Palak Chana Masala ( Black Chickpeas & Spinach Curry)

          Give a twist to your regular chana masala by adding some spinach. It makes for a healthy and nutritious combination. You can substitute the black chana with kabuli chana too. It is also a perfect side dish for poori, paratha, naan, chapatti, plain rice, jeera rice or pulao. So check out an easy step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 1 cup black chana (Chickpeas), soaked overnight
• 2 bunches of spinach, blanched & roughly chopped
• 2-3 tbsp. oil
• 1" cinnamon stick
• 2-3 green cardamoms
• 5-6 cloves
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp. ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp. tomato paste
• salt to taste
• 1 tbsp. coriander powder
• 1 tsp. cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 1 tsp. garam masala powder
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 tsp. lime juice 
• onion rings & coriander leaves to garnish

          Pressure cook the chana in sufficient water for 8-10 minutes on a low flame after the first whistle. 

          In a bowl mix together ginger-garlic paste, tomato paste and all the dry spices (except salt) along with some water and keep aside.

          Heat oil in a pan and temper with bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves and cumin seeds. Saute for a few seconds.

          Add the onion and fry till light brown. Then add the spice paste and continue to fry till the oil separates. Add the tomatoes and fry till it is mashed.

          Then add the boiled chana, salt and 1 cup water. Cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the spinach. Cover and simmer for another 2 minutes or till the oil separates. 

          When done, add the lime juice. Garnish with coriander leaves and onion. Serve with poori, naan, chapatti, steamed rice or jeera rice.

                   Heat oil & temper with bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamoms, clove & cumin 
                   seeds. Sauté for a few seconds.

                                 Add onion & fry till light brown. 

                                  Add spice paste & fry till oil separates. 

                                  Add tomatoes & fry till it is mashed.

                                 Then add boiled chana, salt ....

                                ...... and 1 cup water. Cover & simmer for 2-3 minutes. 

                            Add spinach. Cover & simmer for 2 min. or till oil separates. 

                                  When done, add lime juice.

                     Garnish with coriander leaves & onion. Serve with poori, naan, chapatti,

                      steamed rice or jeera rice.

Mirchi Ka Salan (Green Chilies in Peanut-Sesame-Coconut Gravy - Hyderabadi style )

          This is a popular Hyderabadi delicacy usually served with Dum Biryani. It is a spicy and a tangy Chili Curry in a sesame seeds-coconut-peanut gravy called 'Salan' in the local lingo which means curry / gravy. No Biryani is complete without this accompaniment. 

          A larger variety of chilies are preferred for this particular recipe as they are less spicy. I sometimes prepare with the normal chilies, after discarding the seeds to make it more palatable. It can also be relished with plain steamed rice or chapatis. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.
         

• 6-7 big fresh green chilies
• 2 tbsp. peanuts
• 1 tbsp. white sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp. fresh grated coconut
• 1 tbsp. coriander seeds
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1" ginger, chopped
• 2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tsp. tamarind paste mixed with 1 cup water
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. red chili powder or to taste
• salt to taste
• 3 tbsp. oil
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 sprig curry leaves

          Dry roast the peanuts, sesame seeds, coconut, coriander seeds and cumin seeds for 1-2 minutes or till you get a nice aroma coming through. 

          Switch off the flame and set aside to cool down. Then grind into a paste by adding some water

          Grind the onion, ginger & garlic to a fine paste and keep aside. Make slits in the chilies and deseed them.  

          Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry them till light brown. Drain and keep aside. 

           Temper the same oil with mustard seeds and curry leaves. Allow it to splutter. Add onion-ginger-garlic paste and sauté till oil separates.

          Add the ground paste, turmeric powder and red chili powder and fry.  Add tamarind water, salt and some extra water if required. Bring it to a boil and add the fried chilies and simmer.

          Cover and cook till the gravy thickens. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve as a side dish with pulao, biryani, plain steamed rice or chapatis.
                                       

                    Dry roast peanuts, sesame seeds, coconut, coriander seeds & cumin seeds. 
                    Then grind into a paste.

                                  Make a slit and deseed them.

                                   Shallow fry till light brown.

                                  Temper the oil with mustard leaves and curry leaves.

                                 Add onion-ginger-garlic paste & sauté till oil separates.

                           

                             Add ground paste, turmeric powder & red chili powder & fry.

                                Add water, tamarind water, salt & fried chilies & simmer.

                  Garnish with coriander leaves & with Dum Biryani, Pulao, plain steamed 
                  rice or chapattis.