Palak (Spinach) Curry

Last week we visited the local Farmers Market for the first time. We had been hearing about this place and were eager to see it. Local farmers sell fresh vegetables at a cheaper rates at the Farmers market. It was nice to vistit Indian style "Bhaji market" after a long time. We picked few fresh fruits including cherries,Apples and pears. In all that excitemennt we ended up buying a huge packet of fresh Spinach.
So this week we are celebrating the spinach week. I am trying all possible recipies of Spinach. Palak paratha, palak dry veg, palak curry and may be I shall try palak pakodas tonight :). What I am sharing here is the recipe for making palak curry, Maharashtrian style.

Ingredients :
Palak leaves chopped coarsely
cumin seeds 2 tbsp
Ginger
Garlic
Green chillies
Tamarind
Jaggery
Chana dal 1 tbsp
Peanuts 2 tbsp
Besan 1 tbsp
Oil 1-2 tbsp
Curry leaves - 7-8
Salt

Steps
1> Cook Palak +peanuts + chana dal in a pressure cooker.
2> Add the besan powder and mix well so that no clots of besan remain and every
blends well into each other.
3> Masala - chop the ginger,garlic,green chillies and 1 tsp cumin seeds together in
a mixer. Soak tamarind in water and made a thick tamarind juice.Filter away the tamarind chunks.
4> Heat some oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds and curry leaves. After a min or so add the masala from the mixer. Let the masala cook for 1-2 minutes and then add the palak mixture to this vessel. Add 1 tbsp of tamarind juice, little jaggery or sugar as per your taste. Add some salt and let the mixture cook well.

Gajar Halwa (Carrot Pudding)

While I was watching TV last evening, I happened to glance at the Hawkins pressure cooker manual which alongwith the usage instructions also lists a few recipies.Thats when I decided to try one of the recipies listed in it. I picked Gajar halwa as I had most of the ingredients required for it. The Hawkins manual and pressure cooker always reminds me of someone I met during my trip to Nainital. It was an Uncle who had worked with Hawkins research department for a long time. He shared an interesting observation with us. He mentioned, almost complained that new users of pressure cookers always consult neighbors or friends about how to use it, but never bother to read the manual. He was also keen to let us know that we could use the cooker much more efficiently if we followed the User Manual. So following his advice, this recipe of Gajar Halwa comes directly from the Hawkins Manual.

Ingredients :
1.75 kg Red Carrots peeled and grated
1/4 Cup milk , 2 Cups Sugar ,400 gms mava crumbled (optional)
7 tbsp ghee , Some Almonds/cashews/rasins for topping
Steps :
1> Put carrots and milk into cooker
2> Close cooker. bring to full pressure on high heat. Remove cooker immediately from heat. Release pressure with slight lifting of vent weight. open cooker.
3> Place cooker with carrots on high heat. Add Sugar and cook till liquid dries up.(approx 15 mins)
4> Add mava and ghee. Cook till ghee shows seperately (approx 10 mins) stirring constantly. Serve hot garnished with almons/raisins n cashews as you like.