The Versatile Spinach Liquid – Wholesome and Surprisingly Delicious!

Spinach offers a number of nutrients and can be cooked in so many interesting ways. One excellent traditional and Ayurvedic recipe is the delicious Spinach Liquid. While we have not given it an inventive name, this recipe is extremely versatile and can go with chapati or rice, as a simple everyday meal or as part of a festive spread. It is wholesome, satisfying because of its liquidity and texture, and is liked by children as well as seniors.

Preparation Time: Approximately 30 min.
Serves Approx. 5 persons (1 Liter)

Ingredients

• 200 gm Spinach
• 300 gm Buttermilk
• 50 gm Ghee
• 2 gm Cumin /Jeera (whole)
• 1 gm Turmeric / Haldi (powder) 
• 1 gm Asafoetida / Hing (powder)
• 4 pcs Big Red Chilli (whole)
• 10 gm Whole Peanuts (soaked for 2 hours)
• 10 gm Chickpea dal (soaked for 2 hours)
• 7 gm Salt (or to taste)
• 6 gm Sugar
• 20 gm Chickpea flour/Besan
• 400 ml Hot Water

Preparation:

1. Wash and chop the spinach finely. Take half of the water and cook the spinach in it for about 10 minutes. It is very important to allow this to cool down completely.
   
2. In the meantime, cook the soaked peanut and chickpea dal in a little water with a pinch of salt, till it has softened.
3. After the spinach cooked in the water has cooled down, crush the spinach with your hand (do not use a mixer). Add the chickpea flour and mix it well. Then add buttermilk, salt, sugar, the remaining hot water, pre-cooked (softened) peanuts and chana dal and mix them all well.
4. Keep the spinach liquid on heat and allow to simmer. It is important to stir while heating so that the curd does not split. 
5. Heat the ghee in a small iron kadai (iron wok), add jeera and wait until the aroma of the jeera spreads. Then add hing, a pinch of haldi, and the pieces of red chilli to the ghee. This is the fodni (spice dressing). Pour the fodni over the prepared spinach liquid. 
6. Let the spinach liquid with fodni simmer on low heat for 5 to 10 minutes. The delicious Spinach Liquid is now ready to serve. It can be enjoyed with rice, chapati or bread.

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