Palak (Spinach) patty

Palak Patty, a starter, tea time snack or the way to welcome rainy, but offcourse in a healthy way. Its not a deep fry version, but a shallow fry Palak (Spinach) Patty..

Palak (Spinach) Patty

Ingredients:

1 cup Chana dal soaked in water for 2-3 hours (chick pea lentil)
2 1/2 cup choped palak (Spinach)

4 tsp Besan (Chick pea flour for binding)
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic  paste
2 tsp green chilly paste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilly powder (adjust the spice level to your taste)
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
Salt to taste, And
Oil for shallow frying....

Recipe:

• In a mixer grinder jar, grind soaked Chana dal (chick pea lentil) roughly.
• Boil chopped Palak with a spoon full of water and pinch of salt.
• In a large bowl Mix roughly grinded chana dal with Boiled and chopped palak (spinach), Besan (Chick pea flour) ginger-garlic paste, green chilly paste, turmeric and red chilly powder, cumin-coriander powder, garam masala and salt to taste. 

Patty Mixture

• Mix all the Patty mixture and shape it (A normal Patty Shape).
• Shallow fry those patties in non stick pan from both the side on medium-low flame until crisp and brown from outside.

• Serve it hot with Green Coriander or Mint Chutney. 

• Enjoy Rainy...:)
• Happy Monsoon...

Palak Kofta Curry In Green Gravy

Time for some change from regular Palak paneer to Palak kofta Curry in Green Gravy, prepared traditionally the same way my mother does.

Palak Kofta Curry In Green Gravy

Ingredients:

1)  For Koftas (Dumplings):

2 cups chopped Palak (Spinach)
3/4 cup Besan (Chick pea flour)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 medium onion
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp red chilly powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
salt to taste

2)  For Gravy:

(Here for gravy i have used my own home made Bhuna masala. As it is really helpful especially when you are running busy whole week. I store my Bhuna Masala for almost  4-5 days in refrigerator and use it for gravy based dishes like Paneer Makhni, Chicken Makhni,  Kofta curry, Rasewale Masala aloo, Matar Paneer and so on..But every time for surely you wont get the same repetitive taste..)

Here is its Recipe : Bhuna Masala (Do have a look at once, Thank you :) )

If you do not have bhuna masala handy than below is the Recipe for Palak Kofta Gravy:

1 tsp Oil
11/2 tsp Ghee (Clarified Butter)
2 Medium onion Puree
1 Large Tomato Puree
1/3 cup Bolied Palak Puree
1 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste each
1 1/2 tsp Fennel Powder (Saunf)
1 tsp Kasuri methi slightly crushed
1/4 cup beaten Dahi/Yogurt
1 tsp Red Chilly Powder (adjust the spice suitable to your taste buds)
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp Coriander Powder
Salt to taste



Recipe:

For Koftas (Dumplings)

• In a bowl mix all the ingredients listed above in For Koftas.
• Add Little water, to make a sticky dough and not the batter. Make sure here the Binding agent is only flour and not boiled or smashed potatoes (which many other recipes use, but traditionally my mother do not use the same and so i have'nt too) So be careful with water part. Or else see the picture below. 

• Now with your oil greased palm make a round lemon size ball out of this sticky dough and deep fry on medium flame  in hot oil until light golden brown from outside.

• This quantity yields about 14-15 Koftas/dumplings.

• Keep this fried Koftas aside and lets start with a gravy.

For Gravy

• As i said earlier, I used my own homemade Bhuna Masala for this gravy so within 20 minutes i was ready with whole Palak Kofta Curry sabji. If its not handy, below i have posted the gravy recipe as well.

Bhuna Masala Mix-Curry Masala

• In a Non stick wok or Kadai, heat oil and add cumin and mustard seeds, as soon as it splutters add pinch of asafoetida powder. Saute Onion Puree with pinch of salt in it until light pink. 
• Now add Tomato Puree, Boiled Palak puree, ginger-garlic paste and other spice powder. Let it cook for about 2 minutes with little water in it.

• Add Beaten cold curd and mix (Use cold curd to avoid curdling) and cook for few minutes more.

• Time for Koftas...:) 
• Add those koftas now in a gravy and mix all well. Cook for a 2 minute on low flame. 
• Add water if required. Gravy should be little thick. And here it is ready to serve with Rotis.

Palak Kofta Curry In Green Gravy

Konkani Vegetable Dal / Lentils

Ingredients:

Konkani Vegetable Dal/Lentil

1/2 cup yellow split Moong Dal
1/3 cup Tuver Dal (Arhar in Hindi and Pigeon pea in English)
1/4  cup Masoor Dal
2 tbsp Green Moong Dal
1 cup Chopped palak (Spinach)
1 cup dice in cube shape Lauki (Bottle Gourd)
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup Small chopped onion
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp Fresh grated coconut
1 tbsp Tamarind Paste
4 whole Red Chilly
1 1/2 tsp dry fenugreek seeds

For Tempering:
1 tbsp Olive oil
1 tbsp ghee (Clarified Butter)
Pinch of Asafoetida Powder (Heeng)
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
5-6 Fresh Curry Leaves
1/2 tsp Red Chilly Powder

Recipe:

• Pressure cook all four dals (Moong dal, Tuver dal, Masoor dal, Green Moong dal) with salt, turmeric, diced in cube shaped bottle gourd and Spinach together.
• Mean while in a non stick pan dry roast Fenugreek seeds until light pink and than add whole red chilly, further roast for a minute.
• Grind this Dry roast ingredients with  grated coconut and Tamarind paste in a mixer grinder jar and keep it aside.
• In the same pan, Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil and saute sliced onion with little salt until translucent.
• Now add all grinned and boiled ingredients to it with little water to it (about 1/2 cup or as required).
• Simmer on low flame and cook for 3-4 minutes.
• Now its time for tempering
• In a small fry pan heat oil and ghee with cumin and mustard seeds, as soon as it splutters add asafoetida powder, curry leaves and lastly red chilly powder.
• Pour this ready temper on dal and mix it nicely. Cook for another 2 minutes on low flame (add water if required).
• Garnish it with Fresh Coriander leaves and serve it with plain paratha or roti..