Palak (Spinach) Kadhi

Dal Rice, Kadhi Chawal/Rice are some of the lazy day meals at our place.  Hot Kadhi, which we call as Phanna Tak or Taaka Kadhi in Konkani, with rice and some Aloo Pakoras is quite comforting in this cold weather. Nowadays, I cook this yogurt based sauce with a healthier addition, palak. These greens make me feel less guilty of eating fried goodies.

Ingredients:
Spinach/Palak Leaves - 3 cups
Yogurt/Curds/Dahi - 1 1/2 cup
Besan/Chickpea Flour/Gram Flour - 2 tbsp
Turmeric/Haldi - 1/2 tsp
Cumin/Jeera Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves/Kadipata - a sprig
Dry Red Chilies - 2
Green Chilies - 1 or 2
Ginger/Adrak - an inch piece
Garlic/Lahsun - 2 big cloves
Kasuri Methi/Dry Fenugreek Leaves - 2 tsp
Coriander/Cilantro Leaves - few sprigs
Salt
Oil

How to cook Indian Palak Kadhi:

• Wash the spinach leaves and place them in a colander to drain excess water. Or use a salad spinner to dry the leaves. Medium chop the leaves. I used Organic Baby Spinach leaves. In case you are adding tender stems, finely chop the stems.
• Pat the curry leaves dry. Peel and crush the garlic cloves. Crush the ginger too.  Finely chop cilantro.
• Blend/Grind yogurt, chickpea flour, salt to taste, turmeric and green chilies to a fine paste. Chickpea flour will help thicken the kadhi. Add more chickpea flour if required.
• Heat 1 - 2 tsp oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, curry leaves, dry red chilies, crushed kasuri methi leaves, crushed garlic. Sauté until garlic turns slightly brown. Add chopped spinach, crushed ginger and sauté for a minute. Add about 1/2 cup water and cook it covered until spinach wilts.
• Now add the yogurt and cook it covered until it starts boiling. Add more water if required. 

Serve hot Palak Kadi with steamed rice or slurp it like a soup.