Chhole Palak | Chickpeas and Spinach Curry

Chhole Palak - Vibrant mildly spiced curry made with spinach and chickpeas. Guilt-free and hearty. Get ready for compliments!!

This week I resurrected two things, a phone and this recipe of Chhole Palak.

I am an Engineer, yet (or may be that is exactly why) I believe in if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. So while my little nokia brick phone continued to work fine over the years, I never thought I needed a new phone. I had friends grumbling that I’m the only one who is not on WhatsApp while their grandma’s had embraced the new technology. My dad actually did it before me. Finally, 3 years ago, I agreed to move on with the world and buy a smartphone.

I was so used to a little thing that fit into my pockets and could be dropped a hundred times (sometimes in water too) and nothing would ever happen to it. I guess I kinda did the same thing to my not-so-robust smartphone and now it is broken. The verdict is out – it can never be fixed. My trusty (not so trusty anymore, isn’t it?) smartphone is gone and will never be back. At least I got my data off it. But by the time I decide what my next smartphone should be, I resurrected my little nokia brick phone and guess what? It works like a dream, till date.

I’ve been off all social media for a week. No WhatsApp, no Instagram, no Pinterest. Not good news for the blogger in me, but very good news for the reader in me. I had so much time; I finished 2 books in 4 days and was craving for more. I have a temporary smart phone now, but I also have 2 more books that I’m determined to finish. Wish me luck.

The second thing, I resurrected was this 2 year old recipe – Chhole Palak. Smooth vibrant green spinach gravy with just a hint of chilli and garlic and soft salty well cooked chickpeas. Pair it with some soft Naan bread or whole wheat rotis, and be ready to accept all those compliments.

Now the first thing I think of when I see spinach is Palak Paneer. The famous spinach and cottage cheese curry. Two years ago we went to a restaurant and had their palak pindi chhole and loved it. That was the first time I tried to make Chhole Palak. I wish I could smuggle that recipe out from the chef who prepared it, but until then, I'm trying out my own versions. While the restaurant version had finely minced spinach, I went ahead and blended it into a silky smooth puree just like in Palak Paneer.  See how vibrant that green is? Secret to how to maintain that brilliant green is in the recipe below.

This was the first time I ever ate spinach with chickpeas. Common knowledge has it that spinach pairs really well with all types of cheese, but adding chickpeas, was definitely a revelation to me.  I love chickpeas; there is no doubt about it. Whenever I cook chickpeas, I always make extra. They are brilliant to snack on, especially in the form of this Chhole Chaat or chickpea salad. Flavor rules always, but there is something else that has kept me coming back to this recipe. It is guilt free and filling. On the day I took it for lunch, it kept me from feeling hungry for a long time. Perfect for the days when I am looking for a healthy meal with minimal effort. 

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook, tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com. I'd love to see what you are upto. 

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If you liked this, you may also like:

• Palak Paneer - Spinach and cottage cheese curry
• Palak Dal - Dhal made with spinach and spices.
• Pindi Chhole - Simple curry made with chickpeas and tea.
• Amritsari Chhole - Chickpeas cooked with tea and then added to a tomato based spicy masala.

Chhole Palak | Chickpeas in Spinach Gravy

Chickpeas cooked in a spiced gravy made with spinach

Recipe Type:  Main Course
Cuisine:          North Indian
Prep Time:     8 hours 
Cook time:     45 minutes
Yield:              2 Servings

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked Chickpeas (Chhole) or 1 Tin of Chickpeas

3 cups chopped Spinach

1 large Onion

2-3 cloves of Garlic

1/2 inch piece Ginger

1-2 Green Chillies

1 tsp Cumin seeds

3-4 tsp Mustard Oil 

Salt

Method:

Soak the chickpeas overnight or for 6-8 hrs (if using uncooked ones).
Boil them with 1-2 tsp of salt and water until they are done and not mushy.
Drain the water and keep aside. 
Wash the spinach thoroughly and drain it.
Heat water in a large pot and once it comes to a boil, add the spinach in. 
Boil the spinach for 7-8 minutes without covering the pot. Turn off the heat and allow the spinach to stay in the hot water for another 2-3 minutes.
Drain the spinach and immediately immerse in cold water or water with ice cold water. This is what retains the vibrant green of the spinach.
Grind the ginger, garlic, onion and green chillies together with a little water until smooth.
Heat oil in a kadhai/pan and add the cumin seeds.
Once they are slightly browned, add the onion puree and fry until slightly browned or for 3-5 minutes on low heat.
Add the spinach and mix well. Simmer on low heat for 5 minutes. Do not cover. Covering the spinach while it cooks turns it from bright green to a more brownish green.
Add chickpeas and cook for another 2-3 mins.
Add salt. Be aware of the fact that the chickpeas are already salted.
Serve hot with rice/roti/naan.
If you plan to store it for later, allow it to cool to room temperature before covering the curry, else it will lose the vibrant green color.