Easy potato curry in a hurry.......

I have been craving curry for a few days, and I wanted to make the  yummy looking flatbreads over at Pod & three peas . When my vege box arrived, the huge pile of spinach was so fresh looking I knew that had to be in the curry somewhere (and lets be honest, the quicker I use it, the quicker I get a quarter of my fridge space back...). Combine with potato, and you have my version of the Indian classic sag aloo.

Nigel Slater's spinach and potato recipe, in his wonderful vegetable book Tender was the inspiration,  but I fear his tastes may be slightly more austere than mine. I like my spinach well wilted with the potato, and the splash of lite coconut cream (I know, how unlike me to use lite anything, but actually it was fine) gave a lovely creaminess at the end. But if you don't have coconut cream, don't worry, you could use a spoonful of yoghurt, or indeed nothing at all, it will still taste fab.....

Potato and spinach curry

2 medium potatoes (or about 500 grams baby potatoes) peeled and cut into chunks
2 small onions peeled , halved and cut into thin crescents
1 tbsp mustard oil (if you don't have mustard oil, just use canola or olive)
1 tbsp canola oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 red chilli, finely diced (OR a good pinch of chili flake)
1 tsp of grated fresh ginger OR large pinch ginger powder
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric
Salt & pepper
LARGE bunch spinach (about 400 grams) OR 2 bags of baby spinach
1/4 cup lite coconut cream (optional)
Big squeeze lemon juice

Boil or steam your chunks of potato until tender when you put a sharp knife into them. Meanwhile heat the oils in a frying pan (I use a 23cm for this) over a medium heat and fry the onions for about 10 mins until tender. Add the garlic, chilli and the spices and stir for another minute or so, to get rid of the raw taste.

Season with salt & pepper, then add the potatoes back to the pan, stirring to coat them with the oil mix. Add a cup of cold water and stir again. Place all your chopped spinach on top of the potato and put a lid, or piece of foil over the top. Turn the heat to med-low, and cook for another 10 mins or so until the spinach is wilted, and about half the liquid has evaporated. Stir in the coconut cream, check the seasoning and serve, easy.

I was dealing with an electrician when I got home from work, and realised I would not have time to make the flatbreads, so we has these parathas from the freezer instead. I get them from New World, and they are so easy, just chuck in a heated frying pan straight from frozen, they are done in about 2 minutes, genius!

You might also notice a handful of broadbeans in the curry picture, I picked them fresh, and just chucked them in about five minutes from the end of the cooking time, but 1/2 a cup of frozen peas would also be perfect.

I cant say this is terribly authentic, but it was really tasty, filling and quick to prepare, so I will definitely be making it again....

On a totally different note, I was out walking last night (yep, Plum K is still trying to get leanish....), trotting along at a decent clip and feeling pretty pleased with my efforts, when I was overtaken by a guy with a backpack........... walking home from work! Not out exercising mind, just returning home (I assumed) from a day at the office. And as he whizzed past me he turned, smiling, and reassured me I was "doing really well"........??!

How tragic does a girl exercising have to look, that a stranger feels he needs to reassure her she will actually make it home PRIOR to her coronary, while simultaneously zooming past like she is almost stationery. Keep your kind words stranger, I'm just fine thanks.....my face will return to its normal colour in no time!

Mustering as much dignity as I could in the circumstances I smiled (grimaced) and bid him a hearty good evening..........I might have tried to trip him up but I didn't want to break stride.

Really!