This chana palak recipe is a protein-packed, healthy, and delicious curry made with boiled chickpeas simmered in flavorful spinach gravy. This palak chole makes a hearty, comforting meal when served with hot steamed basmati rice or paratha.
Wash the dried chickpeas under running cold water until the water runs clear. Or rinse them 2-3 times until the water is not cloudy anymore.
Then soak in enough water (2 inches above) for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Now discard the soaking water, and take soaked chana, salt, and freshwater in the pressure cooker.
Cover the cooker with the lid, put the weight on, and cook for 1 whistle on HIGH + 20 minutes On LOW.Instant pot: Manual 15 minutes
While it is pressure cooking, start blanching spinach, rest of the prep, and start making gravy.
Let the pressure go down naturally, then open the lid. Drain the boiling water and save it for later to make gravy.
Blanch Spinach & Make Pastes:
Bring 5 cups of water to a rolling boil. Keep this pot on another stove while onions are cooking as water takes time to get to a boil. Add spinach leaves and green chilies. Push the leaves in the water using a spatula. Let it cook for exactly 4 minutes.
Drain the water and add cooked spinach to ice-cold water. Or simply run under the cold water to stop the cooking process. This ensures the spinach keeps its bright green color intact.
First, make a powder from cashew nuts and remove it to a bowl. Next, make a smooth puree from this blanched spinach with chilies. Also, prepare the tomato puree.
Making Chana Palak Recipe (Palak Chole):
Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add cumin seeds, let them sizzle a bit.
Add chopped onion and sprinkle a little salt to speed up the cooking process. Cook until the onion turns light brown in color and becomes soft.
Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute or until the raw smell of ginger garlic goes away.
Add prepared tomato puree. Let it comes to a simmer.
Add coriander powder, garam masala, and kasoori methi. Mix and cook until all the moisture evaporates from the tomato puree.
Add prepared spinach puree and remaining salt. Mix and let it come to a simmer. Do not let it boil for longer otherwise, it loses its green color.
Add cashew nut powder and mix.
Add drained, boiled chickpeas, plus some water to adjust the gravy consistency.
Mix and bring the mixture to a simmer and turn off the stove right away. Chana palak is ready to serve.
Notes
Quick Soaking Method for chickpeas: Take washed chana and plenty of water in a saucepan. Turn the heat on HIGH and let it come to a boil and then continue boiling for 5 minutes. Then turn off the stove. Cover the pan with the lid and let it rest for 1 hour. When you take a look at chana after 1 hour, they will be the same as overnight soaked.How to keep spinach gravy vibrant green?
Spinach must be blanched using the RIGHT method. Please follow the exact time and method shown.
Do not simmer the gravy for a longer period of time. As it keeps simmering, the gravy will start losing its green color.