Spinach is known as palak in India and is part of one of the most popular dishes in northern India in the main course known as Palak paneer, a spinach and cream sauce with paneer cheese served with basmati rice or Indian naan bread or chapati flatbread.
Spinach is an excellent source of vitamin K, A, B2 and C and minerals like magnesium, iron and zinc. From an Ayurvedic perspective, cooked spinach is recommended for vata type people to balance their doshas.
So here is a simple recipe for tasty summer spinach :)
What you need for 1 serving:
- bunch of fresh spinach
- 1 large tomato
- garlic - cloves from half of the head
- piece of ginger - little over 1″ (or 3cm)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- pinch of cumin
- 2-3 tablespoons ghee
Preparation:
Rinse the spinach leaves thoroughly with water and cut them into smaller pieces and put them aside in a bowl. Cut the tomatoes into pieces and put them in a blender (you can also use a stick blender). Add the garlic, clean it, cut in half and remove the sprout. To this add salt and ginger which you clean/scrape (you can use a teaspoon for this) and mix everything. Put ghee in a pot and heat it on a low flame and add the blended mixture. Fry the mixture until everything softens. Then add chopped spinach and fry/blanch until soft. If the mixture starts to burn, you can also add a little water.
Spinach prepared in this way can be served with rice, potatoes or another Ayurvedic dish.