This quick and easy Spinach & Potato (Aloo Palak) curry recipe is an Indian-inspired dish I recreated to make it vegan-friendly and gluten-free! It can be enjoyed on its own or paired with some rice, homemade flatbread or tortillas.

This dish was born out of my desire to try one new food a week. To expand my palate and increase the variety of foods I was having in my diet, I made a decision to pick up one new fruit/vegetable/ingredient from the farmer’s market. One week I discovered red spinach.

One Sunday morning I’d arrived at the markets a little later than usual, and found they’d sold out on all the popular green spinach varieties, so all that was left was some red spinach. I asked the woman at the stall what red spinach could be used in, and she said it paired incredibly well with potatoes. She told me about an Indian-inspired dish she’d made which paired red spinach with potatoes, and couldn’t recommend it highly enough!

So I bought the spinach, Googled some Indian recipes that incorporated spinach and potatoes and discovered Aloo Palak. I changed up some of the ingredients to make it vegan-friendly, and swapped out green spinach for this red variety. It was phenomenal!

Before we get started in learning how to make this Aloo Palak curry – if you like what you’re seeing, subscribe to my email newsletter at the bottom of the page to keep up to date on the latest recipes, DIYs, gardening and health tips I share!!

Red Spinach & Potato Curry (Aloo Palak – Inspired)

For this recipe, I chop the potatoes pretty small to help them cook faster. I recommend cutting them into 1/2 inch or smaller pieces. This way they cook in 10-15 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3-4 medium potatoes, cut into small pieces (around 1/2 inch)
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or red chilli powder
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 3-5 tbsp water or vegetable stock
• 1-2 small organic bunches of spinach (500g total), washed and rinsed
• 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

To make:

1. In a large pan over medium heat add the oil, and once hot, add in the cumin seeds then let them sizzle for few seconds before adding in the garlic, chilli flakes and onion.
2. Cook for around 3 minutes or until translucent.
3. Stir in the chopped potatoes and mix through. Next, add the turmeric, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, salt and veggie stock.
4. Toss until potatoes are well coated with the curry sauce, then cover the pan with a lid and let potatoes cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes or until cooked through, stirring every 2 minutes or so.
5. Once cooked, add the chopped spinach in slowly, stirring after each addition until the leaves have wilted. Once all the spinach has been added, cook for 3-4 minutes more.
6. Remove from heat, add in the lemon juice, stir through, then allow to cool slightly before serving as is, or with a side of rice, flatbread, roti or tortillas. As we’re making a dry version of this Aloo Palak curry, there shouldn’t be any stock/water left at the end. It should have evaporated during the cooking process.

As always, this is not personal medical advice and we recommend that you talk with your doctor before trying or using any new products. I am not a doctor. All opinions expressed are my own personal thoughts and feelings of the products mentioned. Check with your doctor or health practitioner if you are uncertain about trying out any of the products, recipes or tips mentioned in this post. 

Have you tried red spinach before? What did you think? Share in the comments below.

Lots of love,

🖤 Vanessa