We all know that Popeye made himself super strong by eating spinach, but you may be surprised to learn that he may also have been protecting himself against osteoporosis, heart disease, colon cancer, arthritis, and other diseases at the same time. Learn more about the nutrition and health benefits of Spinach here.
In the below recipe for palak soppu huli (palak soppu is spinach leaves and huli is sambar), I have used the spinach, toor dal and tamarind, added the sambar powder to make a delicious and healthy huli / sambar. I mix this huli with cooked white rice or even make it a sidedish for sambar. Makes a healthy and filling soup too.
We make this huli every thursday. My mom used to say that it is Sri Raghavendra rayaru's favorite and is prepared every thursday in most madhwa households as thurday is Sri Raghavendra rayaru's day. Here is the recipe.
Ingredients:
Spinach - 1 medium bunch
Toor dal - ¾ cup
Tamarind paste - ½ teaspoon
(If using the fresh tamarind, extract pulp from one lemon size tamarind)
Oil - 2 teaspoons for seasoning
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Urud dal - 1 teaspoon
Channa dal - 1 teaspoon
Red chillies - 2
Sambar powder - 1 tablespoon. Click here for the recipe
Substitute with 3 green chillies for sambar powder
Turmeric powder - ¼ teaspoon
Asafoetida powder a pinch
Salt to taste
Method:
Cook toor dal with 2 cups water. Mash the cooked toor dal (whisk well to mash) and keep it aside.
Chop the spinach leaves and wash it well. You can use half the spinach in the spinach bag available in the Indian grocery store. Keep it aside.
Heat oil in a kadai and add the mustard seeds, when it pops add the urud and channa dal. When the channa dal turns light brown, add the red chillies and the chopped spinach leaves.
Add one cup water. When the content is getting cooked, add tamarind paste, Sambar powder (huli podi), turmeric powder, salt and asafoetida powder.
Let the spinach get cooked well. Now drain the excess water from the cooked toor dal and add the dal to the cooked spinach. Mix well and reduce the heat. Turn off in one boil.
Serve hot with cooked white rice with a dab of ghee or use as a side for chapathi.
This is my entry to FIC - green hosted by Sunshinemom of Tongue ticklers.
