This Indian Style Creamed spinach is similar to Palak Paneer but without the Paneer. …because my homemade Paneer didn’t turn out. It’s OK! It’s delicious on its own and well worth sharing. This recipe is great for dipping bread (preferably Naan) or spooning it over rice to make a complete meal.
MAKE IT DAIRY-FREE or WITH DAIRY
This recipe was originally published seven years ago with evaporated milk. I have discovered how amazing coconut is. So, I switched to coconut milk this time. This makes this recipe vegan and is suitable for those who don’t eat dairy. You can also use 1 cup of evaporated milk to replace the coconut milk.
IS LIGHT COCONUT MILK PERMITTED?
You can substitute light coconut milk for full-fat coconut milk. However, the final result will be slightly thinner. Coconut milk sold in cartons should not be used as a substitute for dairy milk. This recipe will not work with coconut milk sold in a carton.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH INDIAN CREAMED SpinACH
This Indian-style creamed spinach is a wonderful side dish, as mentioned in the introduction. It can be served with Slow-Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala or Cauliflower, Chickpea Masala or Slow-Cooker Coconut Curry Lentils. You can add more ingredients to your creamed spinach to make it your main meal. You can add cubed tofu or chickpeas, or diced potatoes.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 13.5oz. Can full-fat coconut milk be purchased ($1.79)
- 8 oz. fresh spinach ($1.29)
- 1 yellow onion (0.32)
- 2 cloves of garlic ($0.16)
- 1 Tbsp grated fresh Ginger ($0.30).
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
- 2 tsp ground cumin (0.20)
- 1 tsp garam masala ($0.10)
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric ($0.05).
- 1/4 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.02)
- 1 large tomato ($0.97)
- 1/4 cup water ($0.00
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to your taste) ($0.03)
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a large saucepan, combine the coconut milk with the spinach. Cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes or until the coconut milk has melted and the spinach is wilted. To avoid overcooking the spinach, remove it from heat immediately after it has wilted.
- Blend the coconut milk with the spinach in a blender until it is very fine. You can also blend the mixture until it becomes smooth. This mixture should be set aside.
- Chop the onion and garlic. Grate the Ginger. Combine Ginger, garlic, olive oil, and onion in a large skillet. Sauté the onions on medium heat for about 5 minutes.
- Add the garam masala (cumin), turmeric, cayenne, and turmeric to a skillet. Cook the spices in the skillet with the garlic, Ginger, and onion for two more minutes.
- Add the chopped tomato to the skillet with 1/4 cup of water. Mix the ingredients and stir until the tomato is completely dissolved.
- Add the mixture of coconut and spinach to the skillet. Stir to combine. Let the mixture heat up, stirring now and again.
- Add salt to the creamed spinach. You can start with 1/4 teaspoon. Add more as you need until the flavors are strong (I used 3/4 teaspoon).
NUTRITION
Serving: 1cup Calories: 139.2kcal Carbohydrates: 12.1g Protein: 2.6g Fat: 9.2g Sodium: 510.9mg Fiber: 2.9g
