Indian Green Gravy or Palak Gravy Recipe

Green gravy has other names such as palak gravy and haryali gravy. North- Indian green gravy is a mild flavor gravy which are made from the fresh spinach leaves, onion and herbs.

 

Food Portion 

The quantity of raw spinach per person should be 200 grams, if there is only one curry [ palak curry ]. The quantity of raw spinach per person should be 100 grams, if there is more than one curries. The reason is that when there is more than one curries, consumers mostly try all or all most all, so the consumption portion of each gravies is less as compare to consume single gravy. Ingredients Ratio show the portion for 5 person.

Ingredients
Spinach                                     1 kg                       
vegetables oil                            100 ml

Onion                                        100 gm
ginger                                        20 gm
garlic                                         40 gm

cinnamon stick                          1 stick

cardamom pods                        4 pods

cumin powder                           5 gm

coriander powder                     10 gm

Dried kasoori methi leaves      1 tbsp [4 grams]

Fresh cream                              50 ml

Equipment Required

There are some tools and equipment required to make gravy are pot, ladle, grinder and strainer

Method of Preparation

• Blanch Spinach Leaves, avoid hard part of stem.
• cold down and grind and make a fine paste.
• heat the oil in a pot and Sautee onion with cinnamon stick, cardamom pods in a low heat.
• when onion is golden brown. Add ginger garlic paste and cook some minutes until get a nice aroma.
• Add spinach puree and let it to simmer for a long time in a low heat until water is reduce and gravy is thickened.
• when water contain is reduce, you can see the oil is on the surface of gravy. Add cumin and coriander powder and cook in a low heat for some minutes.
• crush the kasoori methi leaves with palm and add 5 minutes before turnings off the gas and add cream.
• while  making gravy, keep stirring it from time to time to avoid burn on the base.

Culinarian Notes

• puree can be strained after grinding to get extra smoothy texture.
• Other spices such as garam masala can be added to enhanced more taste and flavor, but it is optional. 
• This green gravy isn't spicy and hot. However you can add little amount of green chilly, if you want to make gravy little spicy. let the chill boil with the spinach and grind together.
• coriander stem can be added. you can use both part of the coriander[stem and leaves]. I prefer to use stem. Replace some grams of spinach with coriander. It enhance your gravy aroma. similarly, someone also used mint leaves in this gravy. The ration should be 1 kg spinach and 100 grams coriander or 50 grams mints leaves.
• The bright green color of spinach also possibility to turns darks if you grind it hot or warm, so follow the proper blanching method, which means boil the spinach leaves in a boiling water less than 1 minutes and put in the ice bath water to stop the cooking process and retains that vibrant green color. The cold spinach will not turn darks while grinding.
• Long cooking makes the gravy thicker, but it turns dark and loses the fresh green color, so don't simmer the gravy for a long time. The tips is that when you take leaves out after blanching, strain it properly to drain out the excess water and grind without adding water because if you add water, you should reduce the it from the gravy to make it nice thicker later on, which takes more time and long cooking timing make your gravy darks. 

Taste, Flavor and Texture

The texture of the gravy should be creamy and so smooth, but shouldn't be raw taste of spinach.

Dish Name

The name of dish made form this gravy are palak panner.

Accompaniment

The side dish goes best with this gravy are steamed rice, Tandoori naan and flat bread.

Storage

It can be store in the cold room for 3-4 days. it can be stored a month in the freezer. The best ides is to portion the gravy and use as per requirement.

Gluten Status

It is a gluten free food.

Nutrition 

This north Indian gravy is healthier than other kinds of gravy such as sahi gravy, chop gravy, makhana gravy because this gravy is made from green leaves and added little spices. oil and cream is less healthy, but can be adjusted.

Garnishing 

cream, fried dried red chilly, Rogan[red oil] are the common garnishing for dish made from palak gravy.

food platting 

There are couples of food platting ideas.