PALANG SAK GHANTA

Ingredients

• 1 large bunch Palang sak (spinach, preferably on the point of budding) (Use young spinach if possible; chopped finely before use)
• 1 handful Tender leaves of pumpkin (Young, tender leaves only; mixed with the spinach)
• 2 tablespoons Flour (Plain flour; used to thicken the curry)
• 1 teaspoon Salt (Adjust to taste)
• 0.5 teaspoon Powdered turmeric (Ground turmeric)
• 0.5 teaspoon Pepper (Freshly ground black pepper recommended)
• 1 teaspoon Cumin (Used in two stages: in the spice mix and also when tempering with ghee; divide accordingly)
• 2 whole or roughly broken Red chillies (Dried red chillies; adjust quantity to your heat preference)
• 1 cup (optional) Fried fishes (Optional; use small fried fish; bones must be removed after boiling)
• 2 cups Water (Used to boil the fish and to adjust consistency of the curry)
• 2 tablespoons Ghee (Clarified butter; used for tempering)
• 3 leaves Cassia leaves (A few leaves; similar to bay leaves; used for tempering)
• 0.5 cup (optional) Green peas (Optional addition; fresh or frozen both work)
• 0.5 cup pieces (optional) Beans (Optional; cut into small pieces)
• 1 medium, cut into pieces (optional) Potatoes (Optional; peel and cut into small cubes)
• 1 small, cut into pieces (optional) Brinjals (eggplant/aubergine) (Optional; cut into similar-sized pieces as potatoes)
• 0.25 cup Browned broken bori (Bori are dried lentil dumplings; break into pieces and brown (dry-roast or shallow-fry) before adding)

Instructions

1. 1Take the palang sak (spinach) and tender pumpkin leaves. Chop them finely on a cutting board — aim for pieces roughly 1 cm or smaller so they cook evenly. Place the chopped greens in a large bowl or colander, cover with cold water, swish around, and drain. Repeat 2–3 times until the water runs clear to remove all grit and dirt.
2. 2Place the washed chopped greens into a medium saucepan. Add just enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for about 5–7 minutes until the greens are soft and wilted. Drain through a colander, pressing gently with the back of a spoon to squeeze out excess water. Set the cooked greens aside.
3. 3In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt, powdered turmeric, pepper, half the cumin (reserve the other half for tempering in step 5), and the red chillies. Stir together so all the dry ingredients are evenly mixed. This mixture will be added to the greens shortly to season and thicken the curry.
4. 4If you are using fried fish: place the fried fish pieces into a small saucepan and add the water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Carefully remove the fish from the water. Using a fork or your fingers (once cool enough to handle), pick out and discard all bones. Break the fish flesh into flakes. Keep the cooking water in the pan — you will use both the fish flesh and this flavoured water in the next step. If not using fish, simply have 2 cups of plain water ready.
5. 5Place a large, heavy-bottomed pot or deep pan over medium heat. Add the ghee and let it melt and heat until it shimmers — this takes about 1 minute. Add the cassia leaves and the reserved half portion of cumin. Let them sizzle for about 30 seconds, stirring, until fragrant. You will hear a gentle crackling sound — this is the tempering working correctly.
6. 6Add the boiled and drained greens into the pot with the tempered ghee. Stir to coat them in the ghee. Next, sprinkle the flour-spice mixture from step 3 over the greens and stir thoroughly to combine, making sure there are no lumps of flour. Pour in the fish flesh and flavoured water from step 4 (or plain water if not using fish). Stir everything together well. Keep the heat at medium and stir constantly — do not walk away — to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom and scorching.
7. 7If you are using any or all of the optional vegetables — green peas, beans pieces, potato pieces, and brinjal pieces — add them to the pot now. Stir them into the curry mixture. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring regularly, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 8–10 minutes. The potatoes and brinjals will take the longest; check by piercing a potato piece with a knife — it should meet some resistance still at this stage as it will continue cooking.
8. 8After the vegetables have been cooking for about 8–10 minutes, add the browned broken bori (dried lentil dumplings that have been broken into pieces and dry-roasted or lightly fried until golden). Stir them gently into the curry. They will absorb some of the liquid and add texture and flavour. Continue cooking and stirring.
9. 9Continue to cook the curry over medium heat, stirring regularly, until the soup has thickened noticeably and all the vegetables and greens are completely cooked through and soft. To test: the curry should coat the back of a spoon, and a potato piece should be easily pierced with a knife with no resistance. This final stage takes approximately 5–8 minutes. Once the curry is thick and fully cooked, remove from heat and serve hot.