Spinach-Peanut Chutney

Preparation & Cooking time: 15 Mins

Spinach : 1 bunch; wash and chop roughly

Peanuts : ½ cup; roasted, skinned and powdered

Tomato : 1 big; quartered

Tamarind : Small lemon sized; extract pulp

Garlic : 3-4 flakes

Green chilli : 5 (adjust to taste)

Dry red chilli : 1-2 (Optional)

Salt : To taste

For seasoning

Onion : 1 small; thinly sliced

Mustard seeds : 1 tablespoon
Urad dal : ½ tablespoon
Chana dal : ½ tablespoon
Cumin seeds : ¼ tablespoon (Optional)
Curry leaves : 1 twig

Oil: 3 tablespoons

1. Pour 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy bottom pan. Once hot, add garlic, green chilli and dry red chilli. Stir for a minute. Add tomato and stir for another 2 mins.

2. Now add the roughly chopped spinach and stir for 2 mins. Cover with lid and allow to cook on medium heat. Water oozes out from spinach and softens.

3. Add salt and tamarind pulp, stir for a minute. Remove from heat and let it cool.

4. Add the powdered peanuts and roughly mash in a mortar or mixer or with pappuguthi. Adjust salt, tamarind and chilli spice to your taste.

5. Pour the remaining oil in to a pan. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add chana dal, urad dal. Once the dals turn brown, add cumin seeds, curry leaves and onions. Stir till onions turn translucent. Remove from heat and pour over chutney.

Benefits of spinach: Spinach has a high nutritional value and is extremely rich in antioxidants, especially when fresh, steamed, or quickly boiled. It is a source of folic acid, iron, calcium, vitamin-A, omega-3 fatty acids and many more. Fresh spinach loses much of its nutritional value with storage of more than a few days. While refrigeration slows this effect to about eight days, spinach will lose most of its folate and carotenoid content, so for longer storage it is frozen, cooked and frozen, or canned. Storage in the freezer can be for up to eight months.

Facts about peanuts: Peanuts are rich in nutrients, providing over 30 essential nutrients and phytonutrients. Peanuts are a good source of niacin, folate, fiber, magnesium, vitamin E, manganese and phosphorus. They also are naturally free of trans-fats and sodium, and contain about 25% protein (a higher proportion than in any true nut). While peanuts are considered high in fat, they primarily contain “good” fats also known as unsaturated fats. One serving of peanuts contains 11.5 g unsaturated fat and 2 g of saturated fat. In fact, peanuts have been linked well enough to their heart-healthy benefits, in 2003, the Food and Drug Administration released a health claim recognizing peanuts in helping maintain your cholesterol.

Source of information: Wikipedia.