Tadka Palak Raita / Seasoned Yogurt with Spinach

This evening on my long drive back home from work, my usual hunger pangs started to hit and I began craving some Indian food even though I was too exhausted to cook anything. I pick up my daughter from school and her teacher hands me her daily activity report with a grin, telling me that she hardly had any lunch today. Oh well ! –  my never-ending quest to get some daily nutrition in her provides me just the right mojo and I decide I will indeed go home and cook something for her.

Continuing my drive home, I mentally make a checklist of what my pantry holds and what could be a quick fix meal when suddenly images of Keema Parathas (Minced meat and Potato stuffed Indian flatbread) flood my head. I had some leftover Keema (minced meat) lying in my fridge so all I had to do was to knead some dough and make the parathas. I could have served this with just plain yogurt but I did have some organic spinach leaves in my fridge and so decided to make a seasoned Raita with sauteed spinach. Hmm...yummmy!  This dish was so easy to make with very few ingredients and it turned out really delish as well as healthy! Sauteed spinach and yogurt somehow does some magic together and you just have to taste it to understand what I mean. I feel this is one of those easy, tasty and healthy side-dishes that can be made on a busy day and be served with Roti, Paratha, Naan, Rice or Pulav.

Serves 6-8

Ingridients
1 lb - Spinach
1/2 - Onions or 4 – Shallots, finely chopped
3 ½ Cup – Yogurt
½ Tsp – Ginger, finely grated
Salt to taste

For Tadka/ Tempering
1-2 - Dry Red chilly
½ Tsp - Mustard seeds
1 tsp - Yellow split moong dal
A Few - Curry leaves
Oil

Directions

• Heat some oil in a wok /kadai; add the onions/shallots and curry leaves and saute it until the onions/shallots become translucent
• Add chopped spinach and season with salt; saute until most of the water evaporates
• While the spinach is cooking, beat yogurt in a bowl and add the grated ginger and salt to it
• Take the spinach off the stove and let it slightly cool then stir the yogurt in.
• For tempering, heat oil and add mustard seeds; allow them to splutter.
• Once the mustard seeds have spluttered add the moong dal and red chilly; saute for 2 minutes and add it to the spinach-yogurt mixture