Aloo Palak (Pakistani Spinach & Potato Curry)
Aloo Palak (Pakistani Spinach & Potato Curry) is a traditional dry vegetable curry made with cubed potatoes and sauteed spinach.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 292kcal
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 onion (see notes)
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tomatoes (see notes)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ cup yogurt (see notes)
- ½ cup frozen fenugreek leaves (see notes)
- 12 oz frozen spinach (see notes)
- 2 potatoes (see notes)
Instructions
- Heat the oil and saute the onion till it's a light golden brown.
- Add the garlic paste and saute for 30-60 seconds.
- Add in the cumin seeds and saute for about 1 minute.
- Add in the tomatoes and cook on high till the tomatoes start to melt.
- Reduce the flame, cover and cook for 10 minutes.
- Uncover, turn the flame on high, add in all the powdered spices and saute the mixture till you have a well blended paste.
- Add in the yogurt a few tablespoons at a time and saute to complete the curry base.
- Add in the frozen fenugreek leaves and let them soften with the heat.
- Add in the frozen spinach, stir to mix in and coat with the gravy.
- Cover and cook on low heat for 10 minutes till the spinach is cooked through.
- Uncover, add in the potatoes along with some water if necessary and cook till tender.
- Once the potatoes are cooked, uncover, turn the heat to high and let all the water evaporate.
- Serve hot with fresh Naan.
Video
Notes
Onion - I like to use yellow onions for my curries. They make the perfect base due to their neutral taste and color.
Tomatoes - Roma tomatoes are juicy and plump and are known to be the best for making sauces. I love them for curries as they dissolve easily and quickly, making for a smooth curry.
Yogurt - I always recommend using full fat plain yogurt. This makes the curry creamier. Greek yogurt tends to curdle when cooked and low fat yogurt can be too watery. Remember to add in the yogurt a little at a time to let it adjust to the temperature. If all the yogurt is added at once to the hot mixture in the pot, it curdles immediately.
Fenugreek Leaves - Fenugreek, known as methi in Pakistan and India is always paired with spinach. I like to use the frozen kind which I get from my local South Asian store. Fresh leaves are always an option but take a long time to wash and prep. I also keep dried fenugreek leaves in my pantry for when I don't have the frozen ones in stock.
Spinach - My go to is frozen chopped spinach. I don't personally like the taste and texture of baby spinach in my curries and it's more expensive than the frozen option. Fresh spinach takes a long time to prep and adds on a good 20 minutes to the cooking time. You can go with whatever option you prefer; the conversion will be 1.25 pounds of raw spinach per 12 ounces of frozen spinach.
Potatoes - Waxy potatoes, like red or golden are the best options for this curry. This is because they hold their shape well and withstand the stirring and roasting that a curry requires.
Nutrition
Serving: 1person | Calories: 292kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 678mg | Potassium: 1003mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 10673IU | Vitamin C: 37mg | Calcium: 297mg | Iron: 4mg