Indians searched for Palak recipes in 2021. Here are some popular ones

Google's ‘Year In Search 2021’ showed Indians trending palak recipes during the Covid-19 pandemic. As the winter green is a healthy source of vitamins and minerals for both vegetarians and non vegetarians, here are some popular spinach recipes that Popeye would totally approve

Search engine Google's “Year in Search 2021” is a summary of the top Google searches or Google Trends of the current year that reveal about the most searched questions, the people who inspired us the most and the most captivating moments that captured the world’s attention this year. In its annual 'Year In Search' report this year, it was found that Indians searched for and set trending Palak recipes in 2021.

Indians searched for Palak recipes in 2021. Here are some popular ones (File Photo)

As the winter green is a healthy source of vitamins and minerals for both vegetarians and non vegetarians, here are some popular spinach recipes that Popeye would totally approve. Apart from being cheap and easy to prepare if not served raw, spinach is known to contain 28.1 milligrams of vitamin C in a 100-gram serving as per the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). 

Since it is high in fiber and water, it promotes a healthy digestive tract by preventing constipation. The leaves of spinach are also rich in protein, iron, vitamins and minerals. 

The vitamin A in it moisturises the skin and hair while the vitamin C in it provides structure to skin and hair and the iron content keeps hair loss at bay. It not only helps in managing diabetes and preventing cancer but also helps prevent asthma and lowers blood pressure. 

Recipe: Om nom nom your way through the last of 2021 with spinach and ‘ricotta’ ravioli  (Instagram/melisustunnn)

 

Ingredients for dough:

150g plain flour

150g semolina

130ml warm water

1/2 tbsp olive oil

pinch of salt

Ingredients for spinach and ‘ricotta’ filling:

100g firm tofu

70g cream cheese

150g spinach

1 clove of garlic

1 tbsp vegan pesto

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp onion powder

2 tsp mixed herbs

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

Ingredients for serving:

Fresh rosemary and basil

Toasted pine nuts

Olive oil

Method:

Start by mixing the flour, semolina and salt. Stir together, add in the water and oil and knead in to a dough. Place on a floured surface and continue kneading. Wrap the dough ball in some cling film and leave it in the fridge for an hour.

Meanwhile start on the filling by adding some oil to a pan, crumbling in the tofu and adding the garlic, mixed herbs, salt and pepper. Take off the heat then add in the cream cheese, nutritional yeast, onion powder and pesto.

Cook the spinach in a pan then drain any liquid before chopping it up and adding it to the tofu. Mix all together. After an hour, roll out your dough until it’s very thin on a floured surface. Make sure there’s enough flour otherwise it’ll stick to the surface and won’t work.

Cut out little circles with a cutter. Alternatively, you can cut them in to 2x2” squares. Add half a tsp of the filling to the center of one of the circles then add some water around the edges. Place another circle on top and flatten the sides.

You can use a fork to press down the edges. Repeat until they’re all done. (Any leftover filling can be used as a pasta sauce later on.) Boil some water and add them in one by one. Cook for 3-5 minutes then lightly fry them in some oil, more garlic and mixed herbs.

You can dry toast the pine nuts at this point. Serve with the garlicy oil sauce, fresh rosemary and basil and the pine nuts. Enjoy!

(Recipe: Melis Ustun, Instagram/melisustunnn)

2. Palak kofta curry

Recipe: Let sunehri anjeer and palak kofta curry be a yummy treat to your taste buds  (Chef Hari Ballabh Singh from Ozen Reserve Bolifushi)

 

Ingredients for kofta:

Fresh spinach 250gm

Anjeer 120gm

Brown onion paste 50gm

Green chilly 1no

Potatoes (Boiled) 2nos

Paneer 100gm

Ginger 1/2tsp

Gram flour 1tsp

Salt to taste

Black pepper To taste

Oil for frying kofte

Method:

Soak the figs in water for 3-4 hours and chop them in to a fine piece for kofta filling. Now drop the spinach into the boiling water for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and strain in a container. Quickly refresh the spinach in ice water, squeeze to remove as much water as possible and blend in to a fine paste.

Combine grated potato, spinach, gram flour, green chilli, ginger, brown onion paste, salt and pepper. Mix well to combine. Check for seasoning. Flatten a portion of spinach mixture on your palm and place a portion of fig mixture in between and roll from all the sides to seal the edges. Heat the oil in a pan over medium high heat and fry the koftas until they turn golden brown in colour.

Ingredients for making gravy:

Fresh tomatoes 220gms

Refined oil 15ml

Cumin seeds 1/2tsp

Green chilly 2nos

Cashewnut 75gms

Garlic cloves 2nos

Ginger 20gms

Kashmiri chilly powder 1/2tsp

Garam masala a pinch

Salt to taste

Cooking cream 50ml

Coriander 20gms

Method for gravy:

Heat oil in a pan over medium high heat, add cumin seeds to pan when they start to crackle add sliced onion and sauté for 3-5 minutes. Add cashewnut, ginger, chilli, garlic and sauté further for 3-5 minutes. Now add tomatoes to the pan and simmer for 10-12 minutes or till the tomatoes and completely wilted.

Add chilli powder, garam masala and salt mix well to combine. Turn off the flame and allow the mixture to completely cool down, grind the mixture in to a fine paste and strain through a fine sieve. Return the mixture to the pan over low heat, add little water to dilute if it is too thick. Finish with cream and crushed kasoori methi. Add halved koftas to pan, garnish with coriander and serve with rice or Indian bread.

(Recipe: Chef Hari Ballabh Singh from Ozen Reserve Bolifushi)

3. Spinach makhana

Enjoy Spinach Makhana with singhare ki poori (Chef Vivek Tamhane, Senior Executive Chef, BLVD Club—Bangalore)

 

Ingredients:

300 grams spinach leaves

50 gms makhana (phool makhana)

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 green chili - chopped

1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves

1 tablespoon ghee

½ tsp rock salt

Method for Spinach Makhana:

Wash the Spinach leaves, chopped them well. Heat a pan, add little oil and phool makhana. On a low flame, stir and roast the makhana till they become crunchy. Once done keep it aside.

Heat ghee in a pan. Add chopped chili, cumin powder, and rock salt. Add the chopped spinach. On a medium flame, sauté the spinach till they start becoming bit semi dry. Don’t add any water, let it cook on its own water.

Switch off the flame. Add the roasted makhana. Add chopped mint leaves.

(Recipe: Chef Vivek Tamhane, Senior Executive Chef, BLVD Club—Bangalore)

4. Spinach soup

Here’s the mouthwatering spinach soup recipe that Popeye would totally recommend (Instagram/whiskaway2020)

 

Ingredients:

1 tbsp butter

1 medium sized onion (finely chopped)

1 clove garlic (finely chopped)

1 bunch spinach leaves

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup milk

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tbsp corn flour

1 tsp fresh cream

salt as per taste

Method:

Take a pan and add butter, onions and garlic. Sauté until it turns golden brown. After making sure to cut the stem, clean the spinach leaves before use. Add them to the pan and sauté on medium flame for a minute till they shrink in size and allow it to cool completely.

Transfer the mixture to a blender and make a smooth puree out of it by adding water as required. Pour out the blended puree to the same pan and add milk, salt and give them all a good mix. Bring the puree to boil.

Next, add black pepper, sugar and corn flour paste and stir them in quick motions. (Note: To prepare corn flour paste, stir 1 tbsp of corn starch with 1/4 cup water and make a paste out of it. Add it to the soup, stir again and check the consistency)

Pour the soup in a serving bowl and garnish with fresh cream.

(Recipe courtesy: Instagram/whiskaway2020)

5. Palak Paneer

If Popeye came to India, he'd surely binge on this dinner recipe of Palak Paneer  (Instagram/culinarychaser)

 

Ingredients:

100 gms paneer

4 tbsp cream/malai

A bunch of palak/spinach

2-3 chopped spring onion with greens

1 chopped tomato

1 inch ginger

4-5 cloves garlic

2 green chillies

4-5 walnuts

1 tsp cumin seeds

Salt, red chilli powder and garam masala as per your taste.

Method:

In a pan add chopped spinach, onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, green chillies, cumin seeds, walnuts and cook it for 8-10 mins. Let it cool down meanwhile in another pan toast the cubed paneer. Add this in a mixer grinder and make a fine paste. In a pan add 1 tsp ghee, salt, chilli powder, garam masala.. saute on low flame, add the spinach puree.

Keeping the flame low cook it for 5-6 mins, adjust the consistency with some water. Add cream while keep stirring so that it doesn't stick. Finally add paneer and it's ready!

(Recipe: Neha, Instagram/culinarychaser)

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