Spinach/ Palak Sambar

Hmmmmm….I love summer, when we get all fresh vegetables and greens. I had been to the local farmer’s market today and filled my shopping bag with lot of fresh fruit and veggies. I am very glad that I could manage to buy fresh spinach as it is sold very fast. I love to cook spinach a lot as it has many nutritional and health benefits. Intake of spinach helps to fight against osteoporosis, heart disease, colon cancer, arthritis, and other diseases.  I tried to make spinach sambar for the first time and it came out really well. It makes a rich, filling, and nutritious soup too.

Ingredients:

Spinach – ½ medium bunch

Toor dal - ¾ cup

Tamarind pulp – extracted from a lemon size

Onion – 1 large sliced

Green chillies – 5

Oil - 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds – ½ tsp

Cumin seeds – ½ tsp

Red chillies – 2 to 3

Curry leaves – 2 springs

Garlic – 3 to 4 pods (Optional) crushed

Sambar powder - 1 tbsp 

Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp

Asafoetida powder a pinch

Salt to taste

Method:

Cook toor dal with 2 cups water. Mash the dal and keep it aside.

Chop the spinach leaves and wash it well and keep it aside.

Heat oil in a kadai and add the mustard & cumin seeds, when they start crackling, Add garlic, red chilies and fry for about 30 secs and add curry leaves, green chilies and onions.

When the onions turn transparent, add the chopped spinach leaves and fry for about 3 min.

Add turmeric powder, asafetida, sambar powder, mix well and cook for a minute.

Add about 2 cups of water and salt and cook the spinach closed for 5 minutes on a medium heat.

Now add the tamarind paste and cook until the spinach is completely done.

Now add the dal to the cooked spinach. Mix well and reduce the heat. Adjust the salt if needed. Turn off the heat in one boil.

Serve hot with cooked white rice with a dab of ghee. Hmmmm….tastes heavenly!!!