Try Palak Mushroom

Try Palak Mushroom

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INGREDIENTS

For spinach puree:

250 grams palak/spinach, 5 cups roughly chopped spinach
1 green chili/hari mirch, roughly chopped
½ inch ginger/adrak roughly chopped
1 or 2 garlic cloves/lahsun, roughly chopped

Other ingredients:

200 to 250 grams mushrooms, 2 cups chopped mushrooms
1 medium onion, ½ cup finely chopped onion
1 medium tomato, ½ cup finely chopped tomatoes
½ inch ginger, finely chopped or 1 tsp finely chopped ginger/adrak
2 to 3 garlic, finely chopped or 1 tsp finely chopped garlic/lahsun
¼ tsp turmeric powder/haldi
½ tsp red chili powder/lal mirch powder
¼ tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp kasuri methi/dry fenugreek, crushed
⅔ to ¾ cup water or add as required
2 tbsp oil
2 to 3 tbsp cream
Salt as required

Whole spices:

½ tsp cumin seeds/jeera
1 inch cinnamon/dal chini
2 green cardamoms/choti elachi
3 to 4 cloves/lavang
1 tejpatta/indian bay leaf
1 black cardamom/badi elachi

INSTRUCTIONS

• Rinse the palak or spinach leaves (250 grams) very well in running water. Just chop roughly and keep aside. 250 grams spinach gives about 5 cups roughly chopped spinach.
• Boil 3 cups water in a pan or microwave or electric heater. If using an electric heater, then pour the hot water in a bowl. Add ¼ tsp salt to the hot water and stir.
• Then add the palak leaves in the hot water. Close with a lid and let the palak leaves sit in the water for 2-3 mins.
• Strain the palak leaves. Keep the stock aside as we can use later. Immediately add the strained palak leaves in a bowl containing cold water. Water in which some ice cubes are added. Just add 8 to 10 ice cubes to 3 cups water to get cold water. Allow the spinach leaves to be in the cold water for a minute or two.
• Now add the spinach leaves in a blender or grinder along with a chopped green chili, ½ inch ginger (chopped) and 1 or 2 garlic (chopped).
• Blend to a smooth puree. No need to add water while blending. Keep the puree aside.
• In a pan or kadai/wok heat 2 tbsp oil. Then add the whole spices - ½ tsp cumin seeds/jeera, 1 inch cinnamon, 2 green cardamoms, 3 to 4 cloves, 1 tejpatta/indian bay leaf & 1 black cardamom. Sauté for some seconds till the spices become fragrant.
• Then add ½ cup finely chopped onion.
• Sauté till the onions start becoming golden.
• Then add each 1 tsp chopped ginger and garlic. Sauté till their raw aroma goes away.
• Now add ½ cup finely chopped tomatoes.
• Sauté the tomatoes till they soften completely and you see oil releasing from the sides of the mixture. Takes about 2 to 3 minutes on a low to medium flame.
• Add 2 cups chopped mushrooms. Stir them well.
• When sauting the mushrooms, in the beginning you will them releasing a lot of water.
• Continue to saute till all the water dries up and the mushrooms start turning light golden around the edges.
• Add 1 tsp kasuri methi which has been crushed. Stir. 
• Then add ¼ tsp turmeric powder, ½ tsp red chili powder and ¼ tsp garam masala powder.
• Stir very well again so that the spices get incorporated evenly in the mushroom mixture.
• Add the spinach puree. Stir again.
• Now add ⅔ to ¾ cup water. You can adjust the amount of water as required. Season with salt.
• Stir and bring the curry to a simmer on a low to medium flame for 6 to 7 minutes.
• Now add 2 to 3 tbsp fresh cream. The cream can be low fat or whipping cream.
• Stir the palak mushroom gravy very well so that the cream is mixed evenly in it and then switch off the flame. Check the taste and add more salt or red chili powder or garam masala powder if required.
• Serve palak mushroom hot with some naan, tandoori rotis, steamed rice, jeera rice or veg pulao.

Source: vegrecipesofindia
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