This is a jumbo post that has not one or two, but three delicious recipes. All three work together to make a wholesome and delicious Indian meal, packed with both nutrients and flavor.
It all started with a big bunch of fresh spinach that I got on my last grocery shopping trip. I knew right away I would be making a simple lentil or dal curry with spinach in it. It is quite common all over India and an excellent way to pack more nutrition into what is already a wonderful curry.
I decided to use some of the spinach to make some parathas or whole-wheat, unleavened flat-breads. I also mixed in some mashed potatoes and ended up with delicious aloo-palak parathas.
I also had a large unripe mango sitting in the fridge. I’ve been buying one every week with the intention of making aam pana, a mango drink, but never really got around to doing so. I usually use it in some other preparation, like fish curry for instance. But the parathas and dal simmering on the stove gave me the idea to make a quick mango achar or spicy pickle.
Making achar or Indian pickle is usually a very elaborate affair, requiring lots of spices, oil, salt and prep work. If done right, some pickles can last years. Like wine, it only gets better with time.
This quick recipe will yield a delicious pickle, but it will need to be refrigerated and consumed quickly. Not that big of a deal in most Indian households. We love pickles with everything – rice, chapathis, rotis, pulaos; goes with everything!
Let’s get on with the recipes now, shall we?
ALOO-PALAK PARATHA (POTATO AND SPINACH WHOLE-WHEAT FLAT BREAD)
You will need: (Makes 8 small parathas)
For the dough,
- Oil – 3 tsp, divided
- Spinach leaves – 1 cup, chopped
- Potato – 1 large (or 2 small ones)
- Whole wheat flour – 1 1/2 cups
- Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
- Red chili powder – 1/2 tsp
- Garam masala powder – 1/2 tsp
- Salt – 1 tsp (or as per taste)
- Water – as needed
For rolling and cooking parathas,
- Whole wheat flour – 1/4 – 1/2 cup, for dusting while rolling
- Oil/Ghee – a few teaspoons
How to:
- Heat 1tsp oil in a pan. Saute the spinach leaves till they wilt slightly yet retain the color. Meanwhile boil the potatoes, peel and mash them. Let spinach and potatoes cool slightly.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients together. Add the spinach and mashed potatoes and mix well to make a crumbly mixture. The vegetables will let out some water. Add 2 tsp oil and a little extra water till the dough comes together. Knead well for a couple of minutes to make a smooth dough ball. The dough should be soft and pliable. You must be able to sink your fingers comfortably as shown in the picture below. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for 20-30 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 6-8 equal parts. Roll each portion into a smooth ball, flatten it slightly on your palm and dust flour on both sides. Place on a flat surface and roll with a rolling pin to 1/4 inch thickness. If it sticks to the pin or the rolling surface, dust lightly with flour and roll. Use a light hand while rolling so as not to tear the dough.
- Meanwhile heat a large skillet on medium-high heat. To cook a paratha, place the rolled dough on the skillet and flip it after a few seconds. Spread a few drops of oil or ghee over it, flip again and spread oil/ghee on the other side. Brown spots should start to appear on the paratha now, press lightly on it with a flat spatula, flip again and ensure both sides are evenly cooked. Since there is spinach in the dough, the parathas will be more greenish than brown. Once done, remove onto a plate or basket and keep warm by covering with a clean towel or foil. Repeat till all the dough is used up.
- Serve parathas warm with dal or any other curry, raita, pickles, etc.
PALAK DAL (SPINACH AND LENTIL CURRY)
You will need:
- Oil – 1 tbsp
- Small shallots – 6-7, chopped (or 1/2 cup chopped onion)
- Garlic – 5-6 pods, chopped
- Green chili – 1, chopped
- Tomato – 1, chopped
- Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
- Red chili powder – 1 tsp
- Cumin powder – 1/2 tsp
- Asafoetida – a big pinch
- Tamarind paste – 1/2 tsp
- Spinach leaves – a medium bunch, chopped
- Toor or masoor dal – 1 cup, washed and drained thoroughly
- Cilantro leaves – a few, torn
- Salt – as per taste
- Water – as needed
For tempering,
- Oil – 2 tsp
- Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
- Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
- Curry leaves – a few
- Whole red chilies – 2-3
How to:
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large pot (or pressure cooker). Add the shallots/onion, garlic and saute till onions are translucent and garlic is aromatic. Take care not to burn the garlic.
- Add the chopped tomato and green chili and saute for a couple of minutes. Now add the masala powders and asafoetida and mix well. Add the spinach leaves and saute lightly till they wilt.
- Now add the dal, water, tamarind paste, salt and cilantro leaves. The water must come to at least an inch above dal ingredients in the pot. Cover and cook on low flame, checking in between to see if more water is needed. The dal is done when you can mash it with a spoon. (You can also cook it in a pressure cooker for 2-3 whistles, allow the pressure to release naturally and open the lid).
- Open the lid and check seasoning. Add more water if dal is thick, bring to a boil and turn the stove off. If it is runny, you can let some of the liquid evaporate.
- In a small pan, heat 2 tsp oil for tempering. Add mustard and cumin seeds. When mustard seeds start to sputter, add the rest of the ingredients and remove from heat. Add this tadka to the dal curry, mix and serve hot with rice or Indian flat breads.
QUICK AAM ACHAR (QUICK GREEN MANGO PICKLE)
You will need:
- Oil – 1/4 cup (do not skimp here)
- Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp + 1 1/2 tsp (for grinding)
- Fenugreek seeds – 1/2 tsp
- Asafoetida – a fat pinch
- Red chili powder – 3/4 – 1 tbsp (or to taste)
- Salt – 1 tbsp (it needs it to help in the preservation, pickle is rather spicy and salty after all)
- Curry leaves – a few, torn
- Green mango – 2 1/2 cups when chopped, leave the skin on
- White Vinegar – 1-2 tsp (optional)
How to:
- Gather all your ingredients first. Wash, dry and chop the mango. In a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, coarsely grind 1 1/2 tsp mustard seeds and 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds.
- Heat oil in a large skillet or frying pan till it is almost smoking. Add 1/2 tsp mustard seeds and turn the stove off. The mustard seeds will sputter.
- Now add all the other ingredients except vinegar and combine well so that the mango pieces are coated in the spices evenly. Add the vinegar and allow to cook for a minute or two, stirring often. Remember the stove is still off, the pickle will come together in the residual heat of the pan/oil.
- Cool completely in pan, spoon into in a clean and dry bottle, cover tightly with the lid and store in the refrigerator.
- Enjoy pickle with rice, pulao, biryani or any flat bread like chapathis, rotis and parathas.
Notes:
- Use a skillet or large, flat pan to ensure the mango pieces are not crowded and get evenly cooked in a short time.
- You can add sliced garlic to the pickle also. Add it after the mustard seeds are popped, along with the other ingredients.
- Use a clean, dry spoon to serve the pickle every time and this quick pickle should be good for at least a week.
Tell me, do you make stuffed parathas? What is your favorite kind?
How else do you add vegetables in your meal? Do share.
Try these easy, delicious and seriously good-for-you recipes (okay, maybe the mango pickle is really an indulgence!) and let me know what you think.
I am bringing this whole meal idea over to this week’s Fiesta Friday party at The Novice Gardener.
If you like what you see, please follow my blog via Email (button on the right), Facebook, Pinterest or Bloglovin’, or maybe even all four!!!
What a delicious combination, Anjana – Aloo Palak parathas with aam achar not to mention the lentil curry. Thanks for bringing this to the fiesta! Have a lovely weekend! 🙂
Thank you, Ahila! Have a lovely weekend 🙂
Hi Anjana, I wanted to let you know that I nominated you for the Team readership award – http://wp.me/p3Nc97-vT. Have a nice day!
Thank you so much, Ahila. I will check it out!
Wow! All of these look delicious! I especially like the idea of adding some potatoes to an unleavened bread recipe!it must add a lot of moisture to the bread 🙂
Thank you! The potatoes really make the parathas quite soft!!
oh my gosh my mouth is literally watering, this post is amazing! I want to make all these things! I will have to start off with the palak dal though as I think that’s more in my skill set! Thank you so much for sharing
Thank you, Michelle! You can definitely start with the dal if the parathas scare you… ha ha!
Once you get the dough done, it’s pretty easy. If it tears while rolling, just pat it sufficiently flat with your fingers and try. Good luck!
Thank you for bringing this along. I love lentils and spinach: so what a great combination.
They are!
Thanks for visiting!!
great post! thanks for sharing! happy FF22
Thank you!
Wow, wow, wow! That’s one wow for each recipe! I have never attempted to make parathas, but I think I must do it now! You have really inspired me with this post! 😀
Thank you so much! Glad to have inspired you!!
Those parathas!! You make it look so easy – I really think it is time I got over my fear of making parathas – it’s just that my gran was so good at them that I never tried! Thanks for sharing this delicious meal and Happy Fiesta Friday!
Thank you, Selma! Do try these recipes 🙂
Anjana, I love it all!!! And so useful as I often buy a big bag of spinach and then forget what I was going to use it for!! Thank you so much for bringing these three lovely recipes to this weeks party xx
Thank you, Elaine! Glad to have inspired you!!
🙂 x
Those parathas really do look like a delicious and satisfying meal in themselves – and with that pickle alongside – maybe a little raita – superb. Lovely post.
You are absolutely right! Parathas and pickle is just heaven!!
Looks good! 🙂
Thank you 🙂
Oh, does that paratha ever look good to me!!! Thank you for these recipes, as I have a boatload of spinach in our fridge right now and am tiring of spinach salad and sauté !
I really hope you try these simple recipes, Sue! Have fun!!
I will, thank you!
Oh my god that looks so so amazing. It has made me hungry.
Do try these recipes. I am sure you’ll love it!
Would love to try the spinach parathas. Love the way you show the ingredients visually. It gives you a better idea of whether you have it all.
Do try them, Loretta. I am sure you will love it!
Do get back if you need clarification on some of the steps.
Thanks Anjana, I’ve made parathas before, but not with spinach and potatoes, so would love to try them out. I’m thinking you would probably need to cook them on the stove top a tad longer?
That’s great!
Spinach parathas just need to be rolled out a tad carefully, obviously because of the slight water content. And yes, they may need a slightly longer cook time to effectively brown the parathas.
Good luck, Loretta!!
Stay tuned for my next post on FF Anjana. I was so proud of myself for having successfully mastered the potato/spinach parathas. Even my guests were in awe :))
I’ll be on the look-out, Loretta 🙂
You have me drooling… these are all my favorites!
Thank you, Apsara!
Oh yum! This post had me on the mention of mango pickle! 🙂
Pickle is my weakness too 😉
lovely spread – you take such wonderful pictures! also I happen to suck at parathas but will try these. fingers crossed.
Thank you, Sarah!
I am not much good at parathas… cannot make them in perfect circles. But, that’s never an issue, is it?!!
Let me know how it turns out 🙂
Congratz… You have been nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award..
http://nimmiafzal.wordpress.com/2014/06/26/another-surprising-award/
Aww… thank you, Nimmi!
You ate welcome😊😊
Wonderful recipes, Anjana! Can’t wait to try this pickle recipe soon! I just have to find some curry leaves. 🙂
Thank you, Ngan. Hope you try them!
Awesome post Anjana. I loved all the recipes. The mango pickle is awesome.
Thanks so much, Sonal! I love a good achar and this one is so simple to make 🙂
This is totally my kinda meal!!!.. gorgeous pictures. I am eyeing the red pickle… ooh looks killer.
Thank you, Namrata! We all love a good achar, right?!!
omg! you r killing me! the photos are making me drool. thanks so much for the recipes. can’t believe the super quick pickle recipe. 😀
Thank you! Do try the recipes 🙂
A wonderful meal!!! I will keep it in my comfort-food list 🙂
Please do, Shruti! It’s so simple and comforting 🙂
This post is amazing Anjana! The bread has to be amazing… and very useful to “clean” all the dishes!!!
Thank you. And you are right! The bread is really great 🙂