Butter Beans with Spinach (Pavta-Palak): Recipes by Mridula Baljekar

Butter Beans with Spinach (Pavta-Palak)

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 35 minutes

Serves: 4

Each serving contains: Kcals: 170; g fat: 7; g saturated fat: 3

Ingredients:

• 5cm piece of cinnamon stick (dalchinikidandi)
• 1 onion, finely chopped (bareekkate hue pyaaz)
• 1 teaspoon Ginger Puree (adrakki puree)
• 1-2 green chillies, seeded and finely chopped (chhile hue aurbareekkate hue harimirch)
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric (peesi hui haldi)
• ½ teaspoon chilli powder (mirch powder)
• ½ teaspoon Ground Roasted Cumin (bhune hue and peese hue jeere)
• 1 teaspoon Ground Roasted Coriander (bhune hue and peese hue dhaniyekebeej)
• 225g tomatoes, skinned and chopped, or canned chopped tomatoes with their juice (chhile hue, and bareekkate hue tamatar)
• 1 teaspoon salt to taste (namakswaadanusaar)
• 250g spinach, finely chopped, or frozen leaf spinach (bareekkate hue paalak)
• 400g can butter beans, drained and well rinsed (dhule hue beans)
• 75ml single cream substitute
• 75ml warm water (gungunapaani)

Method:

• In a non-stick saucepan, heat the oil over lowheat, then add the cinnamon stick and let itsizzle for 20-25 seconds. Add the onion, gingerpuree and green chillies. Increase the heatslightly and fry for 5-6 minutes, stirringregularly to ensure even cooking
• Stir in the turmeric, chilli powder, cuminand coriander. Cook for 30 seconds beforeadding the tomatoes. Continue to cook for4-5 minutes, stirring frequently
• Add the salt and spinach, and stir until thespinach wilts. Cover the pan and reduce theheat to low, then cook for 10 minutes
• Add the butter beans, cream substitute andwater. Re-cover and cook for a further 10minutes. Serve with any bread or Cumin-Coriander Rice

Spice Omelette Curry (Masala Umletki Kari)

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 15-20 minutes

Serves: 4

Each serving contains:

Kcals: 135; g fat: 10.3; g saturated fat: 2.3

Ingredients:

Omelettes

• 4 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion (bareekkatehue laalpyaaz)
• 1 green chilli, seeded and finely chopped 34 teaspoon
• Ginger Puree (adrak puree)
• 1 tabIespoon finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
• (bareekkate hue dhaniyekepatte)
• ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric (peesi hui haldi)
• ½ teaspoon salt (namak)
• a little sunflower or soya oil for brushing pan

Sauce

1 tablespoon sunflower or soya oil

½ teaspoon ground turmeric (peesihuihaldi)

½ teaspoon chilli powder (mirch powder)

½ teaspoon salt to taste (namakswaadanusaar)

½ teaspoon sugar (chini)

225g tomatoes, skinned and finely chopped (chhilehue aurbareekkate hue tamatar)

I 50ml warm water (gungunagarampaani)

1 teaspoon Ground Roasted Cumin (bhune hue jeere)

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh coriander leaves(bareekkate hue dhaniyekepatte)

Method:

• Make two omelettes. Whisk the eggs with 2 tablespoonswater until frothy (the water makes the
• omedettes light and fluffy). Add the remaining ingredientsand mix thoroughly
• Brush a non-stick omelette pan, 12-15 cm in diameter,with sunflower or soya oil and place over mediumheat. Pour half the egg mixture into the hot panand stir the middle of the mixture gently, rotating itfor even cooking
• Stop stirring and allow the egg to set, then turn theomelette over with a wide spatula. Cook the secondside for 1-2 minutes. The omelette should resemble athick pancake. Slide it out on to a board and cook thesecond omelette the same way
• Cut the omelettes into strips, about 2.5 cm wide,and cut the stnpslnto 5cm (2in) lengths. Set aside
• For the sauce, heat the oil over medium heat in anon-stick sauté pan. Add the turmeric, chilli powder,
• salt and sugar. Stir once, then add the tomatoesand cook for 3-4 minutes.
• Pour in the water, reducethe heat slightly and cook for a furthe. 3-4 minutes,stirring frequently
• Mix in the cumin and fresh coriander, then add theomelette strips. Reduce the heat to low and cook
• for 2-3 minutes. Stir gently once or twice, thenserve immediately