Its National Vegetarian Week and Spinach is in season so I can’t think think of a better way of cooking spinach to optimise it’s wonderful nutritional content than in this recipe. Its soulmate here is beetroot and tomatoes (vitamin C) to ensure the iron from the spinach is absorbed into the body. Its peppered with a delicate blend of spices, a light chilli and coriander seed mix. This is one of the recipes we cover in our Advanced Indian cookery class here at The Cooking Academy.
Spinach or Red Chard & Beetroot with Coriander
250g Red Chard or Baby/young spinach leaves
80g Beetroot cut into julienne strips if red chard is not available
1 tsp Coriander seeds – Roughly milled
1 dried chilli Red chilli
2 tsp Garlic
½ tsp Turmeric
½ tsp Salt
30g Red skinned peanuts roasted and roughly chopped
1 tbsp Vegetable oil
1 medium finely chopped onion
2 small tomatoes
Cooking Instructions
Lightly roast the coriander seeds and the whole chilli for a few minutes either in a wok in an oven. Crush them in a pestle and mortar and then set aside.
Roast the red skinned peanuts separately and when cooled crush them a little and blow away the excess skin shells, set this aside.
Heat the oil in a deep pan or wok and add the crushes chilli and coriander sizzle for 30 seconds or until you smell the gentle aroma. Add the chopped garlic and onions and cook until lightly golden brown for approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Now add the turmeric, salt and tomatoes, stir in to blend the colours and then add 1st the beetroot and then a minute later the spinach. Now, gently fold the spinach into the onion and spice mixture, turn the spinach over to take heat from the base of the pan, but careful not to over cook it or allow the moisture to release from the spinach.
Just as the spinach is beginning to wilt – remove from the heat and sprinkle the peanuts, toss gently and serve immediately.
Recipe created by Kumud Gandhi – Founder of The Cooking Academy.
Kumud Gandhi is a Nutritional Food Scientist bestselling Author, Broadcaster, and Keynote Speaker on the subject of nutritional health for productivity & performance in the workplace. In 2010 Kumud founded ‘The Cooking Academy’ a cookery school that focusses on cooking for nutritional health and wellbeing. Kumud regularly presents to international audiences on a variety of topics such as ‘Eating for Immunity and a Lifetime of Wellness’. She is an expert in the field of Wellness in the Workplace and works with organizations to create transformational change in employee health & well-being through nutrition and health coaching.
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