Malabar Spinach - Poi Saag Besar Badi
This recipe of Malabar Spinach is prepared in East Indian style along with spices and lentils. It is a typical Oriya dish that has a mustard paste, also known as besar.
Servings: 3 people
Cost: $5
Equipment
- Heavy Bottom Pan
Ingredients
- 400 g Fresh Malabar Spinach
- 200 g Badi Badi is lentil crisps. It is readily available in India stores. It can also be reaplced with seafood, lentils, or tofu.
- 3 Cloves Garlic
- 2 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1 Medium Onion
- 1½ tsp Rock Salt To taste
- 1½ tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1½ tsp Panchforan An equal mix of mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, nigella seeds, mustard seeds, and cumin seeds. It can also be reaplced with cumin seeds.
- 2 tbsp Mustard Oil Pure and Virgin oil or Ghee or Peanut Oil
- 2 Medium Tomato
- 1 pinch Asafetida or Hing
- 1½ tsp Coriander Seeds Powder
Instructions
Prepare the Besar - Mustard Seeds Paste
- Soak the mustard seeds and cumin seeds in 3-4 tablespoons of water for 15-20 minutes.
- Add the soaked seeds along with garlic cloves to a grinder to make a fine paste. Keep aside.
Prepare the Malabar spinach curry
- Wash the Malabar spinach properly. Cut the stem into small pieces and coarsely chop the leaves.
- Finely chop the onion and tomato. Keep them in separate bowls.
- Heat the pan and put half tablespoon oil in it. Once the oil is a little hot, add the badi and roast till it turns golden brown in color. Remove from the pan and keep aside.
- Now add remaining oil to the pan and heat it a little.
- Add Asafetida powder and panchforan mix to the oil.
- Once the seeds start to crackle, add chopped onions. Stir till the onion is light brown in color.
- Add the besar paste and stir for 5 minutes till the paste thickens up.
- Add salt and turmeric and stir for another 2 minutes.
- Add chopped tomato, cook for another 5-7 minutes till the tomatoes are mashed up.
- Add the roasted badi and the spinach. Mix well and lower the gas to slow-medium.
- Add a few tablespoons of water should the mix become too dry.
- Cook for 10-15 minutes till the leaves wilt off and keep stirring in between.
- Serve with rice or roti, Indian bread. Enjoy!
Notes
Note: While roasting the badi, keep stirring continuously otherwise it can get burnt.