Name: Palak Pyaz Bhujia
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 4 cup Spinach, palak, washed, dried, and roughly chopped; 1 large Onion, sliced lengthwise; 6 clove Garlic, crushed or finely minced; 2 Dried Red Chili Peppers, broken into halves (adds a smoky kick); 1½ tbsp Mustard Oil, essential for saag flavor; 1 tsp Cumin Seeds, jeera; ¼ tsp Ground Turmeric, haldi (use very little); 1 tsp Salt, added at the very end

40 mintotal

25 min hands-on15 min hands-off

Prep 15 min · Cook 10 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: Mild

Add to your week

Ingredients

4 cupSpinachpalak, washed, dried, and roughly chopped
1 largeOnionsliced lengthwise
6 cloveGarliccrushed or finely minced
2Dried Red Chili Peppersbroken into halves (adds a smoky kick)
1½ tbspMustard Oilessential for saag flavor
1 tspCumin Seedsjeera
¼ tspGround Turmerichaldi (use very little)
1 tspSaltadded at the very end

Quantities are for 2 servings.

You'll need: Stovetop.

Includes prep-ahead time.

Method

Heat the mustard oil in a wide kadai or pan until it hits its smoking point. This mellows the pungency of the oil. Reduce the flame.
Add the cumin seeds and the broken dry red chillies. Let the chillies turn slightly dark, releasing a smoky aroma.
Add the deeply crushed garlic. Sauté for a few seconds until it turns golden. Garlic is the primary flavoring agent for this simple dish.
Toss in the sliced onions. Fry on medium heat until the onions become soft and translucent, retaining their natural sweetness.
Add the roughly chopped spinach (palak) in batches. Sprinkle the turmeric powder.
Do not cover the pan. Stir the spinach continuously on medium-high heat. It will wilt rapidly and release water.
Keep stir-frying until all the water completely evaporates and the spinach wraps tightly around the onions (about 5-7 minutes).
5–7 min
Once the sabzi is completely dry, add the salt, mix well, and turn off the heat.

How to tell it's done

Intensely dark green, completely dry spinach leaves tightly tangled with sweet onions and smoky bits of dried chilli.

Nutrition

Per serving, from 2 servings.

157kcal

Where the calories come from

Protein3.4 g8%
Carbohydrate13.2 g32%
Fat11.1 g60%

Saturated fat: 1.3 g
Fibre: 3.1 g
Sodium: 1218 mg
Potassium: 517 mg
Calcium: 104 mg
Iron: 2.9 mg

Estimated by calculation from the ingredient list, using USDA FoodData Central. Not a laboratory analysis.

Getting it right

Tip

Adding salt to spinach before it wilts is a common mistake; because spinach shrinks massively, pre-salting often ruins the dish by making it too salty. Always salt leafy greens at the very end.

What to serve it with

A humble, deeply traditional village-style meal. Simply divine when scooped up with hot Chapatis or paired with Dal Chawal.

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