I was skeptical of this combination, but I am a complete convert to it now. The only thing I do differently is I blanch the spinach in boiling water for a few minutes and then puree it and add it to the cooked chana. This gives the dish more body and a smoother texture.

Taken from : https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/palak-chole-recipe-palak-chole/

Course : Side dish
Cuisine : Indian, Punjabi
Preparation Time : 8 minutes
Cook Time : 45 minutes
Total Time : 53 minutes
Serves : 4

Ingredients :
Main ingredients for Palak Chole:
4.5 or 5 cups chopped spinach or palak
1 cup dried white chickpeas (whole or Kabul chana or safe chana)
1 large tomato -pureed
1.5 to 2 cups water
3 to 4 tablespoon oil
3/4 teaspoon pomegranate seed – dry roasted and crushed or 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur powder)
1 teaspoon kauri methi – crushed (dry fenugreek leaves)
Salt as require – for boiling cholesterol and for the gravy

To be ground to paste :
1 large onion, roughly chopped
1 or 2 green chillies (Hari mirchi), chopped
3 to 4 garlic cloves (garlic), chopped
1/2 inch ginger (adrak), chopped, optional

Whole spices for palak chana :
1 inch cinnamon (dalchini)
3 cloves (lavang)
2 green cardamom (hari elaichi or choti elaichi)
1 black cardamom (badi elaichi)
1 tej pasta (Indian bay leaf)

Spice powders for palak chole :
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder (jeera powder)
1 teaspoon coriander powder (dhania powder)
1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder (lal mirch powder)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi powder)
3/4 teaspoon punjabi garam masala powder or chana masala powder or garam masala powder

Method :
Preparation for palak chole recipe:
1. Soak the dried white chana (whole) overnight or for 7 to 8 hours.
2. Drain and add whole (chickpeas) with 3 to 4 cups of water in the pressure cooker, sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt or as required.
3. Pressure cook the whole till they are cooked completely, you can also cook the chickpeas in a pot or pan.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the onions paste with green chillies, ginger and garlic, also prepare the tomato puree. Keep aside.
5. Rinse palak (spinach leaves) very well in water, then chop them. Also drain the cooked whole and keep aside.

Making palak whole recipe :
1. In a pan heat oil. Fry all whole spices till fragrant.
2. Add the onion paste. Saute till light brown.
3. Add the tomato puree and all the spice powders mentioned in the above list.
4. Fry till oil leaves the sides of the masala and the masala is well browned.
5. Now add the chopped palak and salt. Stir and saute for 4 to 5 minutes.
6. Add the cooked chole and stir. Pour 1.5 to 2 cups water.
7. Add crushed pomegranate seeds powder or dry mango powder.
8. Also mash a few chole with the back of the spoon. Simmer till the palak chole gravy thickens and becomes smooth.
9. Lastly add crushed kasuri methi and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes.
10. Serve palak whole hot with rotis, naan or steamed rice or jeera rice and onion-lemon salad.

Yellow split peas are a little bit sweet and so go really well with the rest of the spices. There is a lovely consistency that is brought about through the cooking of these beans. In his book Gordon Ramsey has kept the dal quite thick, as I like to eat this with rice. I add water to loosen the consistency to accommodate this to my liking.

Taken from : Gordon Ramsay’s Book, Great Escape.

Serves : 4

Ingrdients:

400 g yellow split peas, rinse well
1 litre water
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp garam masala
4 curry leaves
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
Onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
4 medium tomatoes, skinned and finely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Place washed split peas in a saucepan and cook till tender. Similarly you can also pressure cook the dal with sufficient water, till it is tender.
Stir in chili powder and add pureed tomatoes into the pan. Simmer for 6-8 minutes.
If the mixture becomes too dry, add a little more water.
Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and fry for a minute or until fragrant. Add garlic and onion and fry for 4-6 minutes until lightly golden brown. Stir in the chilli powder and, after a minute, tip the chopped tomatoes into the pan. And simmer over a medium heat for 6-8 minutes.
Pour all the contents of the pan over the cooked lentils and stir well. Bring to a simmer and cook for a further 10-15 minutes until the lentils are soft and thick. If you prefer, add a little hot water to thin down the consistency.

These simple potatoes are easy and delicious. This is normally eaten with Puris. If you are living abroad and cooking by your lonesome self, you might not be inclined to spend time making the dough for puris. A friend of mine, Asmita suggested a shortcut option which is to buy a small size packet of flour tortillas and deep fry them! They puff up exactly like a puri would! Perhaps you might enjoy this short cut version of Aloo-Puri!

Taken from: Parsi Food and Customs Book, by Bhicoo J. Manekshaw

Ingredients:
Potatoes, peeled and cubed 1 kg
Turmeric powder 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Mustard seeds 1 tbsp
Curry leaves 2-3 strips
Onions, sliced 3
Green chillies, chopped or 3-4
Chilli powder 1 tsp
Ghee or oil 2 tbsp

Method:
Heat fat in a large frying pan and add mustard seeds. When they start spluttering, add curry leaves and onions. Saute till onions are soft. Add chilies, potatoes and one cup water. Add salt and boil the potatoes for 15-20 mins till soft and cooked through.
Serve hot with puris or as an accompaniment to any dish.

A kidney bean preparation.
This recipe is one that I have been cooking for many years and I thoroughly enjoy it! Like most Sanjeev Kapoor recipes, the spice factor is way too high for me. I usually stick to ½ to 1 teaspoon of red chili powder, as any more and my mouth is in a state of high discomfort! If you are not very comfortable with spicy food, I would recommend starting with a ¼ teaspoon, and then working your way up if you feel so inclined.

Taken from:  https://www.sanjeevkapoor.com/Recipe/Rajma-Rasmisa–.html

Serves : 4

Ingredients:
Red kidney Beans soaked overnight 1 1/2 cups
Oil 3 tablespoons
Bay leaf 2 medium
Onion chopped 2 medium
Ginger chopped 1 inch piece
Garlic chopped 6-8
Red chilli powder 2 teaspoons
Coriander powder 1 tablespoon
Turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin powder 1 teaspoon
Tomato chopped 3 medium
Salt to taste
Garam masala powder 1 teaspoon
Fresh coriander leaves chopped 1 tablespoon

Method:
Cook rajma beans in pressure cooker with sufficient water till beans are tender and soft.
Heat the oil in a deep pan; add the bay leaves and onions and sauté till golden brown. Add the ginger and garlic and continue to sauté for one minute.
Add the chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and cumin powder and sauté for a while. Add the tomatoes and salt and cook till soft and pulpy and the oil separates.
Add the rajma with the cooking liquid and mix well. Cook over low heat for fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garam masala powder and cook for five minutes.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice.

This recipe is another favourite of mine. I am very fond of the combination of spices that meld so beautifully together. The usual spice for spinach is garlic, and the very large quantities of ginger might surprise you, however, it does mellow out a great deal through the cooking process.

Taken from : Madhur Jaffrey’s book, A taste of India.

Serves : 6

Ingredients:
Fresh Spinach 3 lb/1.4 kg
Fresh Ginger about 2 in/5 cm * 1 in/2.5 cm * 1 in/2.5 cm
Vegetable Oil 4 tbs/60 ml
Unsalted Butter 2 oz/50 g /4 tbsp
Whole Funnel Seeds 1/2 tsp /2.5 ml
Cardamom pods 4 whole
3 medium-sized onions, peeled, cut in half lengthwise and then cut crosswise into fine half rings
Salt 1tsp/5 ml
Red chilli powder(cayenne powder) 1/4 tsp
Garam Masala 1/2 tsp / 2.5 ml

Method:
Wash the spinach well and set it aside.
Peel and chop the ginger finely.
Over a medium-high flame, heat the oil and butter in a pan large enough to hold all the spinach. When the fat is hot, put in the fennel seeds and cardamom pods. Stir once and add the onions and ginger. Stir and fry until the onions turn a rich, brown colour. Now put in all the spinach, stuffing it into the pan, if necessary. Cover, and allow the spinach to wilt completely. Stir every now and then. When the spinach has wilted, turn the heat to medium, add the salt and chilli powder.

This is a recipe for the dry lentils as bought in an English supermarket.
I often substitute a ½ teaspoon of cinnamon powder instead of using a cinnamon stick. I also often add ½ teaspoon each of coriander, cumin and garam masala. As the lentils when cooked are not of a thick consistency, in order to correct this, I use 1 large onion and brown it before I begin to add the spices.

Taken from : Madhur Jaffrey’s book, An Invitation To Indian Cooking.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:
Lentils 1 lb
Cinnamon stick, 2-3 inches long 1
Bay leaf 1
Garlic cloves, peeled 5
Ginger, peeled, 1/8 inch thick, 2 slices and about 1 inch in diameter
Turmeric(ground) 1 tsp
Lemon 3/4
Salt 1 1/2 tsp
Freshly ground black pepper 1/8 tsp
Cayenne pepper(optional) 1/4 -1/2 tsp
Vegetable oil or usli ghee 3 tbs
Ground Asafetida or tiny lump asafetida a pinch
Whole cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
Method:

Place washed lentils in a pot with sufficient water and a bay leaf and boil for 30 minutes or till tender. My adapted version slightly differs to the ingredients above, you may try whichever you fancy?! I heat oil and add the asafetida and cumin seeds and then add 1 onion and fry that till golden brown. Then I add the chopped ginger and garlic, as well as the ground spices, which for me are 1/2 tsp of cinnamon powder, instead of the cinnamon stick and 1/2 tsp each of cumin, coriander and garam masala powder, along with the tumeric and red chili powder as well as black pepper powder. I then add 2 pureed tomatoes[ instead of lemon slices]. I combine the vaghar with the cooked and soft lentils and simmer together for a few minutes till you get the desired consistency you like.

Stir-fried cottage cheese with Bell Pepper.
This is a wonderful and filling dish to eat, with a lovely combination of flavours. As fresh paneer can often break apart, I usually cut the block of paneer into cubes and shallow fry them to a light golden brown. I sometimes make my own paneer with milk that is soon to expire. The recipe I use to do this is from the website www.vegrecipesofindia and I use lemon juice to curdle the milk.

Taken from : Cuisine Along the Grand Trunk Road from Kabul to Kolkata.

Serves : 4-6

Ingredients:
For the cottage cheese
Cottage cheese(paneer), cut into 2″*1/2″*1/2″ batons 800 gm/ 1 lb 1 3 oz
Ghee 3 tbsp / 45 gm / 1 1/2 oz
Onions, chopped 3/4 cup / 90 gm / 3 oz
Garlic (lasan) paste 3 1/2 tsp / 20 gm
Ginger (adrak) paste 1 3/4 tsp / 10 gm
Coriander (dhaniya) seeds, roasted, pounded to split 1 tsp / 2 gm
Black pepper (kaali mirchi), freshly roasted, coarsely ground 1 tsp / 3 gm
Red chilli powder 1 tsp / 3gm
Turmeric (haldi) powder 1/2 tsp / 1 1/2 gm
Tomato Puree 1 1/2 cups / 360 gm / 13 oz
Salt to taste
Green pepper (Shimla Mirchi), cut into 1/8″ thick strips 1
Yellow Bell Pepper, cut into 1/8″ thick strips 1
Red Bell Peppers, cut into 1/8″ thick strips 1
Cumin( jeera) powder 3/4 tsp / 2 1/4 gm
Green Cardamom (choti elaichi) powder 1/2 tsp / 1 1/2 gm
Mace (javitri) powder 1/8 tsp
Cinnamon (dalchini) powder 1/8 tsp
Clove (Lang) powder 1/8 tsp
Dry fenugreek leaf( kasoori methi) / Fenugreek seeds (methi dana) a pinch
Green Coriander (hara dhaniya), chopped 1 tbsp / 4 gm

Method:
Heat the ghee in a pan; add onions ad saute until translucent and glossy. Add garlic and ginger pastes, and stir-fry until the moisture evaporates. Add coriander seeds and black pepper, stir-fry until the coriander begins to change colour. Add red chilli and turmeric powder dissolved in 2 tbsp of water, and stir-fry until the moisture evaporates.
Add tomato puree and salt, stir-fry until specks of fat begin to appear on the surface. Add cottage cheese, stir for a minute. Add the bell peppers and stir for a minute. Sprinkle the cumin, green cardamom, mace, cinnamon, clove, and dry fenugreek leaf powders; stir carefully.

This is a deliciously simple recipe that is particularly enjoyable as there are not too many recipes available using butter beans with Indian spices.

Taken from: http://showmethecurry.com/curries/lima-beans-curry.html

Ingredients:

Frozen Lima Beans – 16oz packet (washed)
Oil – 4 tsp
Cumin Seeds – ½ tsp
Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp
Asafoetida (Hing) – pinch
Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp
Onion – 1 small (chopped finely)
Green Chili – 1 (finely chopped – optional)
Ginger – 1 tsp (finely grated)
Garlic – 3 cloves (finely chopped)
Tomato Sauce – 8oz can
Red Chili Powder – ¼ tsp (to taste)
Coriander Powder – 1 tsp
Garam Masala – 1 tsp
Cumin Powder – ½ tsp
Salt – 1 tsp (to taste)
Water – 1 cup
Cilantro Leaves – 5 sprigs (chopped for garnishing)

Method:
1. Heat Oil in a pressure cooker or pressure pan on medium heat.
2. Once Oil is hot, add Cumin Seeds and Mustard Seeds and allow them to sputter.
3. Add Asafoetida and Turmeric Powder, then the Onions, Green Chili, Ginger and Garlic.
4. Cook until Onions are light brown.
5. Stir in Tomato Sauce and cook until oil starts to separate.
6. Add Red Chili Powder, Coriander Powder, Garam Masala, Cumin Powder, and Salt. Mix well and cook for 1-2 minutes.
7. Mix in Lima Beans and Water.
8. Pressure cook for 1 whistle and turn off heat.
9. Once pressure is gone from the cooker, remove lid and adjust water, salt or other masalas.
10. Garnish with Cilantro and serve with Rice or Chapattis.
11. Serves 3-4.

Tips:
1. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, Lima Beans can be cooked in a microwave with ½ cup of water, salt and turmeric powder. Prepare the Onion and Tomato Sauce mixture in a separate non-stick pan and mix in cooked Lima Beans.
2. For those of you who enjoy a tangier flavor, Lime/Lemon Juice can also be added at the end.

This Brinjal(Eggplant) Salnu preparation can be made as spicy as you wish.
I love the combination of the sweet and sour in this recipe. When I am without jaggery, I have been known to use brown sugar. The 8 red chilies is too overpowering a heat level for me, so I use about 3-4 red chilies, and I also remove the seeds from within the dry red chilies. The garlic cloves are also far too many for me. I also notice that there is a large difference in size of the garlic cloves in India and abroad, and so I go with 4-5.

Taken from: From Enjoyable Parsi cooking, by Jeroo mehta.

Serves : 4-6

Ingredients:
Brinjals, cut into 1 cm (1/2 inch) cubes: 3/4 kg (1 1/2 lbs)
Vinegar 4 1/2 tbsps
Curry Pasta (curry leaves) 10
Green chilli, finely chopped 1
Garlic cloves 10
Cumin seeds 1 1/2 tsps
Coriander seeds 3 tsps
Dry red chillies 8
Jaggery or sugar 1 1/2 tbsps
Salt to taste
Vegetable oil or ghee 3/4 cup
(Grind garlic, cumin seeds, coriander seeds and red chillieswith 2 or 3 tbsps of vinegar)

Method:
1. You can fry the cut up Eggplant pieces in oil or ghee or you can roast it drizzled with some oil in it in a hot oven for 10-15 minutes.
2. In the same hot oil(add a little more oil if needed) add curry patta and green chilli and almost immediately add the chilli paste and cook 2 minutes.
3. Add fried brinjals and mix well.
4. Add jaggery or sugar, the salt and remaining vinegar and cook, covered, on medium heat, till brinjals are cooked and soft.