Chana Palak Recipe

Prep the spinach

Bring a pot of water to a boil and prepare a bowl of ice water. Blanch the spinach for 30–45 seconds until wilted, then immediately plunge into ice water to stop cooking. Drain well. Reserve about 1/3 of the blanched spinach (roughly 80–100 g) to leave roughly chopped for texture; transfer the remaining spinach to a blender with 2–3 tablespoons of water and puree until smooth. Set both aside.

Prep aromatics and chickpeas

Peel and thinly slice the onion. Peel and finely chop or crush the garlic cloves. Peel and finely grate the ginger. If using canned chickpeas, drain and rinse them thoroughly; if using cooked-from-dry chickpeas, drain but reserve 2–3 tablespoons of cooking liquid in case you need to thin the curry.

Temper whole spices and sauté

Heat the vegetable oil in a wide sauté pan or shallow pot over medium heat. When hot, add the cumin seeds and bay leaf and fry for 20–30 seconds until fragrant (do not burn). Add the sliced onion and a pinch of salt; sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 6–8 minutes.

Add garlic/ginger and ground spices

Add the chopped/crushed garlic and grated ginger to the pan and cook for 1–2 minutes until aromatic. Stir in turmeric, ground coriander and red chili powder; cook the spices for 30–45 seconds to remove the raw flavor.

Cook tomatoes and build sauce

Chop the tomato and add to the pan. Cook until the tomato breaks down and the oil begins to separate from the masala, about 4–5 minutes. If the mixture becomes too dry, add 1–2 tablespoons of water.

Add chickpeas

Add the drained chickpeas to the pan and stir to coat in the spiced tomato-onion mixture. Pour in the 120 ml water or vegetable stock, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook for 6–8 minutes so the chickpeas absorb the flavors.

Incorporate spinach

Stir in the spinach puree and the reserved chopped spinach. Mix thoroughly to combine. If the curry looks too thick, add up to 2–3 tablespoons of water or reserved chickpea liquid to reach your desired consistency. Simmer uncovered for 5–7 minutes so the flavors meld.

Finish seasoning

Add garam masala and salt to taste. Stir and simmer for 1–2 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and chili as needed.

Add cream and lemon

Lower the heat and stir in the light cream slowly, mixing until evenly incorporated. Cook on low for 1–2 minutes — do not boil vigorously after adding cream to avoid splitting. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice.

Garnish

Sprinkle the chopped cilantro over the top just before serving.

Spoon the chana palak over warm cooked basmati rice or serve the rice on the side. Serve immediately while hot.