Aloo Palak is a simple vegan Indian style stir fry where potatoes and spinach are cooked with minimal spices. Tastes great with any flatbread or a side dish with rice and dal

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes
  • Total time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon oil (10 ml, I used avocado oil)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • pinch hing (also known as asafoetida)
  • 5-6 large garlic cloves (chopped)
  • 2-3 dried red chilies (broken)
  • 1 small red onion (60 grams, chopped)
  • 2 to 3 medium potatoes (around 500 grams, cut into small pieces, around 1/2 inch)
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder
  • 1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
  • 3 tablespoons water (as needed)
  • 10 oz spinach (finely chopped, around 3 to 4 cups finely chopped spinach)
  • 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
  • half lemon (juice of)

Method

  1. Heat oil in a large pan on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for a few seconds.
  2. Then add hing, chopped garlic and dried red chilies. Break the dried red chilies before adding to the pan for more heat. Cook for 1 minute until the garlic starts changing color to light brown. Then add the chopped onion.
  3. Add the chopped onions and cook for 3 minutes until soft and translucent.
  4. Stir in the chopped potatoes along with turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chili powder and salt. Stir to combine. Also add 3 tablespoons water and mix until everything is well combined. Remember to chop potatoes small, around 1/2 inch else they will take time to cook.
  5. Close the pan with a lid and let potatoes cook for 7 to 8 minutes until almost done on medium heat. Open lid and stir every 2 minutes or so.
  6. Start adding the chopped spinach slowly. Stir after each addition until the leaves wilt. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes after adding all the spinach.
  7. Add garam masala (optional) and mix. Squeeze in lemon juice and mix. There shouldn’t be any water left at this point. Serve aloo palak with a side of roti.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.