We love this recipe because of how simple it is, and how much flavour it has. Using fresh spices and fresh spinach is an absolute must. Traditionally, most heavily spiced meals usually require long cooking times, but this recipe does not. We’ve saved on the time but maximised flavour using some special ingredients. The pink himalayan salt will give a more savoury, slightly citrus taste to help balance out the chillies. We also suggest using a mix of dried kashmiri chillies as well as ground chilli pepper. This gives the dish a long mellow warmth from the dried chillies, and also heat from the powder. The black cumin plays the largest role here in giving the dish that exotic flavour you cannot get anywhere else.
We cannot stress the importance of using top quality spices here – the meal will not have that amazing bang of aroma and flavour without! The fresh spices really bring this dish to a supreme level worthy of any restaurant.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon green fennel seeds
1 teaspoon black cumin seeds
2 medium onions, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, and cut crosswise into thin half-rings
1 piece fresh ginger (1 inch), peeled and cut into thin strips
3 pounds fresh spinach, washed and trimmed
2 dried kashmiri chillies, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon pink himalayan salt
1/8 teaspoon ground chilli powder (suggest using Tianjin chillies for heat)
Method
1. Heat oil and butter in a large saute pan set over medium-high heat. When hot, add fennel and black cumin seeds. Stir, and add onions, kashmiri chillies and ginger. Stir-fry until onions turn a rich brown color, 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Remove kashmiri chillies.
3. Add spinach. Cover pan, and cook until spinach has wilted completely, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
4. Sprinkle on the chilli powder, pink himalayan salt.
5. Stir and cook until all the liquid is gone from the bottom of the pan.
Done! Best served with some steamed rice.
photo credit: ulterior epicure