serves 2-3

Ingredients

• 1 bunch fresh spinach,
• 1 small onion,
• 1 medium potato,
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder,
• a pinch of asafoetida,
• 2 dried red chilies,
• 2 garlic cloves,
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida,
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds,
• salt to taste,
• a pinch of sugar(optional),
• 1 tbsp oil,

Method

1. Rinse spinach thoroughly and completely dry it on a paper towel. Chop spinach finely. Chop onion into thin vertical pieces. Dice potatoes. Crush garlic cloves using mortar and pestle.
2. Heat oil in a kadai. Make a standard tempering with mustard seeds. After adding asafoetida and turmeric powder, add crushed garlic and red chilies. Then add onions. Sautè until onions become translucent, about 2 minutes. Add potatoes and cover to let the potatoes become tender.
3. Add spinach and keep stirring until spinach cooks and turns soft. Add salt and sugar and mix. If you notice that the spinach is releasing water, add 1 tsp gram flour dissolved in 2 tsp water. Mix well and turn the heat off.
4. Serve with hot chapati.

Tips and Variations:

1) Add corns or green peas to the bhaaji.

2) Substitute chopped green chilies for red chilies.

3) Another variation: Omit potatoes. Soak 2 tbsp split green gram (moong dal) for 10 minutes; add it to the bhaaji after garlic and onion is added. Cover and let it soften. Add spinach and keep rest of the method same as above.