Palak Makhana
A healthy Indian spinach and fox-nut gravy — nutritious, easy to cook and perfect as a side or light meal.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Wash spinach thoroughly under running water to remove dirt. Roughly chop and set aside.
- Dry roast phool makhana (fox nuts) in a pan over medium heat. If you like, add 1 tsp ghee/oil and roast till they turn crisp and light golden on low flame. Keep aside.
- In the same pan, heat a little oil (or ghee), add cumin seeds and let them splutter.
- Add chopped tomato and cook till it becomes soft and oil begins to separate.
- Add chopped spinach, turmeric, coriander powder, garam masala and salt. Mix well and add little water or milk. Cook for about 5 minutes until spinach wilts and softens.
- Turn off heat and let the spinach mixture cool slightly. Then transfer to a blender and make a smooth paste.
- Pour the spinach paste back into the pan. If needed, add 1/4 cup water (or milk) to adjust consistency and simmer for 2–3 minutes on low heat.
- Add the roasted makhana into the gravy, stir gently so that makhana coats with spinach gravy. Cook for another 2 minutes.
- Switch off heat. Serve hot with roti, paratha or rice. Garnish with a drizzle of ghee (optional).
Notes
If you prefer richer texture, use 2 tbsp milk instead of water while blending spinach. For vegan option, use oil instead of ghee. Roasted makhana gives a nice crunch — avoid over-roasting else it may become too hard. Adjust water or milk to get desired gravy consistency.