In honour of Diwali, the 'festival of lights' celebrated this week by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists, we bring you the delicious saag aloo. An Indian classic of spiced potatoes and spinach, saag aloo comes flavoured with red chilli, cumin seeds, turmeric and fresh ginger. If you like a little spice and are looking for something simple and different to do with the fresh spinach in your veggie box this week, why not try this Punjabi favourite.
Ingredients
potatoes 500g, peeled and cut into chunks
sunflower oil 2 tbsp
onion 1, finely chopped
red chill 1, finely chopped
cumin seeds 2 tsp
black mustard seeds 2 tsp
ground turmeric 1 tsp
ginger a thumb-sized piece, shredded
garlic 3 cloves, crushed
baby spinach 400g
lemon ½, juiced
Method
Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 10-15 minutes or until cooked through, then drain well.
While the potatoes are cooking, heat the sunflower oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat and cook the onion with a pinch of salt for 10 minutes until beginning to caramelise, then add the chillies and spices. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the ginger and garlic, and cook for 2 minutes more. Add in the spinach along with 100ml of water and the cooked potatoes, and simmer for another 5 minutes until the spinach has wilted and the water has evaporated.