Chole Palak Recipe

Chole Palak is an Indian-style spinach and chickpea dish that’s super flavorful and a breeze to make.  With a few ingredients in the cabinet, this tasty dish is always just a few minutes away.  Thanks for watching and I hope you give it a try.  For more recipe ideas, check out the Chef Buck Playlist:  http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2EFBD7E8FE2BB552

ingredients:

SPINACH  (13 oz can or frozen, or 3 cups chopped fresh)

CHICKPEAS  (15 oz can, rinsed and drained)

TOMATOES  (diced, 14 oz can—or 2 fresh tomatoes)

HOT PEPPER  (1 or 2, minced)

GINGER  (1 Tbsp, minced)

OLIVE OIL  (2-3 Tbsp)

CUMIN SEEDS  (1 tsp)

ASAFOETIDA  (¼ tsp)

CORIANDER  (1 Tbsp)

CHILI POWDER  (1 tsp)

TURMERIC  (½ tsp)

GARAM MASALA  (1 tsp)

SALT (to taste)

directions:

Heat olive oil on medium high heat and add cumin seeds and asafoetida.  The seeds should sizzle when they hit the pan and will brown and crack quickly.  Add the tomatoes, ginger, and peppers.  Mix well and then add the coriander, chili, and turmeric powder.  Mix and allow the tomatoes to cook down 3-4 minutes.  Add the spinach and salt and stir well.  Add ¼ - ½ cup water—I like less water, but add as desired throughout the recipe.  Cover and let cook 3-4 minutes.  Uncover and mix in chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans).  Add another ¼ cup of water, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 5-6 minutes.  At this point the chickpeas will be soft enough to smash easily with a fork, which you don’t have to do, but I prefer the consistency of the dish if I mush about half of them.  Add the garam masala and stir another minute or two, also adding more water if desired.  And then that’s that.  Finito.  When I prepare an Indian meal, I almost always serve this dish; it’s easy, healthy, and delicious, so why not?

Give it a try, let me know what you think, and bon appétit!