with hot chapattis.
What I used:
Potatoes- 300 g- around three big potatoes should do
Spinach- 2 bunches from the local market
Onion - 1
Green Chillies- 3 small
Kasoori methi - 2 tsp
Coriander leaves- 3 -4 sprigs
Fresh cream- 2 tsp
Haldi - 1/4 tsp
Kitchen King Masala- 2 tsp (can replace with garam masala)
Jeera/Cumin - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Ginger garlic paste- 1 1/2 tsp
Oil- 2 tsp
Salt- as per taste
How I made this dish:
1. First of all, I put the potatoes into the pressure cooker with 3 cups of water and let it cook for 2 whistles. Also, I kept water to heat for blanching the spinach
2. While that was getting done, I separated the spinach leaves from the stems and blanched them by putting into boiling water for 2 minutes, then running cold water over the leaves. The water used for blanching can be reserved to make the gravy
3. I chopped the onion and green chillies finely and then made a paste of the blanched spinach with the chopped green chillies and coriander leaves.
4. Out came the boiled potatoes. Once cool enough to handle, I peeled and cut the potatoes into cubes.
5. Then I heated the oil in a deep vessel and added the cumin. Once cumin started crackling I added the chopped onions and kept the gas on medium high flame till the onions were golden brown
6. Next I added the ginger garlic paste and let it fry for a minute. After that I added the spice powders and the spinach paste, salt and boiled potatoes. Since my gravy was looking too thick, I added the blanching water that I had reserved from step 2
7. I let this cook for 5 minutes on medium flame, then added the Kasoori methi and cream and then cooked for 10 minutes on medium flame.
8. Yummilicious Aloo Palak was ready to serve with hot chapattis.
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