We all know how good Spinach is for us and we keep looking for recipes and innovative ways to include as much as we can in our diets. This recipe is absolutely wonderful because can be served as a main dish or a side-dish, had with Chapatis or with Rice and your proteins and greens all in one.
Soak Time: 8 hrs
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 1 hour
Serves:4-6
This dish is made in multi-steps. Very easy when you follow the steps:
Prep and Cook the Chana/Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans:
Dry Chana – 2 cups
Water – 6 cups
Salt – 1/2 tbsp
Method:
1. Wash and soak Chana in water overnight or atleast 8 hours.
2. Transfer them to a pressure cooker and add 6 cups of fresh Water and Salt.
3. Allow it to pressure cook and whistle once, lower heat and cook for 45 min.
4. Allow the pressure to release by itself and set the cooked Chana aside.
While the Chana are cooking, to Cook the Spinach:
Spinach – 1 lb
Water – 1 cup
Method:
1. Wash Spinach and put in a pan with Water.
2. Allow it to cook.
3. Once wilted, cook for an additional 5-7 minutes.
4. Remove from flame and set aside.
Also start working on the Masala. For the Masala:
Oil – 1 tbsp
Cloves – 3-5
Cinnamon – 1″ pc
Black Peppercorn – 1/4 tsp
Cardamom Seeds – 1/4 tsp
Fennel Seeds – 1/4 tsp
Coriander Seeds – 2 tbsp
Onions – 1 med., sliced
Ginger – 1″ pc. sliced
Garlic – 4-5 cloves, sliced
Green Chilies – to taste, sliced
Salt – 1/2 tsp
Tomatoes – 2 med., sliced
Method:
1. In a pan, heat Oil on medium heat.
2. Add in the whole masalas – Cloves, Cinnamon, Black Peppercorn, Cardamom Seeds, Fennel Seeds and Coriander Seeds.
3. Cook for 30 seconds.
4. Add in the Onions, Ginger, Garlic and the Green Chilies.
5. Sprinkle Salt to allow the Onions to cook faster and caramelize.
6. Add in the Tomatoes and cook them down.
7. Remove from flame and transfer to a plate and allow to cool.
Combining the Masala, Spinach and the Chana:
Water – 1/4 cup. if needed
Amchur (Dry Mango Powder) – 1/4 tsp or to taste
Method:
1. Once cooled, grind the Masala to a fine paste.
2. Add in the cooled and cooked Spinach and blend to desired texture.
3. In the pan used to cook Masala and pour in the Spinach and Masala Mixture.
4. Swirl the blender with additional water if needed.
5. Add in the cooked Chana and add additional Water or liquid from the cooked Chana to the dish to form a gravy.
6. Check Salt and spices and cover and cook for about 10 min. Stir in between once.
7. Open and sprinkle some Amchur (optional), mix and serve.
8. Serve hot with Chapatis, Naan or Rice.
I love your recipes! Thank you for this one, I am excited to try it. Where did you get your blender??? I love how it has a stainless steel container. Thanks!
Is it possible to have nutritional information on your recipe? This is a good recipe for watching your weight but without the nutrional info, some people will avoid it (especially if you are on Weight Watchers). Sounds delicious and I think I’ll try this. Love Indian flavors!
Curry leaves???
I cannot keep “borrowing” curry leaves from my neighbors. Until I can get my own live plants (another neighbor is bringing me some plants for me to care for for myself) I was wondering if there are dried curry leaves I can use. I know it’s not as good as fresh, but it’ll have to do until I can get my own plants.
You can substitute spinach with kale leaves taste awesome
I am thankful to you both for starting this tremendous cooking website. Its my favorite and the easiest recipe website. Have made alot of dishes and they all turned out yummmmy. Recently i made sooji ladoos and o my god, there were awesome. Keep it up.
Hi Hetal & Anuja,
I had little doubt about the type of onions in the market. There are yellow and red onions. Could you please give an idea how they differ in taste and in what way they can be used in different recipes.
Also I had bought few red onions for the recipe shown above. These onions turned out bitter and unfortunatly the taste of sabzi turned out little bitter too because of them. Please tell if I should have taken any precautions while buying or using red or yellow onions.
Thanks
Hello Hetal and Anuja,
I accidentally bought Arugula in place of spinach and am now wondering what to cook out of it. Do you think it can be substituted for spinach in this recipe? I also tried for recipes with arugula on your website but dint find any. Do you have any suggestions? Will appreciate that. You both inspire me to cook. Thanks.
Shweta
Hi Hetal and Anuja, I have a quick question, Can I replace the whole spices with a tava fry garam masala powder? I don’t know how that would taste. Awaiting your answer. Thank you so much.
will it taste good?? did anyone try this?
Hi,
Your recipes are very good and unique..Thank you both..I tried out veg lasanga and it came out very well..BTW Can we pressure cook Spinach and smash it instead of cooking and grinding?
Thanks again!!
Hi Saranya,
We find that pressure cooking spinach over cooks it and becomes dark and slimy.
I used frozen spinach and it works fine!
Thanks for the feedback Sowmya!
ya right
Hi Hetal and Anuja – I tried this recipe just now and it came out really good. Thanks for this awesome recipe.
turned out very well…
You guys are really something to me … To a person like me I was wondering of I would ever cook or get interest in cooking from day I got married till this date I have been trying your recipies onlyyyy…you make lunch everyday soooo easy with your site on my I phone I don’t mind getting up 4 or 5 to cook…thank you so much pls keep doingore work ..it brings harmony in our home
You are sooo sweet Shobana! We’re so glad you are finding SMTC useful.
Just made this yesterday. Yum! It’s also delicious with a little sour cream, yogurt, or left-over Alfredo sauce on top or mixed in. Thank you for posting the recipe!
I tried the Spinach with Channas but was not able to get the masala as smooth as yours. What kind of a blender do you use? Thanks!
Excellent recipe!! My whole family loves it.
thank you
I was looking for a Spinach recipe (apart from the usual palak paneer), and found this one. It’s pretty good, thanks for posting it. The raw ingredients add to the flavor
Ladies,
Made this dish last night when we had a few friends over for dinner. It was a hit with friends and hubby and son (that is always a big one. It was very flavorful and easy to make. Loved it. Thank you very much
Its really delicious and nutritious way of having spinach in addition to routine palak paneer. I used this recipe as a filling for my basket chaat(katori chaat) and everyone liked it.
Keep sharing the recipes. You both rock!!!
Followed the recipe..it came out perfect! 🙂
Could you use lemon juice if you don’t have amchur powder? Or maybe tamarind paste?
Hi Hetal/Anuja
I tried this but it doen’t appeat green coolor as your’s. can you please tell me why?
Thanks,
Niki
Hi Nikita,
Sometimes, covering spinach while its cooking will cause it to oxidize and turn brownish.
well i cant tell u how yummy it was…..thank u so much for tasty and healthy recipe…my 5 yr old son who does’nt even look at the garbanzo ate it and asked for more….:-)
Can I use frozen chopped instead of fresh? If yes how many packets? Thanks.
Yes, you can use frozen spinach. I’m not sure how big the packets are where you live, but just make sure they equal 1 pound (approx 500 grams).
This is AWESOME. I tried it, and heavenly taste.
Thanks girls once again.
Just wanted to know if anybody had tried with Kale? instead of this regular spinach?
hi hetal and anuja can u show me the recipe for veg lollipop
For all those who want to know about the pan !! Few days back i found it in our kroger store . Its one variety of non stick pan .
Hey,
I made this for lunch now…The fennel and cardamom takes the dish to a different world!
Thanks for sharing..
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
Awesome recipe. Thanks for sharing.
I make a similar recipe, but instead of Garbanzo beans, I add cooked soya chunks. It tastes awesome and is healthy too!! Do try it some time.
Hi Kuhu,
That sounds like a great idea! Thanks for sharing.
Hello Ladies,
Awesome recipe. Thanks. It looks yummmmyyyyy and it is super easy. I will make it during Easter weekend.
Keep the recipes coming 🙂 🙂
Have a great day.
P.S. When is your next trip to Houston. I would love to come visit you both. 🙂 🙂 🙂
I noticed you used just 1 tbsp of oil in the entire dish- healthy and guilt-free.
I like it.look so yummy and healthy too.
you have made your website as our daily kitchen life. I have made many many food items from your website and I cant stop making it! My kids love your food. Thanks a lot for doing such a great work for our kids and family. Thanks again.
Hi,
Tht luks really yummy…!!!! but i need to know whether we can use black chana instead of the one used here..
Hi Lalitha,
Black channas will work but the texture will be slightly different. Be sure to cook them properly…to the point where they are almost splitting open.
Hi
I simply love your recipes .and watching you both demonstrate it online .
You both make it so simple . Feel like trying a new recipe everyday .
Thumbs up to the recipe. Can u do segment in future on general guidelines of scaling up the recipe and qty when u invite people over for a party. That would be of great help…… Thanks for sharing yr talent….
That’s interesting. I nebver hought of adding the fennel seeds to the chhaunka. I do make the same dish, exactly te same way, the only difference being that I don’t us the fennel seeds & I add a little bit of fresh Methi leaves or a little dry kasuri methi to the spinach while cooking it. Thanks.
I had boiled and kept the chanas in a covered bowl with the cling wrap since two days n was searching for one new recipe all in the web to make something out of it.. wow.. here i find what i need to do.. im so delighted, so shall prepare and then let you ppl know how it came out to be.. thanks a lot..
Hi Hetal
/ Anuja, nice recipie will surely give a try, I am sure number of viewers will be also interested to know where did you get the pan, and what brand, please let us know, thanks in advance
I agree with you Purvi. Will you please tell us where you guys got the pan? It looks very nice 🙂 wanting to buy it NOW! haha. 😀
Looks like its a le creuset pan/dutch oven.. Color of the pan looks amazing and inviting to cook 😉
Hi Shilpa,
You are right! It is a le creuset pan.
Hi Juhi,
Its a le creuset.
Hi Purvi,
The pan is a le creuset braiser.
Love ur site n the recipes u show. Is there a chance u cud start recipes for new borns/ infants/ toddlers?
This looks YUmmmmm. will defiantely try this.
jalebi
*happy
YUMMMMMMMMMM!! I love spinach and channa so this recipe makes me very jappy 😉