Palak Bahar (Sauteed vegetables on a bed of pureed spinach)

How to make Palak Bahar (Sauteed Vegetables on a bed of pureed Spinach)

          If  I were expecting company, I would probably pick something like this, to serve. The colorful sauteed vegetables, laid on a bed of pureed spinach has got to impress, with its beautiful & vibrant color contrasts. Serve with any unleavened bread or mildly flavored Pulao & you have a winner. This is a very versatile recipe - in the sense that, you can play with the vegetables used on top & still get a delightfully delicious entree, which can be served in 3 ways :)

         When I made this, the last time, my older one, decided to take only the pureed spinach & not the veggies. That reminded me of a story, that I had read, when I was a child. Here it goes - There once lived a poor man, with his pet goat and a parrot. He was in a financial crisis and had very few Paise/Cents on hand to feed all three of them. He went to the market, and after some careful consideration; came home with a water melon. He cut it up and ate the fruit, fed the rind to the goat and the seeds to the parrot. Problem solved! This entree could serve you in a similar way if need be.

Ingredients

Spinach - 2 medium bunches/10 oz - blanched
Carrots 2 medium - cut into thin diagonal slices
French beans 6 - cut into diamonds
1/4th of a Cauliflower- broken into florets
Green chillies - 1
Oil - 1 1/2 Tbsp
Ginger - 1 inch piece, chopped
Garlic - 4 cloves, chopped
Onions - 1 large,  chopped
Tomato - 1, chopped
Nutmeg powder - 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Lemon juice - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder - 1/2 to 1 tsp
Garam masala powder - 2 tsp
Fresh coriander leaves - a few sprigs, chopped

Stove Top Method

• Puree the blanched spinach along with one green chilli. Chop the remaining green chillies.

• Heat half the oil, add ginger and garlic and stir fry. Add half the onion and stir fry till onions are pinkish in color. Add nutmeg powder and continue cooking on medium heat for a couple of minute, stirring frequently. Add pureed spinach, cook it for a minute and add salt. Transfer & set it aside.

• Blanch carrots, French beans and cauliflower.

• Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan, add cumin seeds and when it starts to change color, add the remaining onion, tomato and season with salt and red chilli powder. Cook on medium heat for three to four minutes, stirring continuously.
• Add blanched vegetables and stir-fry lightly. Add lemon juice, garam masala powder and coriander leaves.

• Spread prepared spinach on a flat serving dish and place cooked vegetables in the center and serve hot.

Sharing this recipe from Sanjeev Kapoor's vegetarian cook book with my friends at CCChallenge (Sri Valli). The original recipe has been adjusted to suit our taste buds and reduce the heat.